Verspargelung der Landschaft
n.— «Hundreds of citizens’ groups have sprung up in Germany to battle “Verspargelung der Landschaft”—a new phrase in the German lexicon—meaning “the transformation of the German landscape into an asparagus field.”» —“As windmills spread, some Germans balk at ‘asparagus fields'” by Charles Hawley Christian Science Monitor May 5, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...
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...