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Landser
Lingo
Translation
by Bradley
R. Hubbard
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This
is an excellent list of original Wehrmacht slang terms
that are not often found in publications.
They are organized as follows: -German
Phrase:
“literal translation”; actual meaning .
The original text can be found at:
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Soldat/Landserausdruecke-R.htm.
As
in every army there were slang expressions used in the
colloquial language of the Soldiers of the Wehrmacht.
These expressions are and were difficult for
outsiders to understand.
Aal:
“eel”; torpedo
Alter:
“elder”; superiors, usually the company commander
Alter Mann:
“old man”; with the Afrikakorps used for Italian
meat-products (Fleischkonserven)
Anschiß:
“shit on”; criticism from superiors
aussteigen:
“to step out”; euphamism for leaving a destroyed
ship, plane, or tank
a.v.:
proper abbreviation for Arbeitsverwendungsfähig
which means “one who is able to be used for work”
but disqualified from combat duty (k.v.).
Used here as a pun for ausgezeichnete
Verbindungen which means “excellent connections”
Bauchbinde:
“gut bind”; belt
Beutegermane:
“Booty-Teuton” foreign volunteer, also used for the
Volksdeutsche (perhaps inferring that they were
collaborating exclusively for the benefits)
Blechhut:
“sheet metal
hat”; helmet
Blechkrawatte:
“sheet metal necktie”; the Knight’s Cross
Donnerbalken:
“thunderbeam”; latrine
Eiserne
Kuh:
“iron cow”; canned milk
Emil:
the German name “Emil”; a pilot
Fahrkarte:
“a ticket”; a miss, a shot that “travelled” into
the distance
Feldküchensturmabzeichen:
“field kitchen assault badge”; the War Merit Cross
Fernkampfmedaille:
“long distance fighting medal”; the War Merit Cross
(suggesting the holders were far from the actual
fighting when they earned it)
Feuerpause:
official command/term for “cease fire”; a cigarette
break
Fliegerbier:
“pilot beer “; lemonade
Franz:
the German name “Franz”; an observer in a plane
Fußlappenindianer:
“Footwrap Indian”; Infantryman
Gebetsbuch:
“prayer book”; a Hauptfeldwebel’s notebook
Gefrierfleischorden:
“order of the frozen meat”; the East Front Medal
Gulaschkanone:
“goulash cannon”; field kitchen
Halseisen:
“neck iron” the Knight’s Cross
Halsschmerzen:
“neck ache”; had
by someone who wants to earn the Knight’s Cross
Heimatschuß:
“homeland shot”; a light wound that would send a
Soldier home
Heldenkeller:
“Hero cellar”; an air raid bunker
Heldenklau:
“Hero thief”; an officer who collects stragglers for
redeployment
Himmelfahrtskommando:
roughly, a “Ride to heaven command”; a deployment
with little chance of survival
Himmelsabwehrkanone:
roughly, an “Anti-heaven cannon”; an onboard
physician in the Kreigsmarine
hinrotzen:
literally, “to sniff back one’s snot”; get into
hasty cover
Hitlersäge:
“Hitler saw”; an MG42
HJ-Spätlese:
“a late/vintage Hitler Jugend”; the Volkssturm
Hoffnungsbalken:
“Hope bars”; the tress on an officer candidate’s
shoulder boards
Horst Wessel
Suppe:
“Horst Wessel Soup”; Meat and other good things that
“marschieren im Geiste mit”/ “march along with in
spirit” (in other words, good things that should be in
the soup and aren’t. but are there in spirit.
