American Girl Living In Germany Post Things She Finds Unintentionally Funny And Here Are 42 Of The Best
Living abroad is amazing for so many reasons - it opens your heart and mind to new people and cultures, languages, climate, food... the list goes on. The things that seem mundane at home, going to work or running errands, for example, take on a whole new meaning as you have to figure them out from a fresh and exciting perspective.
Getting used to local customs is not only a fun challenge, but it can also be a good laugh too. Misunderstandings are bound to occur as you try to get to grips with a complicated new language and way of doing things, and the best way to deal with them is to try not to take yourself too seriously!
American English teacher and blogger Jessie Meier knows this all too well. Her witty and erudite observations about life in Germany encompass things like the endless joy and beauty of the German language, some lighthearted complaining about slightly odd local habits, and the funny everyday sightings and occurrences that living as an 'expat' can throw up sometimes.
Scroll down below to see what we mean for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!
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But you do need a lot more education to be a busdriver then to be a blogger.
Der Hinweis ist für die Amerikaner gedacht. Die könnten darauf kommen.
I can't get past that face... the other 2 the eyes are just kinda cute but THAT one creeps me out.
I immediately thought of dank in another context... I guess this business is fine while people ar high?
Some kids play firefighter because they are big fans, some play family because they repeat their experienced family life, some play nurse or doctor because themselves or a kindergarden fellow is sick, there's nothing wrong with giving your kids (non-functional childproof) doctor toys.
I'm a non-German living in Germany. Some of these were mildly amusing, most are just flat. And some so stupid, only an American would find them hilarious. Like the one with Balzac Coffee, which is named after a French writer, however Jessy finds it funny probably because it sound like "ballsack". That's just plain ignorant. Sorry Jessy
not funny! not even interesting!
Däumchen hoch für Deinen Kommentar!
Danke :)
Tina, I don't understand what's wrong on thanking a person who gives one a thumbs up. Balzac would love to know you and write about people like you.
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AJu you insult your own countrymen then thank the German who gives you a thumbs up. Have some pride, man
Tina Hugh I'm not American. But thanks for the compliment on my English ;) and I'm not a man either :D
A handful were funny/interesting to me. The rest were not. If I knew this person and read this on FB or something, I'd think she was great and would be amused, but not really up to snuff for a public posting.
Oh, good. Can you please explain the Hello Braunschweig photo. I don't get the joke. Is there a pun or something? It is just not a sentence? thanks for your help!
Hi there! I think Jessy thinks it's funny cause "you" is missing. That's my interpretation of the ... ehm ... joke. Yeah, like I said, flat
Oh and Braunschweig is a town
Is it that hard to use google for an american Tina? https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweig
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It looks like a compound word of Braun (brown) and Schweig (shut up).
I was wondering what this picture was about...
As the late Gene Siskel said: "Two things are not debatable: eroticism, and comedy. If you don't think it's sexy, or funny, there's no way I can change your mind". The opposite is also true: if a person DOES think something is sexy or funny, there's no point trying to change his or her mind.
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Did you not even notice the apple cinnamon latte?
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How dare you say that only Americans would laugh at these! My husband and I happen to be Canadian! Oh dear, I just blew our reputation for politeness into smithereens... :(
Possibly because I am not American or German i didn't see anything very funny here.
I am German and can't find anything funny... Must be funny then only for Americans...
Mostly not for us either. Can't say that for everyone, but it's a meh from me.
I can't apologize for all Americans but I can for myself. Sorry.
No, no, Canadians find this funny, too.
The worst part is she seems really to believe she's witty or funny... The most bowring blog about living in a foreign country ever.
What's supposed to be funny? I don't get it at all.
And some English words sound NSFW in other languages... If I ever go to Italy, I'll have to change my last name.
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German words sound like dirty words in English, hahahahaha.
This is probably one of the shittest lists I've ever read on here.
To be fair, every country sticks a US flag on large portion food items
Hmm, my funny bone must be switched off today. Normally i love a good chuckle at mis-translations and whatnot, but these just kind of seem dumb and almost ignorant although I know that’s not the intent.
Not even a little bit funny. "Oh, other languages have different words!" was the summary version. Yawn.
😆😆😆😆This comment was funnier than the post.
Most of these are just language ignorant. Winder how good (or bad) her German is.
She thinks it will be funny. But it doesn't. Poor American.
so silly, not funny, quite ignorance-expressing
Americans have a weird sense of humour.
and many of them have a dirty mind and their mind in the gutter
None of these are funny..most are amusing to ignorant people. Making fun of a culture because of their language or advertising is disrespectful in my mind. Like the fancy toilet lids..I can guarantee there is someplace in the USA where you can find them. Weird lawn ornaments? Have you ever driven through a neighborhood occupied by retired seniors? And we put plastic pink flamingos and fake plants in our front yards. So what's the difference? It just seems like the poster was searching for things to make fun of. Try again.
