10 WEIRD things GERMANS do 😝🤷🏽‍♀️

[@cdnest]

Das Klopfen kommt aus den Hörsälen der Universitäten. In einer Hand hat man noch den Stift mit dem man Notizen während der Vorlesung gemacht hat, mit der anderen Hand klopft man Beifall.

[@MrKilper]

Friedhelm Golücke und Kurt Mühlberger haben sich dem Thema zur alternativen Beifallsbekundung ebenfalls angenommen und ihr Fazit lautet: „Das Klopfen ist als Zeichen der Zustimmung sehr alt. Bereits im Mittel­alter hat man auf die Schilde geklopft, etwa bei Gerichtsversammlungen.“

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

Ausserdem ist ein Beifall Ausdruck des Lobes einer Person (Künstler, Schauspieler, Sänger etc.). Während das Klopfen nicht den Professor persönlich lobt, sondern eher sein Werk, das verständliche Verknüpfen von Informationen.

[@tinoj9661]

und bei Missfallen scharrt man mit den Füßen. Warum? weil der Professor in der Regel die Füße nicht sehen kann und so nicht genau weiß wer da scharrt.

[@supertobino]

@@tinoj9661 echt jetzt?!

[@tinoj9661]

@@supertobino jupp. Kleiner Exkurs in Hörsaaletikette von einem alten Professor.

[@51tomtomtom]

The Brits don't even know "Dinner for one" ! The movie was produced in Germany with english actors !

[@ThePereubu1710]

I'm English and had never heard of it until a friend of mine moved to Germany!

[@marvinasas2060]

I am German and I have never watched that in my life. I didn't even know that was a thing

[@Brunnenmolch]

@@marvinasas2060 Echt nicht? Ist doch DER Silvester-Klassiker seit x-Jahren.

[@DJDoena]

Actually **g** it was a play that's been shown on England's stages since the 1930s. The actors were asked to perform it for German television and then once more and the latter one is the recording we're all familiar with. But the play has never gained that much popularity in England.

[@leobm27]

The TÜV tests many things, e. g. children's playgrounds, roller coasters in amusement parks, sports equipment, etc. Mainly where safety is concerned. But the fact that certain websites are tested by the TÜV (which of course costs the operator something) makes sense too. They test, for example, whether payment is secure or whether there are any security gaps, etc.

[@jarnar08]

As an sidenote: TÜV = Technischer ÜberwachungsVerein (technical monitoring association) so the name explains why they certify so many things What's called TÜV (for cars) is actually HU/AU (Hauptuntersuchung/Abgasuntersuchung = main examination / exhaust examination) and done by other companies like DEKRA

[@charliesmith4072]

The U.S. used to have something similar, "U.L." for Underwriters' Laboratories. I haven't seen it for years.

[@arnolsi]

But I think "Stiftung Warentest" is the real quality test. The TÜV only tell you the thing is technical harmless und fulfill the standards. You get the TÜV if you have a Lada or a BMW or a Kitch Aid ore Privileg kitchen tool. I don't trust the TÜV for financial products there I would contact the Verbraucherzentrale.

[@m.h.6470]

I think the "explaining by saying it louder and slower" comes from the German dialects... Other Germans do understand most words, but might not have understood it the first time due to dialect difference. So we tend to repeat the word slowly, as this usually clears it up - but that obviously doesn't help in all situations.

[@NamelessBody]

In the example, it sounded more like the german person trying to 'make' them understand by repeating the two indivdual words, though, I think. "Haus. Verbot. - Do you understand? Haus - you know what Haus means surely - and Verbot - I'm sure you know what a Verbot is, right? So Haus. Verbot. Hausverbot." - which is condescending and doesn't help, of course. But maybe I'm cynical, you could be right.

[@m0rce1]

English do that all the time

[@jorgbecker5028]

The story behind 'looking in the eyes while saying cheers' is from the medieval times. Back then the knights invited each other to their castles to declare peace but sometimes it was a trap and they tried to poison their enemy. So it became a habit that they banged their goblets so hard that some of the wine from each spilled over to the other one's. In addition they looked into each other's eyes because even for the most evil guys it was a taboo to betray someone while looking in the eyes.

[@simplegermany]

Ah that actually makes sense :) Thanks for sharing!

[@nessy1303]

Ahhhh I think we stay with the 7 years of bad Sex theory😉 will keep people on their toes😅

[@chellastation]

Awesome thank you 😊

[@solaccursio]

"Birkenstock" and "fashionable" aren't to be used in the same sentence :D

[@relaxationstation7374]

People have totally loved the here for years!

