Morocco is so nice and sunny at this time of year... grrrr, good I'm not the envious type :~(
Kölle alaaf back at you! Even though you're nowhere near Köln, as far as I know.
No, I'm not. And to be quite honest, I never was a big Karneval fan when I lived in the Rhineland. Still, sitting here in dull, grey Copenhagen where noone even knows or cares about what's going on at home right now makes me feel a bit homesick. Sigh.
So, to cheer myself up and challenge your linguistic skills a little bit, why don't I sing you the Karneval anthem of my home town :-)
Öskerche, Öskerche, Heimatstädtsche fein, do liechs an der Veybach so schön wie Kölle am Rhein Die Mädsche sinn lustisch und immer kreuzschfidel sie schunkeln und munkeln im Karneval, juchhe!
I think I know how you feel. I always got a bit nostalgic on Koninginnedag when I was living in Taiwan and England, even though I tend to avoid the Koninginnedag festivities when I'm at home. It's a very strange kind of homesickness. Nothing happy thoughts and a nice pint in a place where they don't automatically refill your glass if you don't put something on it won't cure, though. :-)
(I'll refrain from quoting Pippin at this point.)
As for the Karneval anthem, I understand everything but schunkeln. What does that mean?
Nothing happy thoughts and a nice pint in a place where they don't automatically refill your glass if you don't put something on it won't cure, though. Or watching all three EE of LotR with a couple of friends. Which is what I'll do tomorrow. We start at 9 am (with breakfast), so hopefully I'll survive the Battle of Helm's Deep this time :~)
"schunkeln" means to link arms and sway from side to side while listening to music - a very Karnevalish thing to do. They do it at the Oktoberfest, too, I believe, and definitely in those awful awful Volksmusik shows that are constantly on German TV - igitt! [Thank you for reminding of that particularly embarrassing aspect of my nation's "culture", now I feel quite happy about being an emigrant again]
Oh, so you're going to give it another try, are you? Good on you. Starting at 9 a.m. should definitely help, as long as you provide plenty of second breakfasts, elevensies, etc. Have fun. I expect a detailed report when I'm back!
The swaying thing happens at Dutch carnival celebrations, as well. I'm not sure if there's a special word for it, as it's mostly a southern phenomenon and I've never attended a carnival in the south. The only carnival-related verb of which I'm aware is hossen, which basically means doing the conga while belting out ridiculous Schlager-like songs (yeah, we get 'em, too!) whose lyrics are either completely incomprehensible (because sung in dialect) or complete and utter Quatsch. Not my kind of thing, really. :-)
Have a wonderful trip to Morocco, Elaine!
PS: KÖLLE ALAAF!!!!! (the Kölner Karneval starts on Nov. 11, 11.11 am)
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Anyhow, cheers. I'm sure I'll have a great time. Morocco is so nice and sunny at this time of year...
Kölle alaaf back at you! Even though you're nowhere near Köln, as far as I know. :-)
Reply
Kölle alaaf back at you! Even though you're nowhere near Köln, as far as I know.
No, I'm not. And to be quite honest, I never was a big Karneval fan when I lived in the Rhineland. Still, sitting here in dull, grey Copenhagen where noone even knows or cares about what's going on at home right now makes me feel a bit homesick. Sigh.
So, to cheer myself up and challenge your linguistic skills a little bit, why don't I sing you the Karneval anthem of my home town :-)
Öskerche, Öskerche, Heimatstädtsche fein,
do liechs an der Veybach so schön wie Kölle am Rhein
Die Mädsche sinn lustisch und immer kreuzschfidel
sie schunkeln und munkeln im Karneval, juchhe!
Öskerche alaaf!
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(I'll refrain from quoting Pippin at this point.)
As for the Karneval anthem, I understand everything but schunkeln. What does that mean?
Reply
"schunkeln" means to link arms and sway from side to side while listening to music - a very Karnevalish thing to do. They do it at the Oktoberfest, too, I believe, and definitely in those awful awful Volksmusik shows that are constantly on German TV - igitt! [Thank you for reminding of that particularly embarrassing aspect of my nation's "culture", now I feel quite happy about being an emigrant again]
Reply
The swaying thing happens at Dutch carnival celebrations, as well. I'm not sure if there's a special word for it, as it's mostly a southern phenomenon and I've never attended a carnival in the south. The only carnival-related verb of which I'm aware is hossen, which basically means doing the conga while belting out ridiculous Schlager-like songs (yeah, we get 'em, too!) whose lyrics are either completely incomprehensible (because sung in dialect) or complete and utter Quatsch. Not my kind of thing, really. :-)
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