We spoke with a listener about the German word querfeldein, or literally “diagonally into the field,” which he used to describe an informal route he and his wife had taken while out for a walk. Many other listeners chimed in with proposed equivalents in English. Many of those involved in orienteering suggested bushwhacking. Others offered jaywalking or walking catty-corner. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Bushwacking is Forging New Paths”
Grant, you will remember our call from Ben in Philadelphia, who told us that he and his German wife were taking a leisurely stroll and they cut across a field.
You know why I’m laughing? Because of course I remember it, because the flood of email and phone calls. It was amazing.
Yes, yes.
Ben was saying that in German, they have a term for this, Kwerfeldein, which means literally to go diagonally into a field or across a field.
And boy, the emails and voicemails that came in, yeah, we had to just dig right through them, didn’t we?
Yeah.
A lot of people suggested the word bushwhacking.
Yep.
But for me, that’s always indicated something wild about the experience, like that nature is overgrown and you have to force your way through.
But if it’s a managed field, if it’s mown, where’s the whacking of bushes?
Yeah, I think of having a machete or something.
But we had so many people who said, yes, in orienteering, we use the term bushwhacking.
So I don’t know. Maybe that’s the one.
Right.
But a lot of people had a lot of thoughts on this line of sight, pursual of a destination without road or sidewalk or anything.
Yep.
Yep.
Some people said jaywalking or walking catty-cornered, but I think bushwhacking among the calls and emails that we got was the winner.
So I guess until we have a better alternative, we go with that one.
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