Some cracked me up, some didn't. Having read the comments, I've decided not to send the link to my friend Bert in Munich. He's already well aware that the word "bus" cracks up Japanese people and "fahrt" is hilarious to English speakers. Poor man, he taught German for 40 years so that we unwashed masses of anglophones would stop saying that germanophones named the middle of the week "meatloaf".
Geez lighten up! Some of these were funny. They were definitely all light-hearted and just meant to give you a laugh. Why all the punishing remarks, she just wanted to bring a smile.
Well, I laughed a fair bit. I am German - and really tired, maybe that's why. Off to bed.
When you speak more than one language, you often don't notice these kinds of things.
I found this flat. Flula does a better job Lampooning his own culture. 2. I am dying of laughter at Germans and others actually taking offense and defending these. I think this "blog" says more about how dumb Americans are more than anything else. Including the OP.
The weirdest things I found in Germany when I visited our twin town aged 14, were the teenage girl's magazines with full frontal naked pictures of boys, the unguarded cigarette vending machines outside of shops and the McDonalds serving beer. Blew my little British mind!
The unguarded cigarette vending machines are gone now. You need a card with your age verification on the chip to get access.
EuroDisney in France started serving wine after the French got mighty pissed off at being treated like children. They do tend to hold their liquor well, partly because getting stinking drunk is generally frowned on.
I live in Germany for some time now, not an American, not a German either. Rather, I am from Europe and only an American would find those things funny.
As another American living in a foreign country (Japan for next few years ), I can absolutely appreciate and relate to these !!
The jokes are lost without translations or telling us what some of these things are.
American girls knows nothing!
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Americans being Americans. Hope Trump wins again to confirm my theories:)))
If she’s over 18 and living on her own, then she’s not a girl. She’s a woman.
What is funny is how many non-American readers were mildly offended.
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This could have been funnier if everyone stopped "explaining" jokes
Nobody's explaining the "jokes" rather than pointing out why they are, in fact, no jokes. Thinking "Balzac" is funny is just stupid
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I’m an American who moved to Germany and I love this post, maybe because I understand how weird it is here. They use the words “führer” and “jawohl” in everyday conversation and don’t understand why Americans immediately think Nazi. Their idea of spicy food is mayonnaise. At a Mexican restaurant here their frijoles were Hunt’s baked beans. When men come home from work they take their pants off so they don’t get outside germs on the couch. I love it here but it’s still very, very weird. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone!
You mean "jawohl" as in the normal German word for "yes"? Why would they not use that in everyday conversation? Man I'm not even German and I already feel insulted by your nazi remark.
Roman Hans, looks like you're pretty alone. SOrry. And it is not hate. People are only annoyed by americans making their own ignorance the average benchmark.
Tell me then, Roman Hans, how would you translate "jawohl" other than as an affirmative "yes"?
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You don’t need to say you’re not German because “ja” is the normal German word for “yes.”
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Wow! What a lot of hate! I didn’t say to stop using those words, just that Americans only know them from Nazi movies & TV shows so they have very negative commotations to us. (Americans have exactly one association with the words “führer” and “reich.” Say what you want — I’m just stating a fact.)
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Hey, it’s you Germans that made those words menacing. Don’t ever forget that. You can’t murder millions then seriously bitch because the people who brought you peace and prosperity are a tad put off. Try to be a little dankbar, huh? Americans died to sort out your country and help you rejoin the civilized world
Every country can be weird for an outsider. Germans (and others) think the US gun law is ridiculous. Your food is either too sweet or too greasy. You don't have normal bread. You wear gym outfits to go shopping. Your cars are wrecks..... I could go on, but well. Everyone who has visited another country has experiences with stuff thats weird for them because their country does things differently. Its normal
I was going to say exactly the same. I hate it when people travel abroad and think the locals are stupid because the do things differently. Or when they come to my country and complain because things are different from home. Some things look funny or surprising for an outsider, but every country is different. If you are not prepared to deal with the differences, you'd better stay at home.
So, we should rename the town of Dachhau or what is your idea? May invent another language because there where some weird people using my native language 40 years before I even was born? The "girl" and you just show a lack of education.
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Vicky, I completely agree with you, and those are a few of the hundreds of reasons I’m in Germany. And I never said to stop using those words, just that it’s shocking to Americans. Just like a sign I saw for a hardware store that said “#1 in Dachau!” Fine to say. Little weird to me.
Führer is a normal german word. It means guide/ operator/ driver... why should we stop using a perfectly normal word, just because you Americans can only associate it with Hitler?
