Re: English word for a German word ending in "komisch"

[Silvano]

Stefan Ram hat am 22.04.2021 um 19:21 geschrieben:
> bruce bowser <bruce2...@gmail.com> writes:
>> Is there an english word for the german word
> ...
>
> "Is there an English word for the German word ... ?"
>
> That alleged German word you asked about is not know to me.
> It might well be a spontaneous formation; so its meaning
> can be - depending on the context - either "funny as sh.."
> or, maybe also, "tragically funny". Maybe "damn funny"
> or "bloody funny" can express both aspects?


I've never read or heard that word either. But, hey, I'm a newcomer in
Germany. I've been living there and speaking German every day (apart
from holidays abroad) only since 1984!

If you want a serious answer, please tell us at least the whole sentence
with Scheißkomisch, and preferably what the speaker/writer is talking about.

[Jack]

There are several hits at Google Books:
https://tinyurl.com/54kbnwea

--
Jack

[Pierre Jelenc]

In article <s5snfi$uca$1...@dont-email.me>,

Duden says that as a prefix scheiß- is an intensifier: "drückt in
Bildungen mit Adjektiven eine Verstärkung aus; sehr
Beispiel scheißfaul, scheißkalt"

https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/scheisz_

Swedish and Icelandic have similar forms.

Pierre
--
Pierre Jelenc
The Gigometer www.gigometer.com
The NYC Beer Guide www.nycbeer.org

[Quinn C]

* Jack:

As far as I can see, Charlotte Roche's is the only one written in
German, and this can't be inspected. The rest is translations from
English, so you could try to find out what English expression
translators tried to reproduce by using that word. But it's not a
reliable indication of idiomatic German.

As I've written in aug, I suspect it's just an emphatic version of
"komisch" in a somewhat vulgar register. Emphatics from a less vulgar
register are urkomisch, saukomisch, brüllend komisch ...

--
Trans people are scapegoated for the impossibilities of this two-box
system, but the system harms all of us. Most people have felt ashamed
of the ways we don't conform to whatever narrow idea of man or woman
has been prescribed onto our bodies -- H.P.Keenan in Slate

[Quinn C]

* Quinn C:

> * Jack:

>
>> There are several hits at Google Books:
>> https://tinyurl.com/54kbnwea
>
> As far as I can see, Charlotte Roche's is the only one written in
> German, and this can't be inspected. The rest is translations from
> English, so you could try to find out what English expression
> translators tried to reproduce by using that word.

I did one: In Stuart Neville's book Collusion/Blutige Fehde, it's
standing in for "What's so *fucking funny*?"

> As I've written in aug, I suspect it's just an emphatic version of
> "komisch" in a somewhat vulgar register.

Example is quite in line with that theory.

--
Quinn C
My pronouns are they/them
(or other gender-neutral ones)

[musika]

GooTran translates as "fucking funny".

--
Ray
UK

[Chrysi Cat]

On 4/22/2021 6:19 PM, Stefan Ram wrote:

> rc...@panix.com (Pierre Jelenc) writes:
>> "drückt in Bildungen mit Adjektiven eine Verstärkung aus; sehr
>

> I wanted to add something to my previous post, but then I thought,
> "this is a newsgroup for English", so it might not be polite to
> post too much about German! But since now others have shown an
> interest, I hope that it's not too bold, I'd like to add, that there
> are also words, where it adds a meaning of "hypocrite". For example,
> if someone is "sch...freundlich" it means he exhibits a false,
> superficial, put-on friendliness, behind which something else is
> hidden. An exaggerated and/or fake friendliness.
>
> So, "sch...komisch" might include a criticism of inappropriate
> or annoying humour.
>
> There also is "sch...liberal", which describes someone who
> acts liberal in an annoying way, maybe just to hide his real
> conservative or selfish interests. Or someone who is liberal
> only where it suits him, and in relation to other things, not
> liberal at all.
>
>

Well, yeah, but THAT one is a literal translation of "shitlib" as well,
and that's the favourite epithet for the modern left to throw around at
the left-of-centre-but-not-Communist-or-anarchist.

--
Chrysi Cat
1/2 anthrocat, nearly 1/2 anthrofox, all magical
Transgoddess, quick to anger. [she/her. Misgender and die].
Call me Chrysi or call me Kat, I'll respond to either!

[CDB]

On 4/22/2021 8:05 PM, Pierre Jelenc wrote:
> Silvano <Sil...@noncisonopernessuno.it> wrote:
>> Stefan Ram hat am 22.04.2021 um 19:21 geschrieben:
>>> bruce bowser <bruce2...@gmail.com> writes:
>>>> Is there an english word for the german word
>>> ...

>>> "Is there an English word for the German word ... ?"

>>> That alleged German word you asked about is not know to me. It
>>> might well be a spontaneous formation; so its meaning can be -
>>> depending on the context - either "funny as sh.." or, maybe also,
>>> "tragically funny". Maybe "damn funny" or "bloody funny" can
>>> express both aspects?

>> I've never read or heard that word either. But, hey, I'm a newcomer
>> in Germany. I've been living there and speaking German every day
>> (apart from holidays abroad) only since 1984!

