German dressman in pullunder with handy
A friend from Munich told me of a German word she thought had come directly from English - der Pullunder - but is, in fact, what English speakers call a sleeveless vest. An interesting borrowing from the English language of a word that did not exist in English in the first place!
Editor's note: There is even more than this! You can find other German pseudo anglicisms that either didn't exist in the first place or take on a different meaning such as der Dressman, male model, das Fitnesscenter, gym, and das Handy, mobile telephone.
Sent by: Mark
Comments
The German word for Grammar School is das Gymnasium, I was astonished to find out. Or what about "what" which is was.
There is no such thing as a Pullunder in English, it is just not a word we use. Also, 'pullover' is rarely used, we say 'jumper'.
In the U.S. 'beamer' is hip language for BMW, as in "My neighbor just pulled up in a brand new 'beamer'."
Lately I have seen a lot of adverts around Leverkusen for 'After job'.
Pullunder is an invented German word. In the past it was called Westover - a vest, worn over the shirt. Today it's a combination of a pullover without sleeves and a vest without buttons and you wear it exclusive under your jacket.
I never understood the use of Pullunder. I used to think that was a thin turtleneck that you wear under a dress shirt. (Now, what are these called?) Why "under"? The Pullunder used to be known to me as Vestover/Westover - a hybrid of vest/waistcoat and pullover, which made sense to me.
Well, Showmaster is actually a gameshow host. Not any entertainer. And I think Pullunder was created kind of as an opposite of Pullover. Up until now I've never realized that it's supposed to be an English word.
Jan, I'm sorry but you're wrong. The quiz master is just used to those living in Germany. German-speaking British and Irish ex-pats will understand this usage, but it would never work on the streets of London or Manchester (unless you were speaking to someone who understood German). Most English speakers are more likely to associate the word 'handy' with DIY than mobile telephones.
A further example is Pudding, used in German to mean (set) custard or blancmange. English has its own foreign words which don't say as much in the original language as the English think - take en suite bathrooms for instance, or eating al fresco (in the cold), whereas the Italians eat al aperto (in the open).
In German, a mobile phone is a Handy and a veteran car is an Oldtimer.
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