Der winkelschreiber reports on a failed attempt to have a website translated into German:

bq. Konzentrische Kontraktion
Eine isotonische Muskelkontraktion, wo ein Muskel Vertrag abschließt oder verkürzt.

I think Groucho Marx shortened a contract once. But they do admit:

bq. Willkommen zum Netfit Mannschaftaufstellungsort, haben wir diesen Aufstellungsort übersetzen lassen, indem wir Computer-Software verwendeten, so gibt es eine Anzahl von Rechtschreibung- und Grammatikfehlern.

(Gerade beim 2 Uhr Absacken)

The Frankfurter Allgemeine has some odd ideas about German words used in English.

bq. Im Vergleich zu den Briten haben Amerikaner keine so ausgeprägte Schwäche für Wörter, die geeignet sind, den deutschen Botschafter in Rage zu bringen („Achtung!”, „Panzer”). Viele verweisen im Gegenteil auf die stolze Tradition der Dichter und Denker: „Weltanschauung”, „Bildungsroman” und „Leitmotif” mit „f” werden in der „New York Times” ständig verwendet.

Of course, Americans do say Gesundheit if someone sneezes, and Where’s the Fingerspitzengefühl? would seem an unlikely heading in Britain. As for Donald Rumsfeld isn’t a mensch, I would have thought that was a Yiddish expression.

bq. Schon mal von einem „Jägerdude” gehört? Das ist jemand, der wilde Partys feiert und dabei so trinkfest ist, daß er sich einen Jägermeister nach dem anderen genehmigt.

Google gives me the impression that this is a term introduced by Jägermeister in their advertising. After all, how are they to get people to ask for the stuff if they just see the word in print?

When they ask you, ‘Do you want cheese or ham?’, this is the ham.

(Click to enlarge)

Zwei oder drei Wochen.

Nothing much going on here for the next two to three weeks.

(This should have gone up on May 2, but it only went up in draft).

The Spanish version of the Star-Spangled Banner (once referred to by a student of mine in an oral exam as the Star-Strangled Banner) has been much discussed lately.

Darrel Plant has found a German version.

The skill of reading Fraktur is obviously on the wane:

bq. O! sagt, könnt ihr seh’n in des Morgenroth’s Strahl,
Was so stolz wir im scheidenden Ubendroth grüßten?
Die Sterne, die Streifen, die Wehnend von Wall,
Im tödlichen Kampf uns den Unblick verfüßten?
Hoch flattere die Fahne in herrlicher Bracht,
Beim Leuchten der Bomben durch dunkle Racht.
O! sagt, ob das Banner, mit Sternen befä’t,
Ueber’m Lande der Freien und Braven noch weht?

That’s Abendroth, wehend, Anblick, versüßten, Pracht, Nacht, besä’t. I love Land der Freien und Braven. How about Freien und Kühnen?

Here’s the song sheet.

Comments will be shut down soon in preparation for a break.

Thanks to Ed.

It was no surprise to anyone when the Berlin Landgericht decided this week that it is permissible for a website to name and link another site and to name someone who takes part in public exchange of opinions. The German American Law Journal Weblog reports:

bq. The outcome is well-earned and the grounds are well-founded in the copyright law and the law of names. Any surprise is limited to plaintiff’s belief to have had a case which became known as the Mein Parteibuch dispute.

But just a moment – it was a surprise to some people in the USA, as this email I received shows (from one ‘Ed.’ – Edward, I presume):

bq. Hello Margaret,
This is good news for German bloggers, indeed. Whew!
http://www.recht.us/amlaw/2006/04/25#0425links
Hopefully, that is all the legal authority you need to link to Blawg
Review under “Weblog collections” in the sidebar of Transblawg. :-)
C’mon Margaret, pleeese. Our project is blawgworthy. Thanks, if you’d
be so kind as to include Blawg Review in your blogroll.
We’re looking to encourage more global participation in Blawg Review,
and would appreciate your support.
www.blawgreview.com

Actually, I did originally list the blawg review, which was a blawg reviewing law reviews, but that is no longer updated. This is another Blawg Review, a very bouncy and cheerful sort of thing, reviewing blawgs.