>> If you want a serious answer, please tell us at least the whole
>> sentence with Scheißkomisch, and preferably what the speaker/writer
>> is talking about.

> Duden says that as a prefix scheiß- is an intensifier: "drückt in
> Bildungen mit Adjektiven eine Verstärkung aus; sehr Beispiel
> scheißfaul, scheißkalt"

> https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/scheisz_

> Swedish and Icelandic have similar forms.

English has "shit[-]hot". Dictionaries I have looked at say it means
"excellent" and is not to be confused with the disparaging "hot shit",
(OK, that was from the Urban Dictionary).

[Tony Cooper]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2021 07:38:16 -0400, CDB <belle...@gmail.com> wrote:


>English has "shit[-]hot". Dictionaries I have looked at say it means
>"excellent" and is not to be confused with the disparaging "hot shit",
>(OK, that was from the Urban Dictionary).
>

The term "hot shit" is really not at all disparaging. It means
someone is very good at something or very popular. The disparaging
aspect is that it is usually - if not always - used in a sentence like
"He thinks he's hot shit" with the understood but not added ", but
he's not".

--

Tony Cooper Orlando Florida

[J. J. Lodder]

Pierre Jelenc <rc...@panix.com> wrote:

> In article <s5snfi$uca$1...@dont-email.me>,
> Silvano <Sil...@noncisonopernessuno.it> wrote:
> >Stefan Ram hat am 22.04.2021 um 19:21 geschrieben:
> >> bruce bowser <bruce2...@gmail.com> writes:
> >>> Is there an english word for the german word
> >> ...
> >>
> >> "Is there an English word for the German word ... ?"
> >>
> >> That alleged German word you asked about is not know to me.
> >> It might well be a spontaneous formation; so its meaning
> >> can be - depending on the context - either "funny as sh.."
> >> or, maybe also, "tragically funny". Maybe "damn funny"
> >> or "bloody funny" can express both aspects?
> >
> >
> >I've never read or heard that word either. But, hey, I'm a newcomer in
> >Germany. I've been living there and speaking German every day (apart
> >from holidays abroad) only since 1984!
> >
> >If you want a serious answer, please tell us at least the whole sentence

> >with ScheiÃkomisch, and preferably what the speaker/writer is talking about.
>
> Duden says that as a prefix scheiÃ- is an intensifier: "drÃπckt in
> Bildungen mit Adjektiven eine VerstÀrkung aus; sehr
> Beispiel scheiÃfaul, scheiÃkalt"

>
> https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/scheisz_
>
> Swedish and Icelandic have similar forms.

In line with Rey Aman's theory
that the Germans are still stuck in the anal stage.
Aman also noted that Dutch is more advanced.
It has for example klere- kanker- typhus- klote- kut-
as intensifiers, so disease and sex.

Is there a list for English? (or French)

Jan

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 10:25:36 PM UTC-4, Chrysi Cat wrote:

> Well, yeah, but THAT one is a literal translation of "shitlib" as well,
> and that's the favourite epithet for the modern left to throw around at
> the left-of-centre-but-not-Communist-or-anarchist.

You must keep some odd company.

Your British spellings are betraying something-or-other.

[bruce bowser]

That could be a future stage for english or is it a past stage? Where do these stages stop end begin, anyway? When the english speaker says: 'Lets get to the 'serious shit' or 'the more serious shit'. Or this is the 'funny shit' or the 'crazy shit'. Its an intensifier.

[J. J. Lodder]

The present stage, by Rey Aman.

> Where do these stages stop end begin, anyway?
> When the english speaker says: 'Lets get to the 'serious shit' or 'the
> more serious shit'. Or this is the 'funny shit' or the 'crazy shit'.
> Its an intensifier.

Yes, just like German,

Jan

[Chrysi Cat]

They're betraying my hatred for most US governments in the time of my
adulthood more than anything else, in addition to "because of all the
Indians for whom it's the main language of public communication, ComE is
likely to take over from AmE in terms of *spelling*, but not *usage*,
anyway and I was never a great fan of Noah Webster even BEFORE I wanted
to spell things differently from my government."

I've actually tried defending this one in front of
you--specifically--before.

I'm not going to switch back to Websterian spelling because I got
ridiculed one MORE time.

[Chrysi Cat]

Wait, "hot shit" is disparaging? It might usually be used with the
preface "she thinks she's..." but the idea is what she THINKS is still
along the lines of what "shit-hot" is used to directly describe.

It also makes some sense..."Freschshcheiss" IS hot, as I can testify
from all the picking-up of it I do now that I'm the main dog-walker for
my family.

