March 02, 2004

Zahnrad

My German Word of the Day (GWOD) is das Zahnrad - cog wheel.

My German Phrase of the Day (GPOD) is "Ich mache Hackfleisch von dir" - "I'll make chopped meat of you". I think there's a similar phrase in English, but it has to do with chopped liver. Help, anyone?

I was explaining to Stefan about how Hackfleisch - minced meat (Br.) or ground meat (Am.) - means the same in English, but it just SOUNDS better in German. Like it's got some feeling behind it. That's when he explained the phrase above.

Update: as a reader points out in the comments, I wrote the phrase above wrong. It's "Ich mache Hackfleisch aus dir." Thanks Vasili!

I'm learning more than I ever thought I would about hackfleisch.

Posted by Jinglelady at March 2, 2004 07:14 PM | German Word (Phrase) of the Day
Comments

Then you'll also appreciate that the German government has a "Hackfleischverordnung". :-)

Posted by: Scott at March 2, 2004 08:08 PM

What exactly is a "Hackfleischverordnung" (Ground Meat Decree)? Or rather, what does it say?! I'll have to look into this.

Posted by: Jinglelady at March 2, 2004 10:35 PM

Could the phrase you're looking for be: "What am I, chopped liver?!" That's the only one i've ever heard.

Posted by: brett at March 2, 2004 11:29 PM

The "Hackfleischverordnung" is a food safety regulation regarding the production and handling of ground meat. In Google I found this. It also regulates the fat content, so that ground beef in Germany is much leaner than what we'd find in the States.

Posted by: Scott at March 2, 2004 11:44 PM

"What am I, Chopped Liva ?!?!" said in the jewish accent ; )

Posted by: Janine at March 3, 2004 01:48 AM

i believe the saying goes "i'll make mincemeat out of you!"

Posted by: EEEE at March 3, 2004 04:04 AM

actually, it goes "ich mache hackfleisch aus dir".

and for the hackfleischverordnung see this nice explanation.

Posted by: vasili at March 3, 2004 08:34 AM

uh-uh... explanation = http://www.inform24.de/hack.html

Posted by: vasili at March 3, 2004 08:35 AM

Ok ... your friends have it right, Anna.

There is an English saying of "i'll make mincemeat out of ya," meaning someone will beat the crap out of you. The other saying is "whadda I look like, chopped livah?" (good call, Janine) meaning you've been ignored or passed over.

And, really, I never thought of mincemeat as having "feeling" behind it. Really. In December, I helped my grandmother make an apple brown betty, which has mincemeat in it, and I wasn't really all that moved by saying the word. :)

Posted by: Amanda at March 3, 2004 02:40 PM

Amanda - of course mincemeat doesn't have feeling behind it. But hackfleisch does. :)

Vasili - thanks for the correction. It's my fault, Stefan told me correctly, I just wrote it wrong.

Posted by: Anna at March 3, 2004 03:17 PM

stets zu diensten! ;-)

Posted by: vasili at March 3, 2004 03:26 PM

Hackfleisch. Hackfleish? HACKFLEISH!

Wow, you're right! I have a strange sense of meaning and purpose now! :))))

Posted by: Amanda at March 4, 2004 03:47 PM