"Is" is just that person. I don't associate specific words with nazis,
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Because millions of people died under your führer and thousand of Americans died to save Europe from you. That would be a good enough reason but she is not asking you to stop using the word. Someone just noted that it looks funny to Americans. Someone on an American site reading an article written for Americans.
your mexican restaurant story reminds me a greek restaurant in London...the food didn' t even look like greek food :-)
This happens even in different regions of the same country. I live in the north of Spain; a friend of mine from Valencia says that what we call "paella" is rubbish. For us its delicious, but apparently Valencian people don't think the same.
María Hermida, the worst paella I ever ate was in Lleida. I think I found a few grains of rice and bits of seafood in all that salt. To be fair, there can be crappy cooks anywhere. On the other hand my husband just adored the patatas bravas ("Stop calling it poutine!" he yelled) and one of my favourite wines ever was La Imperatriz. We were in Catalonia and Aragon and the scenery was varied and incredibly beautiful.
I'm a non-German living in Germany. Some of these were mildly amusing, most are just flat. And some so stupid, only an American would find them hilarious. Like the one with Balzac Coffee, which is named after a French writer, however Jessy finds it funny probably because it sound like "ballsack". That's just plain ignorant. Sorry Jessy
not funny! not even interesting!
Däumchen hoch für Deinen Kommentar!
Danke :)
Tina, I don't understand what's wrong on thanking a person who gives one a thumbs up. Balzac would love to know you and write about people like you.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
AJu you insult your own countrymen then thank the German who gives you a thumbs up. Have some pride, man
Tina Hugh I'm not American. But thanks for the compliment on my English ;) and I'm not a man either :D
A handful were funny/interesting to me. The rest were not. If I knew this person and read this on FB or something, I'd think she was great and would be amused, but not really up to snuff for a public posting.
Oh, good. Can you please explain the Hello Braunschweig photo. I don't get the joke. Is there a pun or something? It is just not a sentence? thanks for your help!
Hi there! I think Jessy thinks it's funny cause "you" is missing. That's my interpretation of the ... ehm ... joke. Yeah, like I said, flat
Oh and Braunschweig is a town
Is it that hard to use google for an american Tina? https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweig
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
It looks like a compound word of Braun (brown) and Schweig (shut up).
I was wondering what this picture was about...
As the late Gene Siskel said: "Two things are not debatable: eroticism, and comedy. If you don't think it's sexy, or funny, there's no way I can change your mind". The opposite is also true: if a person DOES think something is sexy or funny, there's no point trying to change his or her mind.
This comment has been deleted.
Did you not even notice the apple cinnamon latte?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
How dare you say that only Americans would laugh at these! My husband and I happen to be Canadian! Oh dear, I just blew our reputation for politeness into smithereens... :(
Possibly because I am not American or German i didn't see anything very funny here.
I am German and can't find anything funny... Must be funny then only for Americans...
Mostly not for us either. Can't say that for everyone, but it's a meh from me.
I can't apologize for all Americans but I can for myself. Sorry.
No, no, Canadians find this funny, too.
The worst part is she seems really to believe she's witty or funny... The most bowring blog about living in a foreign country ever.
What's supposed to be funny? I don't get it at all.
And some English words sound NSFW in other languages... If I ever go to Italy, I'll have to change my last name.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
German words sound like dirty words in English, hahahahaha.
This is probably one of the shittest lists I've ever read on here.
To be fair, every country sticks a US flag on large portion food items
Hmm, my funny bone must be switched off today. Normally i love a good chuckle at mis-translations and whatnot, but these just kind of seem dumb and almost ignorant although I know that’s not the intent.
Not even a little bit funny. "Oh, other languages have different words!" was the summary version. Yawn.
😆😆😆😆This comment was funnier than the post.
Most of these are just language ignorant. Winder how good (or bad) her German is.
She thinks it will be funny. But it doesn't. Poor American.
so silly, not funny, quite ignorance-expressing
Americans have a weird sense of humour.
and many of them have a dirty mind and their mind in the gutter
None of these are funny..most are amusing to ignorant people. Making fun of a culture because of their language or advertising is disrespectful in my mind. Like the fancy toilet lids..I can guarantee there is someplace in the USA where you can find them. Weird lawn ornaments? Have you ever driven through a neighborhood occupied by retired seniors? And we put plastic pink flamingos and fake plants in our front yards. So what's the difference? It just seems like the poster was searching for things to make fun of. Try again.
Some cracked me up, some didn't. Having read the comments, I've decided not to send the link to my friend Bert in Munich. He's already well aware that the word "bus" cracks up Japanese people and "fahrt" is hilarious to English speakers. Poor man, he taught German for 40 years so that we unwashed masses of anglophones would stop saying that germanophones named the middle of the week "meatloaf".
Geez lighten up! Some of these were funny. They were definitely all light-hearted and just meant to give you a laugh. Why all the punishing remarks, she just wanted to bring a smile.
Well, I laughed a fair bit. I am German - and really tired, maybe that's why. Off to bed.
When you speak more than one language, you often don't notice these kinds of things.