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, April 23, 2021 at 4:23:21 PM UTC-4, Chrysi Cat wrote:
> On 4/23/2021 9:15 AM, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > On Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 10:25:36 PM UTC-4, Chrysi Cat wrote:

> >> Well, yeah, but THAT one is a literal translation of "shitlib" as well,
> >> and that's the favourite epithet for the modern left to throw around at
> >> the left-of-centre-but-not-Communist-or-anarchist.
> > You must keep some odd company.
> > Your British spellings are betraying something-or-other.
>
> They're betraying my hatred for most US governments in the time of my
> adulthood more than anything else, in addition to "because of all the
> Indians for whom it's the main language of public communication, ComE is
> likely to take over from AmE in terms of *spelling*, but not *usage*,
> anyway and I was never a great fan of Noah Webster even BEFORE I wanted
> to spell things differently from my government."

The gummint really has nothing to do with it. TR tried to impose Simplified
Spelling on the GPO, and Taft rescinded the order as soon as he got in, and
the GPO went back to spelling English just like everyone else.

We have no Academy to "regulate" the language (probably a cause of
eternal pain to bebe...). It's the lexicographers who collect the data
that tell us how we spell things.

> I've actually tried defending this one in front of
> you--specifically--before.
>
> I'm not going to switch back to Websterian spelling because I got
> ridiculed one MORE time.

Webster had a great press agent (himself). He didn't invent his distinctive
spellings, he adopted them from lots of English predecessors, and took
the unique opportunity of a Revolution to establish an "American language"
distinct from that of the former overlords. (He only knew about spelling;
"Americanisms" seem to have first been collected ca. 1850, and they
weren't all just local names for new stuff like skunks and moccasins.)

[Peter Moylan]

They don't betray the use of British terminology. I think we all know by
now that "liberal", as a political position, has totally different
meanings in the different English-speaking countries.

For that matter, "left of centre" is not entirely portable, because of
different locations of the centre in different countries.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org

[Peter T. Daniels]

That didn't even occur to me. Do Cat's British spellings indicate
that "shitlib" is ComE (as someone just called it) and thus does
refer to what Brits used to call the "loony left," which Up/Over
Here might be represented by AOC (Alexandria Ocasio Cortez),
leader of the "squad," whose (pl.) intemperate language gave
t**** a prefect tool for demonizing all Democrats and caused
the loss of several Democratic seats in Congress in "swing
districts"?

And now she's trying to torpedo the infrastructure bill, apparently
never having learned that the perfect is the enemy of the good.
They're getting a lot less airtime nowadays.

[Peter Moylan]

On 24/04/21 23:51, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> On Friday, April 23, 2021 at 11:06:30 PM UTC-4, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> On 24/04/21 02:15, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>>> On Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 10:25:36 PM UTC-4, Chrysi Cat
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well, yeah, but THAT one is a literal translation of "shitlib"
>>>> as well, and that's the favourite epithet for the modern left
>>>> to throw around at the
>>>> left-of-centre-but-not-Communist-or-anarchist.
>>>
>>> You must keep some odd company.
>>>
>>> Your British spellings are betraying something-or-other.
>> They don't betray the use of British terminology. I think we all
>> know by now that "liberal", as a political position, has totally
>> different meanings in the different English-speaking countries.
>>
>> For that matter, "left of centre" is not entirely portable,
>> because of different locations of the centre in different
>> countries.
>
> That didn't even occur to me. Do Cat's British spellings indicate
> that "shitlib" is ComE (as someone just called it) and thus does
> refer to what Brits used to call the "loony left," which Up/Over
> Here might be represented by AOC (Alexandria Ocasio Cortez), leader
> of the "squad," whose (pl.) intemperate language gave t**** a prefect
> tool for demonizing all Democrats and caused the loss of several
> Democratic seats in Congress in "swing districts"?

I had never heard of "shitlib", so I assumed that it was purely AmE.
Meanwhile, I don't assume that spelling preferences indicate a political
position. They usually indicate one's long-standing custom.

I don't get enough American news to know where Cortez would sit on the
Australian political spectrum.

No doubt I've mentioned before that "liberal" is thoroughly skunked in
Australia, because the Australian Liberal Party, sometimes also called
the Liberal/Murdoch coalition, sits a long way right of centre.

[Tony Cooper]

On Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:30:33 +1100, Peter Moylan
<pe...@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:

>I had never heard of "shitlib", so I assumed that it was purely AmE.

It may be American usage, but I follow US politics fairly closely and
read several daily political newsletters and I've never come across
it.

It may be in the section that some newsletters include where readers
add comments.

[Dingbat]

There is also an <ische> ending; should we pronounce the terminal <e>?

The English word for the Bayerische dessert is Bavarois,
from Crème bavaroise.

Bayerische also appears in the German expansion of BMW.

[Peter T. Daniels]

GHWB skunked "liberal" decades ago when he campaigned (I think for
reelection, so that would be '92) on "the L-word" (which prompted a
TV series about lesbians called *The L-Word*). Nowadays it's "progressive,"
which harks back to T Roosevelt -- who was a Republican.

[Jerry Friedman]

On Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 7:31:11 AM UTC-6, Dingbat wrote:

[Scheißkomisch]

> There is also an <ische> ending; should we pronounce the terminal <e>?

Yes, as a schwa, I believe.

> The English word for the Bayerische dessert is Bavarois,
> from Crème bavaroise.

...

Also "Bavarian" or "Bavarian cream" in English.

--
Jerry Friedman