[@florkgagga]

What doea that mean?

[@stinanah6880]

what do you mean they have been a proper trend here (in germany) for many years now :D i love them and they come in so many cool designs

[@angelajackel2777]

It's Sunday afternoon in Australia and I've just come across your shows. Enjoying each video and find that I'm still very familiar with it all, although as a young child, we left Germany 57 years ago. Traditions and sayings haven't changed. Although my daily language is english, your videos bring back sweet memories. Best wishes to both of you.

[@m.mueller1766]

English people are totally unaware of Dinner for One. They started to show it in the last two years but only like one time on that evening. It was produced or ordered, I don't totally remember by the NDR (a German TV channel). So although the whole show is in English, it is a German thing through and through.

[@kilsestoffel3690]

Fathers day is at Ascension Day. When I was a kid in the seventies, it was more a family day, in my area a lot of families did a tour in their bycicles, which were often decorated with birch branches. In the late 70s, early 80 more and more mobile drinking booths poped up and slowly the young men became more and the more drunk people were at the streets, the less families were seen. And almost suddenly the day was named "fathers day", though most of these men aren't fathers

[@rainerwahnsinn9585]

There is always a excuse to drink...

[@AnniN96]

My dad gets a present for Father’s Day. And the guys with the Bollerwagen mostly aren’t a father.

[@sandralison7584]

They don't celebrate parenthood but menliness. It's quite sad. We should celebrate a day about parenthood with family.

[@sandralison7584]

My dad gets a present too

[@ryderhook]

The TÜV stands for Technical Monitoring Association, actually originated from testing steam engines. At that time they had the tendency to explode ^^ From there it became a business and they checked everything. For example, the manufacturer of the belt says that holds up to x kilograms that tests the TÜV and confirms that. Its actual task, however, is the safety of devices; in passenger lifts, for example, you will always find a sticker with a date that has been checked.

[@jennyh4025]

There’s something similar for cars in New Zealand, they have to get checked regularly as well.

[@paulsj9245]

@@jennyh4025 This is the most visible aspect in Germany, because, in general, cars and many other vehicules need a "TÜV" test every two years, and a sticker on the license plate to prove it.

[@jhdix6731]

I can totally relate to the "Nacken" story. Reminds me of something I witnessed at the Costa Brava a couple of years ago: A German family of five, huddling in front of a market stall, discussing which spanish expression to use to get the meat they wanted. Discussion heated up a bit, until at some point the oldest member of the group boldly took the initiative, and ordered in broadest Rheinhessian-Spanish "Uno kilo von denne da ovve da" (while pointing at it).

[@simplegermany]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Rainerjgs]

Die zunehmende Nacktkultur finden viele feinfühligen Menschen als höchst schamlos und verstörend, denn ein gesundes Schamgefühl ist ein wichtiger Schutz und wird auch schon von den einfachsten Naturvölkern gepflegt, die nicht ohne Grund allermeistens einen Lendenschurz tragen!

[@jhdix6731]

@@Rainerjgs Und was hat das jetzt bitte mit dem Thema zu tun?

[@siblinganon66]

Reminded me of an elderly female relative of mine who tried to order some "Pute" but got confused and started with "Soy una..."

[@oOIIIMIIIOo]

@@Rainerjgs Aber nicht wegen der Scham, sondern der Wildnis. Soll z.B. wehtun, mit dem Lümmel im Dickicht hängenzubleiben. 😁

[@angiekimalthoff3503]

dinner for one ist einfach eine Sylvester-Tradition - ich freu mich jedes Jahr wie blöd darauf ;-)

[@BIRGITTAQF]

As well in Sweden

[@kalebivan9884]

instablaster...

[@jerrihadding2534]

Ich auch! Auch in Sweden.

