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"Some German tongue-twisters", posted on 21/07/2024 by StephenJones.blog   

Whereas the mind-boggling “tapeworm words” in my post on Some German mouthfuls are of a practical nature, the realm of fantasy opens up whole new linguistic vistas. In a stimulating article, Deborah Cole introduces the work of the Berlin-based cabaret performer, playwright, and pianist Bodo Wartke.

She begins with some drôle political context:

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a former defence minister with a dastardly difficult name to say, was long seen as a likely successor to the relatively pronounceable ex-chancellor, Angela Merkel. Kramp-Karrenbauer’s resignation as the conservatives’ party chief came as a relief to news presenters the world over, clearing the way for the tight three-syllabic Olaf Scholz. Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, once a federal justice minister and the ultimate double-barrelled tongue-tripper, was not invited to join his cabinet.

Now Bodo Wartke and his musical partner Marti Fischer have gone viral with their rap-tinged Zungenbrecher (“tongue-breakers”)—notably  “Barbaras Rhabarberbar” (recorded in 144 takes!), the story of a bar owner named Barbara who enchants all who try her rhubarb cake, including a group of bushy-bearded, beer-swilling barbarians who bring their barber back to try a bite….

The post includes the two part video of “Barbaras Rhabarberbar”.  En passant, I heard "barber shop" and "abracadabra".

The related readings at the bottom include a link to an entertaining post on German compound nouns (Bandwurmwörter “tapeworm words”).

Selected readings

• "Long words" (6/25/18)
• "German lexicographic richness" (10/11/21)
• "The Germans have a word for it" (9/9/09)
• "Verschlimmbessert" (3/13/15)
• "Translating the untranslatable" (10/28/10)
• "TFW" (12/28/16)
• "Googlefreude, Googleschaden, Schadengoogle…" (1/2/07)
• "German wordcraziness rules" (12/18/22)
• "Googlefreude, Googleschaden, Schadengoogle…" (1/2/07)
• "Schadenfreudeful" (4/20/19)
• "Herrgottsbescheisserle" (9/4/20)
• "Five words" (6/30/20) — this comment and several of the following comments, including this one where I introduce a word my Austrian father taught me when I was a little boy:  Constantinopolitanischerdudellsackpfeiffenmachergesellschaft (Constantinople Bagpipe Manufacturing Company)

July 21, 2024 @ 8:32 am · Filed by Victor Mair under Humor, Words words words

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