Germans
People from Germany, a country in Central Europe.
| Term | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Adolf | Refers to Adolf Hitler, generally thought of as one of the worst people in history. | |
| Autobahn | German for "freeway." Refers to the idea that Adolf Hitler built the autobahn for war. | |
| Bazi | "Bazi" is a Bavarian/Southern German term for a lovable crook, pronounced "baht-see." | |
| Blockhead | Refers to the shape of their heads. Used a lot by Charles M. Schulz in the "Peanuts" comics and cartoons. | |
| Boche | French term for Germans, used in both world wars. Short for "alboche," a blend of "Allemand" (German) and "caboche" (head), sometimes rendered "cabbage-head." | |
| Bosch | French WWII term. Possibly a reference to Bosch, the large German tool and machine producer. | |
| Boxhead | Germans typically have, or are thought to have, rather square heads. | |
| Fischkopf | "Fish-head," used by southern Germans for northern Germans. | |
| Fritz | Russians in WWII called Germans "Fritzes," a common German name in those days (short for Friedrich). Germany was also ruled by several emperors (Kaiser) named Friedrich. | |
| Germ | Being a plague to humans, sickening them. | |
| Hans Bitterman | Personifies the humorless German. | |
| Heinee | Possibly from the root name "Hein." | |
| Herm | Short for "Herman the German." | |
| Hitler | Refers to Adolf Hitler. | |
| Hun | Used against Germans. Derives from British propaganda in World War I comparing them to Attila the Hun, after Kaiser Wilhelm II encouraged his troops to be as fierce as the Huns. | |
| Jam Bun | Cockney slang for "Hun" (see: Hun). | |
| Jerry | British slang for Germans, used since World War I. The origin is uncertain; it may come from "German" or from the shape of the German helmet, likened to a chamber pot ("jerry"). | |
| Jew Burner | Refers to the Jewish Holocaust during WWII. | |
| Jew Killer | Reference to the Holocaust. | |
| Kaiser | Reference to World War I. | |
| Kartoffel | Called this by foreigners because they think Germans eat a lot of potatoes ("Kartoffel" is German for potato). | |
| Kraftwerk | Early German electronic band. | |
| Kraut | Short for sauerkraut, a popular German food. | |
| Mof/Moffen | Used by the Dutch in World War II. | |
| Nazi | Refers to the Nazi regime. | |
| Piffke | Pronounced "pif-ka." Used by Bavarians and Austrians to refer to North Germans (after a famous Prussian named "Piefke"). | |
| Saupreiss | Austrians and Bavarians use it for Northern Germans. "Preiss" is Austrian dialect for "Preusse" (Prussian), and a "Sau" is a female pig. | |
| Schleu | French slur during WWI; a common German consonant combination that sounds unpleasant to French speakers. | |
| Schmeisser | WWII term for a German soldier, derived from a machine gun of the same name. | |
| Volkswagen | Refers to Volkswagen, the German car maker. |