schmutzdecke n. a naturally occurring gelatinous layer of living biological matter on a sand-based water filter, for which it provides additional filtration. Editorial Note: Occasionally spelled in English as “schmutzedecke” or “smutzdecke.” Etymological Note: German schmutz ‘dirt’ + decke ‘covering.’ (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Susan from Virginia Beach, Virginia, shares the phrase her mother used when the kids refused to eat: It’ll grow hair on your back teeth. This supposed motivator likely blends two older traditions: a German idiom, Haare auf den Zähnen haben...
In English, we may express regret colloquially with the rhyming phrase Shoulda, woulda, coulda! German speakers also use a rhyming phrase to suggest the same idea: Hätte, hätte, Fahrradkette!, which translates literally as “If only, if only, bicycle...
The English word “smudge”, which seems kind of similar to “schmutz”, can be used as a noun or as a verb. So why not use “schmutz” as a verb”?