Speaking German: in English Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dementia

The condition was first identified in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, and refers to mental deterioration. It normally affects those over sixty-five, although it can affect younger people when it is described as 'early-onset' Alzheimer's. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion and mood swings and it is incurable.

Answer: Schadenfreude

The word comes from the German Schaden, meaning adversity or harm, and Freude, meaning joy. It is similar in meaning to the English 'gloating'. Sauerbraten translates as 'sour roast' and refers to marinated beef and Kriegspiel is a war game. Gesundheit means 'health', and is a response to sneezing, usually interpreted as wishing good health to the person saying it, not the one who has sneezed.

Answer: Dogs

These are all dogs, and I could also have included Rottweiler and Dachshund in the list. Among the pinschers are the Miniature Pinscher, known as the Zwergpinscher in Germany, the Affenpinscher and the Doberman Pinscher. The Schnauzer is named after the German word for snout and comes in three sizes, the miniature, standard and giant.

The Spitz breeds include the small Pomeranian and the much larger Keeshond.

Answer: Bells play

The glockenspiel has some similarities to the xylophone, but the bars are made of metal, not wood. It is played by striking the bars with mallets, with the heads usually being made of metal or plastic. Wood phone is the translation of the Greek origins of the xylophone's name and soft loud is the translation from Italian of the full name of the pianoforte. Tubular bells are vertical tubes also known as chimes.

Answer: Airship

The first rigid airship was designed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the late nineteenth century, and received a USA patent in 1899. The design was so successful that Zeppelin's name passed into common usage as the name for all airships of that design. Following the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, Zeppelins fell out of favour, but the name remains popular, having been adopted by the British band, Led Zeppelin.

Answer: Superman

Nietzsche introduced the expression in 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra', published in 1883. He proposed the Übermensch as an ideal for men to strive toward. The first translation of the word into English, in 1896, by Alexander Tille was 'beyond-man', which possibly reflects the author's intentions rather better than the later adoption of 'superman', which has connotations of superiority.

However it's translated, 'watchman', 'nobleman' and 'snowman' have never been associated with the expression.

Answer: Dirndl

The word dirndl originally meant a young woman or girl, with the clothing being known as a dirndlgewand, but the short version is more common now. It refers to a dress with a full skirt, and tight bodice, usually laced, worn over a blouse and accompanied by an apron. Bratwurst is a type of spiced sausage and strudel is a type of pastry. Schnitzel is a cutlet, most often found in Wienerschnitzel, or Viennese schnitzel, a breaded veal cutlet.

Answer: Aspirin

Extracts from willow bark have been used for medicinal purposes for many years, but aspirin was not manufactured until 1899. Scientists at the German pharmaceutical business began working with acetylsalicylic acid in the late nineteenth century, and the first sales began in 1899 on a world wide basis. Bayer had called the drug 'Aspirin' as its brand name for the drug but the name passed into everyday use in much the same way as 'Hoover' is used to refer to all vacuum cleaners.

Answer: Noisy ghost

The expression comes from the words 'poltern', meaning to make noises and 'geist', meaning spirit or ghost. A poltergeist is a ghost which moves items around and generally makes a nuisance of itself. The expression has become even more popular following the 'Poltergeist' series of films, the first of which came out in 1982.

The other options are also translations of German terms used in English, with spirit of the age being the translation of 'zeitgeist' and 'lightning war' coming from blitzkrieg. Kindergarten translates as 'children's garden'.

Answer: Lederhosen

Lederhosen are short leather trousers, and were originally worn for work or leisure, being more hardwearing than fabric. They are particularly associated with Bavaria. Nowadays, the wearing of Lederhosen is associated with folk dancing bearing some similarities to the English Morris dance. Unterhosen are underpants and Badehose refers to swimming trunks. Strumpfhose are tights, or pantyhose, depending on which English speaking country you are from.