Desert Peach Phrases

As all Peach fans know, there is to be found sprinkled amongst the dialog in Donna's works a most interesting collection of German phraseology. As a quick guide to such phrases, perhaps so that you, too, can feel a part of the 469th, I provide this By-No-Means-Complete compilation of phrases I've picked out from the Peach issues I currently own. I have neither read nor own (yet) issues 1-3, nor 20-21, and I haven't yet added phrases from #23—but I promise I shall.

Some of the translations are directly from the issues in which they appear; others are the work of my office buddy and German tutor, Tommy Lee Whitlock, Boy Language Slut Extraordinaire (the only person I know who can speak Icelandic while completely drunk—but cannot speak it while sober… <g>) Here is the phrase collection so far:

  • sei nicht frech—don't be fresh (?)
  • genau—exactly
  • hauptmann—captain
  • gern gescheh'n—you're welcome (old-fashioned, or Schwabisch)
  • flink—quick
  • dattelzucker—date sugar
  • platz machen—make way, make room (gangway!)
  • knirps—shorty
  • schutze—private
  • klatschmaul—blabbermouth, gossip
  • viel spa&szlig;—have fun!
  • gütiger gott—gracious God
  • lockermaul—blabbermouth
  • rindvieh—cattle, brute
  • scher dich—scram
  • abgetreten—dismissed
  • gerneweis—wiseacre
  • zu befehl—at your command
  • kein'swegs—no way!
  • komm doch—come on
  • la&szlig;, gib mir—le'go, gimme
  • na—so?
  • sachte—softly
  • halte mal—shut up!
  • nachschubsoffizier—supply officer
  • feldwebel—staff sergeant
  • knickstiebel—
  • wohl bekomms—well-deserved
  • du hast solchen stirn—you have such a forehead (such gall)
  • mach ein männchen—be a little man (lit. make like a little man)
  • wei&szlig; du—ya know?
  • gütiger himmel!—gracious heavens!
  • feld'… sarge
  • heimats-verratung—treachery to homeland
  • bursch—lad, boy
  • du schöne mieze—you pretty…
  • fischfü&szlig;ler—
  • heiliger bim-bam!—holy bim-bam (holy f*ck?)
  • mir vom leibe—to me out of love
  • verdammte mähren—damned…
  • klieder machen leute—
  • gib papa küsslein—give daddy a little kiss
  • komm sieh mal!—come take a look!
  • um gotteswillen—for God's sake!
  • schönele—little beauty (Schwabisch)
  • gauleiter—district leader
  • guck'mal—lookie!
  • la&szlig; los—leave it alone
  • mach' freundlich—make friendly—the equivalent of “say cheese”
  • hör verdammt mal auf!—cut it out, dammit!
  • nur zu—do it!
  • bygost—Schwabisch for by God
  • stalking kauz—screechowl; oddball, eccentric
  • zum teufel—Devil take it, to Hell with it
  • mach flink—make it quick
  • verdammt noch mal—damn-damn-damnit!
  • ich kenn meine pappenheimer!—I know my men!
  • hierher allseits!—everybody c'mere!
  • sehr gut—that's good
  • knorke—right on!
  • dümmes kind—stupid child
  • maus—lit. mouse, slang for 'girly'
  • landser—grunt, common soldier
  • dirne—broad, piece
  • eine graue maus—a grey mouse, field mattress, “convenient sex partner”
  • gott sei dank—thank God
  • grossdeutsche reichschure—whore of the greater German Empire
  • was ist mit ihm?—what's with him?
  • abgetreten—dismissed
  • nascherei—noshies
  • liebes brüderchen—dear little brother
  • besucht das schöne Deutschland—“visit beautiful Germany”
  • es ist einfach—it is simple
  • herrlich—lordly
  • schnäubig—fussy about food
  • affenschmaltz—monkey grease—term of endearment (erg…)
  • schönheit—beauty
  • keine sorge—no worries
  • mach' zu—shut it!
  • verdammte pflaume—damned plum (euphemism for “c*nt”)
  • herrgott—Lord God!
  • bin wie eine strandkanone geladen—I'm loaded like a coastal gun! (have to pee)
  • weg!—get away!
  • la&szlig;, dümme dirne!—Leave off, silly broad!
  • Gott, was für alberne kinder!—God, what silly children!
  • rohrspatz—reed sparrow—same idea as fishwife
  • schmaltzkuchen—grease-cakes or short'ning bread—euphemism for breasts
  • igitte—yuck!
  • putzfrau—cleaning lady
  • schön—lovely!
  • hör'auf—stop!
  • selbstgenügsamkeit—self-sufficiency (self-satisfaction)
  • sein schönes ende—a nice ending
  • liebster—dearest
  • ein liebliches ende—a lovely ending
  • kein kaltes ende—not a cold ending
  • das wäre das ende von weg…—that would be the end of the trip…
  • ein anfang… wer wind gefangen?—a beginning… who will be caught?
  • lieber Gott—dearest God
  • schei&szlig;e—sh*t
  • was meinet ihr?—what do y'all mean?
  • haltung—bearing, specifically that of a German officer
  • kühl dich aus—chill out
  • la&szlig; doch—cut it out!
  • hand von der butte—hands off
  • zum kuckuck und poliert—
  • ist lauter gift—it's pure poison
  • arschgeige—
  • schie&szlig;stück—piece of sh*t
  • du mistbock—dung ram (something that wallows in sh*t…)
  • rache ist blutwurst—revenge is blood sausage… (best eaten cold!)
  • ich sehe nichts—I don't understand (lit. I understand nothing)
  • stumpf—shorty
  • ihr schleimschei&szlig;er!—
  • du geizhals—you skinflint
  • pinke-pinke—slang for cash
  • schmeckt, was?—tastes good, eh? (yummy, said of food! :-) )
  • blutiger teufel—bloody devil
  • er kommt schon 'ran—
  • auf die socken, ins dunkel hocken!—quietly slink away!
  • verflucht noch mal—curses!
  • zuckerarsch—sugar-ass (an endearment… :-) )
  • dämelack—dimwit
  • gnädigster—most gracious
  • gewi&szlig;!—of course!
  • aber gewi&szlig;!—but of course!
  • juch'he—huzzah/hooray!
  • dem herrn oberst—heil!—hail to the Colonel
  • wie ein scharfschütze—jedem schu&szlig;, ein'n schlag!—like a sharpshooter—every shot a hit!
  • teufelsdreck!—devil's dirt—the equiv. of holy sh*t!
  • luftmensch—air person—one who lives on speculation
  • luftschädel—airhead
  • hoch! hoch!—high! high!
  • la&szlig; mich—let me
  • makaroni fresser—macaroni gobblers (pejorative for Italians)

(all copyrights reserved to their creator, Donna Barr!)