Schwarzwaldmädel, Schwarzwaldbub, Spätzle

Hi there,

I have just seen these on some T-shirts today and wanted to buy one but thought I'd better check out what they said first in case I made a plonker of myself!

Does maedel mean girl? I couldn't find it in my dictionary. I've no idea what 'bub' is but I know what Spaetzle are so assume this means 'noodle' or something similar???

Can anyone help?

Thanx

mädel=girl
bub=boy

danke!

Only to add something more: "Mädel" for Mädchen = girl, and "Bub" for Junge = boy are rather oldfashioned expressions. Also they are part of the swabian dialect, especially "Bub".

"Bub(e)" is the standard word for boy in both Austria and (German) Switzerland ... as well as in many regions of southern Germany

And Maedel is also widely used in Bavaria.

Changing the diminutive suffix -chen to -l is a Bavarian dialectical construct. A small wooden cutting board (for eating) is known as a Brettl, from brettchen, "small board". Happens with names, as well. A young boy named Hans would be called Hansl; The Gretchen is already a more "girly" form of Greta, one of many variants of the name Margaret(a). Gretchen becomes Gretl, so know you know where that story comes from.

woof.

I dont know about "Mädel" being specifically southern German. I come from the North, and the term "Mädel" is used there as well. It is just an oldfashioned word for "Mädchen".

You'll often hear Mädels used to describe a bunch of women or girls up here in the north, but Bub isn't used very often, although everyone knows what it means.

It means you will be a walking billboard for a noodle company.

Where my son goes to Judo, the boys bathroom has knob something or other written on it.

probably "Knabe"

It is probably is "Knabe". I think it is quite old fashioned. Could it be our equivalent of knave?

Old fashioned? I hear or see these words all the time. You'll find both "Mädel" and "Bub" used daily in conversation, on the radio and in newspapers. And just to add to the suffix discussion, "le" (ley) is diminutive in Swabian, and "li" (lee) is the diminutive in Switzerland. I still tend to use the "li" form as a carry-over from having learned German in Switzerland.

Bub stoppt Ladendieb

13-jährigen Bub angefahren und geflüchtet

Stolz auf ein Mädel aus Ginderich

Rechte Partnersuche im Netz

Event Prominent bringt 120 000 Euro für guten Zweck

That just made me laugh out loud (and I'm at work)


See explanation above.

isn't Spätzle a cutesy word, meaning "little sparrow," but meant something like calling someone "Sweatpea?" Just an affectionate term, rather like Mauschen?

Well, technically you are right, and "Spätzle" means "little sparrow" (sparrow=Spatz). But no one in Baden-Württemberg will ever call a little sparrow a "Spätzle". It is really a term for the food (which I like very much by the way *giggle*). It is not fully explored where the term "Spätzle" comes from. Some say it originates from the Italian word "spezzato" which means "cut into pieces". Others say it originates from the way of making Spätzle, holding the dough in your hand like a little sparrow and then taking little pieces of it, throwing it into the hot boiling water and therefore creating more "little sparrows". But no one has found out for sure yet where the term came from.

I don't think anyone uses it as an affectionate term.

Btw, in proper Swabian, it would be Mäusle (no -chen used in Swabian at all)

off topic but a Swabian joke i heard since i've been here.

A group of Swabian hikers got lost on a mountain, the red cross went out looking for them. They happened upon them deep inside a sinkhole. Upon arrival the red cross calls down to them, we are the Red Cross, upon hearing this the Swabian hikers shout back at them, WE GIVE NOTHING.

heheh pretty funny, guess it plays upon the assumption Swabians are cheap, i got a kick out of it, no offence to anyone hopefully u all can enjoy it as a joke woot.

Thanks, Zef!

@Kato, I've seen "Gute Besserung, Spätzle" written, so even if if this was saying, "Get better, Lump of Dough," it's still affectionate sounding!

Die Buben sind boese und die Knaben spielen.