As of: February 2, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Nadja Rödig
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Split
Public transport strike?
In the village it is at most the tractors and not the buses that are on strike.
They're not coming anyway.
Country life can be really confusing to outsiders.
Things are accepted in the village that you would find strange anywhere else.
For example, that public transport has simply forgotten you.
So while everyone in the city is already worried about the next public transport strike, in the country you won't even notice it.
And many other words in the village mean something completely different than everywhere else, like these...
1. “Strike”
How do you define “strike”?
© Claus Völker/dpa
Everywhere:
Strike by unions, for example in local public transport.
In the country:
What the tractor does or the car in winter when everything freezes over and there is no one within a 10 km radius who can give you jump start.
Example sentence:
“That damn car is on strike again!”
2. “Airport”
How do you define “airport”?
© Thomas Banneyer/dpa
Everywhere:
runways for airplanes, mostly for transporting tourists and business people from A to B.
In the country:
place to go for a walk on Sundays if there is a café next door.
Playground for hobby pilots and model airplane pilots.
Example sentence:
“I’ll only come with you for a walk if you buy me an ice cream at the airport.”
3. “Neighbors”
How do you define “neighbors”?
© Panthermedia/Imago
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Everywhere:
People who live in the same building or in a neighboring house.
In the country:
A few hundred people who know immediately when your boyfriend is broken up and who otherwise know more about your life than you do. In context, sometimes the “neighboring village” that you have been with for centuries Clinch lies.
Example sentence:
“The neighbors showed up drunk at the village festival again.”
4. “Vegetarian alternative”
How do you define a “vegetarian alternative”?
© Pond 5 Images/IMAGO
Everywhere:
A meatless product consisting, for example, of soy or tofu.
In the country:
Chicken for Sunday dinner because grandma knows you don't like meat.
Example sentence:
“I went to the chicken man and got us a vegetarian alternative.”
5. “Full Ruler”
How do you define “ruling rule”?
© Panthermedia/Imago
Everywhere:
On
Tool to measure distances.
In the country:
A bottle opener.
Preferably used when the neighbor brings you a case of beer because you helped him build his patio.
Example sentence:
“Give me the ruler, I’m thirsty.”
6. “Lawnmower”
How do you define “lawnmower”?
© Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/Imago
Everywhere:
Device from the hardware store that can be used to trim a lawn outside of rest times.
In the country:
The torture tool your neighbor uses to rip you out of existence at 7 a.m. on the weekend.
Example sentence:
“Wolfgang, start the lawnmower.”
7. “Basement”
How do you define “basement”?
© robertkalb photographs/Imago
Everywhere:
The underground level of a building.
In the countryside:
The place where you drank your first Jägermeister and got rid of it shortly afterwards.
The venue for up to 50 percent of all parties in the village - next to the clubhouse and fire station.
Example sentence:
“Do we want to go to the gas station on Saturday or to Jürgen in the basement?”
8. “Feast”
How do you define “celebration”?
© Christin Klose/dpa-tmn
Everywhere:
The celebration of a special occasion, for example a wedding.
In the countryside:
Better known as a “village festival”.
Mandatory event consisting of a beer tent set up in a meadow or field.
Villages within a 100 km radius travel to have fun and eat suckling pig or fish.
Example sentence:
“If you really don’t come to the village festival, you better have at least a fever of 45 degrees!”
9. “Way Home”
How do you define “way home”?
© Hannes P. Albert/dpa
Anywhere:
The distance between any location and your home.
In the country:
Also
Called “Promilleweg”.
The dirt road between the party location and your home, which is at least 5 km away.
Partially shortened directly over fields and/or a forest.
Example sentence:
“I have to go home.
It’s already 11 o’clock and I have to be home by 2.”
10. “Police”
How do you define “police”?
© Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa
Everywhere:
part of the executive branch.
In the country:
Sepp's brother-in-law, who drives you home if you haven't made it to the alcohol level.
Example sentence:
“Can anyone call the police?” ... “He’s just having lunch.”
11. “License plate”
How do you define “license plate”?
© Zacharie Scheurer/dpa-tmn
Everywhere:
marking of a motor vehicle with numbers and letters.
In the countryside:
How you can tell when driving if the lurker in front of you is from the neighboring village.
Basis for bad puns about driving people and their registered place of residence.
Example sentence:
“The D in his license plate stands for Deppendorf!”
12. “Emergency Call”
How do you define “emergency call”?
© imagebroker/IMAGO
Everywhere:
numbers for the police, fire brigade and emergency services.
In the country:
Number that is only dialed when you can't push the protruding bone back into your leg yourself and the car breaks down again.
The call is only made during working hours, you don't want to cause any inconvenience to the rescue workers.
Example sentence:
“No, I don’t need an emergency call.
Just pour a schnapps over it.”
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