A close-up and personal look at Switzerland
It’s everywhere there’s no denying that. English words are in the German language to stay. But there are a lot of similarities in the two languages without having to dig around in the fashionable words of today. And when the… Read moreEnglish in the Swiss German Language
This is a small slice of the story of an American immigrant, Henry. He was born in 1839 near Zurich in Switzerland. I want to tell you a little bit about Henry and his life in the United States around… Read moreA Point in time – 1860s when Genealogy meets the Civil War
Here it is, the third part of my three steps in understanding the context of any 17th or 18th century text, or any text for that matter. Step one: you have know what letters in which alphabet you are looking… Read moreGenealogy at a Glance – Understanding 17th and 18th Century Texts – Step Three
I really enjoy genealogy, and because so many sources have been digitalized it’s really easy. It doesn’t matter where in the world you start your search. If you’ve got an internet connection you’re good to go. I started my search… Read moreGenealogy at a Glance – Understanding 17th and 18th Century Texts – Step One
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, German and therefore the Swiss dialects are very descriptive languages. Oftentimes the first time you hear a word you understand it inherently with no need for further explanation. If that’s not… Read moreCool German Words
The anti-apartheid and human rights activist Desmond Tutu once said: ‘Language is very powerful. Language does not describe reality. Language creates the reality that it describes.’ Changing how you speak about something or someone might seem shallow when it comes… Read moreEveryday Words and Phrases that have Racist Connotations
Now that 2020 is finally behind us, there’s little doubt what most of the world will remember it for. No, I’m not talking about the US presidential election, I’m talking about COVID-19. It’s dominated 2020. I’ve even indirectly written about… Read moreWord of the Year
When I think of apples I think of cool days in October and bobbing for apples on Halloween. But that is only the beginning. Apples are such an important part of life they are omnipresent. Think about it. How many… Read moreApples are Everywhere
With this post, I think I’ve pretty much covered idioms using mammals. Although I’m sure I could find more if I looked. I started with horses, then went on safari, covering lions, bears, elephants and monkeys. My next idiom post… Read moreIdioms About Cats and Mice in German
Dogs are a very common animal. There are a large number of idioms and sayings dealing with dogs. Some are the same in both English and German, others are only found in the German language. Dogs Vor die Hunde gehen…. Read moreIdioms about Dogs in German
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