THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM GERMAN

I live a convoluted existence --- from Ger. Konvulut: bundle or sheaf of papers.

One of my magic spells (ostensibly for light) is a German reference to dreaming: 'Pfulmen' for pillow. Although, it is not the word for a soft pillow. Interesting.

German for being cross-eyed, which has been roughly my condition since birth, is 'Schiel-en'. Since I called myself 'En' in one love-letter that was hand-written, the intelligent young woman I sent it to must have been thinking about squinting. She later said I was a master of English, perhaps meaning that I was bad at German. (Shell in English could be interpreted as the origin of love, thus, the letter could be the origin of a squinty kind of love).

In German, scissors are for 'Schere-e' ing. No wonder Germans are seen as sadistic.

Schippe stands for spades in German. Whereas 'Sparren' means chevron.

A word I thought meant alchemist ('Taumal-al-geist') means a cranky man with a brain like a rabbit's.

Many money spells involve 'Speck' for it is German for paying work. Thus, if one is a philosopher, one can create gold with 'Speck'.

The german term 'Vergelten' (retaliation) explains why He in the Jewish game of Dradel is so ill-reputed (Gelt is what you earn in Dradel).

Zimmer means 'room' and Zucker means 'sugar': explaining Jewish / German names.

To take a drag might mean being a member of the crowd in German: 'Zu-drang' means crowding and crowd.

Many writers writing about Zurich may know that it is similar to German for 'zunicht' which means ruin or destroy.

'ohne Zwang' means loss of control, so Kwang Guo (who I sometimes imagine I was in a prior life, see the book called Lessons of the Master by Master Kuo) might look out for lack of control, since ohne Zwang might mean 'master zwang' which is similar to 'master Kwang'. On the other hand the Chinese are famous for making a big intellectual deal about minor differences.

German 'Wilden-zen' (to taste venison) is similar to German 'Wilden' to go berserk.

Systematic words:

Wirbel Verschaftenwerk: Fundamental whirlpool system.
Zonen Kampft: Regional struggle.
Will-en Verlagg: The desire to copyright
Machtstellung: Political power.
Mahlzeit: Mealtime.
Staat-Ufft-Machtig: State-of-power.
Modulstaat / Modenstaat: Modular society.
  Meinenschaft: Opinionated work.
Median Wahrheitenschaftt: The art of middle-truths
Leucht-e-schaft: Work of brilliance
Leit-e-schaft: Public works.
Lettenschaft: A work of clay.
Kletternschaftenwerk: A transcendant or desperate system.
Klemm-e-Vorsaal-en-craffte: The art of being cramped in an anteroom.
Klemm-e-Vorsaal-en-schaft: The work one writes there.
Klär-e-Wirk: Clear writing.
Gedankenvorsaalwirk: What one writes when one is cramped and it is impossible.
Kautelsistemen: Exceptional system, final system, last attempt.
Kamarilla-schaft: What you write instead of going to a fancy party.
incomplette Kampftwerk: A work of poetry that succeeded.
Inbegriff Kampftwerk: 'Work that struggles with essence'.
Irzittern-Kunst: Trembling art form.
Elementargewalt Schiftenschaft: Temporary work on the elemental power.
Eisenkunst / Eisernkunst: Good art (always ironic).
Ein-lös-en bar Inbegriffwerk: Essentially redeeming work.
Giftmittelwirk: Product of antidotes