Word of the Week

Four wheels, a few seats and up to six horses - that's the kind of "Kutsche" (carriage) you'd see in any Western film. But with four wheels, a few seats and at least 100 horses, the streets could get crowded very quickly (not to mention smelly). It's a good thing that the drivers of modern-day vehicles rely merely on horse power and not real animals.

The amount of horse power in a vehicle is often not proportional to its size - it's usually the tiny two-seaters that speed down the sections of Germany's Autobahn that don't have a speed limit. The family-sized wagons tend to be less fast, particularly when they are loaded down with luggage and camping supplies for the annual family summer vacation.

An automobile made for parents, kids and all of their stuff is referred to as a Familienkutsche - a family carriage - in German. While the children may be disappointed that no real horses are involved, the parents have enough to deal with when the whole crew is on the road.