Neidbaued by a backpfeifengesichter

[topum]

German is fascinating. Germans have a word for "something constructed just to annoy a neighbour", it is "neidbau". They also have a word for "face which is asking for a fist", it is "backpfeifengesicht".

Have you ever been neidbaued by your backpfeifengesichted neighbour?

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I hadn't realised that "ear worm" was taken from the German, but such appears (according to the OED at least) to be the case - earliest English citation 1982. On the other hand, Treppenwitz is surely just a translation of the French "l'esprit de l'escalier".