Dan in San Diego wondered whether the mare in nightmare is a horse. It isn’t. In old folklore, a mare, German Mahr, was a goblin or demon thought to press on a sleeper’s chest and bring terrifying dreams. The same heavy image turns up in Spanish...
This week: Do you ever find yourself less-than-specific about your age? Listeners share some of their favorite phrases for fudging that number, like: “Oh, I’m 29, plus shipping and handling.” Also in this episode: • Since ancient...
A listener has been baffled for years by a riddle told a German friend. It goes, “What’s the difference between a frog? Answer: The greener it is, the faster it swims.” It’s an example of an antiwitz or “anti...
The translation of one silly German antiwitz joke begins, “Two thick feet are crossing the street…” Another starts, “Two skyscrapers are sitting in the basement knitting…” They go downhill from there. This is part...
The German antiwitz, or anti-joke, sidesteps the machinery of an ordinary punchline. In one goofy specimen, two muffins are sitting in an oven. When one complains, “Man, it’s hot in here,” the other blurts, “Oh, my God, a talking muffin!” This is...
Krex is a dialectal term, probably from German, that means to grumble or complain. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of ““Krex” Means to Grumble or Complain” I always love it when friends use words I don’t know and...