What Germans say for snatching, munching and flattering

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, people all over the world panic-bought household goods and started hoarding hand sanitizers, toilet paper, soap and canned food. Germans did too. The colloquial German verb is "hamstern." The apt imagery of a hamster greedily filling its cheeks with food meant led English-language media to quickly pick up on the quirky verb.

"Verplempern" — the colloquial German verb means to fritter away money, or waste time. It is commonly used, and despite being colloquial, it listed in Duden, the main dictionary of the German language. The verb, in a slightly different form but with a similar meaning, has been around since the 16th century.

Everybody is familiar with swiping a French fry from a friend's plate, nabbing a tantalizing freshly baked cookie, or snatching an apple from an orchard — and that's what the colloquial but widely used German verb "stibitzen" means. The exact origins of the term are unknown, but the word has reportedly been in use since the 18th century.

A colloquial German verb for nibbling, eating with relish, or munching away is "schnabulieren." If you know German, you will recognize the word for beak, "Schnabel" — the imagery is immediately clear.

One German word paints a fitting image for flattering or fawning over someone, buttering them up, or schmoozing them: "Bauchpinseln." It literally means stroking the belly with a brush. Anything to make a good impression and get someone on your side!

Germans who have their wires crossed, who have made a mistake or have simply forgotten to finish a task, often use the word "verbaseln." The colloquial verb is most popular in the northern part of the country. Whatever the case, it's all messed up!

This word cannot be found in the German dictionary, despite being used in the north of Germany. Nonetheless, "betüddeln" is a common verb that means cosset, indulge or pamper. The swans in the boat (above), which usually live on a Hamburg inner-city lake, are a perfect example — when the cold season approaches, they are traditionally taken to their winter quarters.

"Verarschen" is a coarse but commonly used German verb that means to fool, dupe or trick someone, to wind somebody up, take them for a ride or make fun of them. It is derived from the German noun for butt or ass: Arsch. An outraged "Du willst mich wohl verarschen" translates to "You have got to be kidding me." The above photo shows a fitting float in the March 2016 Düsseldorf Carnival parade.

"Durchwurschteln" means to muddle or blunder along without any discernible plan, or to proceed ineffectually. It is the opposite of a goal-oriented plan. In an August 2020 article, Germany's "Der Spiegel" news magazine referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "Durchwurschtler" — a man just muddling through.