A huge pun on the famous Horst Wessel Lied)
Hühneralarm:
“Hen alarm”; a late alarm (coming from the
expression "erst das Ei, dann das Gackern"/
“first the egg, then the cackle”)
Hundemarke:
“dog tag”; the German identity disc
Hurratüte:
“a Hurrah! bag”; helmet
Intelligenzstreifen:
“intelligence stripes”; stripes on the trousers of
the general staff
Itaka:
short for “Italienischer
Kamerad”; Italian Comerade
Kantinenorden:
“Order of the Cafeteria”; the War Merit Cross
Karo einfach:
“Easy Diamonds”, a card-game reference; stale bread
Karussell:
“Carousel”, “Roundabout”; air combat where the
opponents circle around each other
Kattun:
“cotton” or “denim”; to receive heavy fire
Kettenhund:
“chain dog”; a Feldgendarm
Kiste:
“crate”; a plane
Knarre:
“Rattle”; rifle
Koffer:
“suitcase”; a heavy grenade
Kolbenringe-
“piston rings”; the double litzen on the arm of a
Hauptfeldwebel
Kriegverlägerungskreuz:
“War Displacement Cross”; War Merit Cross (in other
words, one who was displaced
or removed from the war)
Krüppelgarde:
“crippled gard”; Volkssturm
Küchenbulle:
“kitchen cop”; a cook
Kurbelei:
Luftkampf
k.v.:
proper abbreviation for kriegsverwendungsfähig
meaning “fit for use in war”, used here as a pun for
keine Verbindungen “no
connections”, kann verrecken “can
croak(die)”, or
krepiert vielleicht “to
death perhaps”
k.v.H.:
proper abbreviation for kriegsverwendungsfähig
Heimat
meaning “fit for use in war at home", used here
as a pun for kann
vorzüglich humpeln “can convincingly hobble”
Lametta:
“tinsel”; medals and tresse
langmachen:
“to make long”; take cover, lay down
Latrinenparole:
“latrine passwords”; gossip
Leithammel:
“bellwether” (some kind of ram);an Unteroffizier
Lysol:
(I think this is the brand of disinfectant); a sharp
schnapps drank by occupation troops in France
Makkaroni:
“macaroni”; an Italian
Maskenball:
“masquerade”; popular harassment for instructors who
constantly change into different uniforms
Mündungsschoner:
“muzzle cap”; a bad soldier
NS-Röhre:
“National Socialist tube”; a U-Boat
Oberschnäpser:
“Oversnapper”(?); an Obergefreiter
Panzer-Anklopf-Gerät:
“Panzer knocking device” (as in knock at a door);
term for the 37mm Pak
Papieroffizier:
“paper officer”; someone in a propaganda company
Papiersoldat:
“paper soldier”; someone in a clerical unit
Pappkamerad:
“cardboard comrade”; a human cutout for target
practice
Parteihut:
“party hat”; helmet
Partisanen:
“partisans”; lice
pumpen:
“pumps”; German exercise called Kneibeugen, often
used for disclipine
Querschläger:
“ricochet”; an unpopular soldier
Rabatz:
“to kick up a fuss” used for many unpleasant
situations, great disorder, violent enemy fire
Ratschbumm:
(phonetic sound?); a Soviet direct fire gun where the
report is heard as the shot hits
Reichsheini:
"slang nickname for “Reichsführer der SS
Heinrich Himmler”
robben:
“crawl”; slang for low crawling
Rückgrat der
Armee:
“Backbone of the Army”; and Obergefreiter, also the
experienced Landser
Sandlatscher:
“sans traipser”; an infantrymen (Afrika Korps?)
Schleifer:
“grinder”; a brutal training officer, with tankers
it also meant a Panzer in need of repair
Schmalspuroffizier:
“narrow gauge officer”; the Sonderführer ranks that
wore narrow shoulder boards
Schlumpfschütze:
“smurf soldier”; a bad soldier
Schütze Arsch:
“soldier ass”; the “last” and worst soldier
Spargel:
“asparagus”; the periscope on a U-boat
Spiegelei:
“fried egg”; the German Cross in Gold
Spund:
“bung”; a young soldier or recruit
Stalintorte:
“Stalin cake”; stale bread
stiften gehen:
“to move it”; to flee
Tante
Ju:
“Aunt Ju” the outdated but still-used transport
plane Ju 52
Taschenflak:
“pocket Flak”; a pistol
Tiefflieger:
"strafer", an idiot
Untergefreiter:
“Under Gefreiter” (a non-existent German military
rank); a civilian
V3:
(the last German “miracle weapon” after the V1 and
V2 rockets); derogatory for Volkssturm
verheizen:
“to burn”; to senselessly sacrifice soldiers
Wanzenhammer:
“bug hammer”; a pipe (also used to smack bugs with
apparently)
Wehrbeitrag:
“war contribution”; to conceive a child during leave
Wolkenquirl:
“cloud whisk”; a helicopter
Zielwasser:
“prize water”; schnapps
Zigarettenbüchse:
“cigarette tin”; the gas mask canister, which was
usually used for other things
Zwölfender:
“Twelver”; a career soldier whose term is 12 years,
especially used for a Stabsfeldwebel
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