Chapter IX — English Influenced by German
§ 1 German Words Introduced
If the Germans of Pennsylvania adopted many words from English, the English speaking population applied the appellation of German or Dutch to unfamiliar varieties of objects, such as a Dutch cheese, a German lock; or they adopted the original names, as in calling a form of curds smearcase (G. schmierkäse) in the markets and prices current. German forms of food have furnished the vicinal English with sourcrout, mush, shtreisslers, bretsels, fawstnachts,70 tseegercase, knep (G. Knöpfe, the k usually pronounced), bower-knep, noodles; and in some of the interior markets, endive must be asked for under the name of ‘æntiifi,’ even when speaking English. Dutch gives crullers, but stoop (of a house) is hardly known. In English conversation one may hear expressions like “He belongs to the freindschaft” (he is a kinsman or relation); “It makes me greisslich to see an animal killed” (makes me shudder and revolt with disgust—turns my stomach). A strong word without an English equivalent.
The German idiom of using einmal (once) as an expletive, is common, as in “Bring me a chair once,” and when a person whose vernacular is English says, “I am through another” (I am confused), he is using a translation of the German durch einander, PG. ‘dárich ǝnánnǝr.’ Of such introduced words, the following deserve mention.
Metsel-soup, originally pudding broth, the butcher’s perquisite, but subsequently applied to a gratuity from the animals he has slaughtered.
Shinner, G. schinder (a knacker,71) an objurgatory epithet applied by butchers to farmers who compete with them in the market.
Speck, the flitch of salt bacon, particularly when boiled with sourcrout, hence, ‘speck and sourcrout.’
Tsitterly, calf’s-foot jelly.
Hartley, a hurdle for drying fruit.
Snits, a snit (G. schnitz, a cut), a longitudinal section of fruit, particularly apples, and when dried for the kitchen. The term is in use in districts where German is unknown.72
Hootsle, PG. hutsl, G. hotzel, a dried fruit; Bavar. and Suab. hutzel, a dried pear. In Pennsylvania, a peach dried without removing the stone.
Dumb (G. dumm) is much used for stupid.
Fockle (G. fackel), a fisherman’s torch.
Mother (PG. from G. mutter-weh, not parturition, but) a hysterical rising in the throat. The word occurs in old and provincial English.73
Chipmunk, a ground-squirrel (Tamias); chip probably from its cry, and Swiss munk, a marmot.
Spook (G. Spuk), a spectre; and the verb, as—“It spooks there,” “The grave-yard spooks.”
Crĭstkintly (PG. Krischtkintli, G. Chrĭst Kindlein), the Christ Child who is supposed to load the chrĭstmas trees and bring presents at Christmas. Perverted in the Philadelphia newspapers to Kriss Kringle, Kriss Kingle, and Kriss Kinkle.
Christmas-tree, a well-known word for a well-known and much used object, but absent from the American dictionaries.
Bellsnickle, PG. beltsnikkl (G. Pelz a pelt, skin with hair, as a bear-skin, here used as a disguise, and perhaps associated with peltzen, to pelt,) and Nickel, Nix, in the sense of a demon. (Suab. Pelzmärte, as if based on Martin). A masked and hideously disguised person, who goes from house to house on christmas eve, beating (or pretending to beat) the children and servants, and throwing down nuts and cakes before leaving. A noisy party accompanies him, often with a bell, which has influenced the English name.
These, I suppose, were Christmas mummers, though I heard them called “Bell-schnickel.”—Atlantic Monthly, October, 1869, p. 484.
Gounsh, n. and v.i. As to seesaw implies reciprocal motion, so to gounsh is to move up and down, as upon the free end of an elastic board. PG. ‘Kumm, mr wellǝ gaunschǝ.’ (Come, let us gounsh.) Suab. gautschen; Eng. to jounce.74
Hoopsisaw (PG. húppsisaa, also provincial German). A rustic or low dance, and a lively tune adapted to it. Inferior lively music is sometimes called ‘hoopsisaw music,’ ‘a hoopsisaw tune.’75
Hoove, v.i. a command to a horse to back, and used by extension as in “The men hooved (demurred) when required to do more work.” Used in both senses in the Swiss hüfen, imperative hüf! and Schmeller (Bayr. Wörterb. 2, 160) gives it as Bavarian.
Hussling-, or Hustling-match, PG. hossl-mætsch (with English match), a raffle. From the root of hustle, the game being conducted by shaking coins in a hat and counting the resulting heads.
Sock up, “to make a man sock up,” pay a debt, produce his sack or pouch. This is uncertain, because, were a PG. expression to occur like “Du muscht ufsakkǝ” (you must sock up), it might be borrowed from English.
Boof, peach brandy. In Westerwaldish, buff is water-cider,—cider made by wetting the pomace and pressing it a second time.
Sots, n. sing. G. satz, home-made ‘yeast’ as distinguished from ‘brewer’s-yeast.’
Sandman, “The sandman is coming,”—said when children get sleepy about bedtime and indicate it by rubbing the eyes. Used thus in Westerwald and Suabia.76 Children are warned against touching dirt by the exclamation (bæætschi).
Snoot, for snout, a widespread teutonic form.