Latest Post

Harder to learn than vocabulary: Passwords

Usually I write about all the fun caused by the German language. But one thing that is even harder to remember than all these crazy German vocabulary (words like Bannmeile or Nacktscanner!) are passwords.

Don’t you have the same problem? Sitting in front of your computer, wanting to log into a website and you can’t figure out your password? OK, it’s easy for websites that you use on a daily basis, but what about ebay? I don’t buy and sell things every day, and I always forget my password.

I’ve tried everything: Writing it down (can’t find the piece of paper anymore), memorizing it, making up a story around the password (forgot the story)… Maybe I should think about a tattoo.

Anyway, maybe it’s just me who has a limited capacity of remembering passwords (because my brain is full of German vocabulary). So here’s the solution: Check out the website allyve.com. It’s like a Vokabelkasten for your passwords. Using allyve as a starting page, you have an overview of all your favorite websites in one shot, you don’t have to log in or log out all the time, and you can use your entire brain capacity to remember German vocabulary instead of passwords. Cool stuff, I would say!

Featured Post

The death of the umlaut? (video)

Jööööö, my musing on the plight of the umlaut. Including proposing a campaign to make umlauted letters part of the alphabet proper! The group can be called LOLCAKAOPULIA (League of the Linguistically Concerned, Also Known As the Organisation for the Promotion of the Advancement of the Umlauted Letters In the Alphabet). I think it’s kind [...]

Asides

• Those of you who speak or are learning German may be familiar with the word satt as in 'Ich bin satt', meaning "I'm full as a bull/stuffed/about to pop". A word you may not be familiar with is sitt, which is satt's liquid equivalent, meaning one's thirst has been quenched. Makes sense to me! Hungrig - satt, durstig - sitt. Are you reading this, English language? los geht's!
• Ever felt like the deliciousness of something could not be described by the word 'lecker'? Well, now there's an alternative from downunder which will really get the message across: "that was bloody lecker!" (and no, it doesn't mean covered in blood.) NB: Please do not take the offence. I only make the Spaß! los geht's!