[@ani-rf4my]

Me too from Paris

[@marvinasas2060]

Haha the bear opening thing is funny. I was traveling a lot and I had this situation a couple of times already that I just casually opened a beer with some random item or another bottle or something without even thinking about it and people were just staring at me like I was a wizard or something 😂😂 that's realy kind of a German superpower 😂

[@preciousprincess6538]

A friend of mine opens his with his eye socket. 🤣

[@oOIIIMIIIOo]

The poor bear. It is animal abuse. 😁

[@dettmardencker7430]

Hi you simple germans, thats a lovely video! Here a short comment to the knocking on the table-thing: Knocking on on the table is simply an approving signal, depending on the situation. It can be an applause (e.g. after a good lecture in university) but it can be also a greeting as well. Example: I´m going to a meet some friends in a pub. Some of them are already there. So I don´t interrupt their conversations by greeting them verbally, instead I knock one, two or three times on the table, wich means "greet you all at the table". They would knock back. If possible, I make a short eye contact with all of them when knocking. BTW making eye contact (also when raising the glasses) is a question of respect by paying attentiion to a person. This knocking is short and convenient. It´s just an informal greeting of friends. Sometimes I enter a pub and knock on the bar counter to greet the bar keeper - if I know him. Also: knocking on wood brings luck, so sometimes I knock on my head :). I´m used to knock on these occasions and I´m now a almost 70 years old grumpy and cold german. Please go on vlogging! Dettmar

[@lumina9995]

Simple?

[@rhysodunloe2463]

There's also the German idioms "Ich mach mal so." (I'm just doing that.) followed by two knocks as a goodbye or "Klopf auf Holz." (Knock on wood.) followed by three knocks to wish someone good luck or rather to get rid of bad luck. I guess it has something to do with the superstition of banishing bad spirits or to check the wood on ships, in houses and mines for parasites. The knocking on the table as applause was originally a student thing 200 years ago. But some say it had a different meaning back then. It was rather a sign of protest. But just like whistling it changed it meaning over time from disapproval to approval.

[@russkijnemez5911]

Interesting is that knocking two times to get rid of bad luck we also do in slavic culture and my chinese friend told me that they do it also.

[@ulfljung4630]

Miss Sophie has been a tradition in Sweden at new year as well. Not so weird after all?

[@lisbethfrost5024]

Fun video. One more thing that many foreigners find weird: Mettbrötchen 😋 BTW: Knocking on the table is an academic way of showing appreciation and respect in universities. It has spilled over into business life. I’m surprised that you think the rest of the world is unable to open a beer. My Danish husband can open a beer with a wet newspaper 😂 And in Denmark people always look each other in the eyes when toasting, bring cake to work on their birthday and watch “Dinner for One” on New Year’s Eve 🥳

[@xandra6492]

Ja man sagt nicht vorher Alles Gute zum Geburtstag weil das Unglück bringt! Das ist ein Aberglaube hier in Deutschland. Deshalb wird nur nachträglich gratuliert aber niemals davor! :D

[@martinjunghofer3391]

Und stell dir nur mal vor, du schenkst jemandem sogar vorher etwas und der stirbt vor dem eigentlichen Geburtstag: dann hast du ja ganz umsonst das Geschenk gekauft - schrecklich!!!😁

[@Spikebhaal]

@@martinjunghofer3391 Danke jetzt hab ich fast mein trinken ausgespuckt vor Lachen XD

[@hannebasbll6903]

A very German thing is when you arrive somewhere with a bigger number of people being there like at a party or a meeting is that instead of greeting each person single wise you knock on the table and just make a over all greeting. And a comment to the Birkenstock shoes: Birkenstock is the name of the company that produces these shoes and their shoes are so well known by the Germans that the company name is used as a synonym. Other examples are Tesa-Film and Tempo-(Taschentücher)

[@2002Australien]

Well knocking on table is like a Stammtisch thing 😉

[@xcoder1122]

And the TÜV does not give out quality certificates but safety certificates. The task of the TÜV is to ensure objects are safe to use (like your car is safe to be drive for you and other road users around you). Certain facilities are required to be checked by the TÜV by law (e.g. elevators), in other cases that is voluntarily and then it may be used as a quality seal (our products are so good/safe, that even the TÜV things so). Note that TÜV (which means "Technical Inspection Agency") is the name of a category of agencies and there are several TÜV agencies in Germany (like TÜV NORD, TÜV Rheinland, etc.) Also note that other organizations can also get approved as a comparable inspection agency in specific areas. E.g. to get your car certified, you don't have to visit a TÜV, you can also go to the Dekra, the GTÜ, the FSP, the KÜS, and so on.

[@xcoder1122]

As for birthday: You cannot celebrate your birthday in advance. That is like celebrating that you've won the race ten meters before the finishing line. You can only celebrate an achievement *after* you have achieved it. And as you are the one who want to celebrate it, of course you pay. You cannot expect that other people have to pay something you want to celebrate, like "Hey, I want to make a big party, so you all have to organize and pay for it". They will usually bring presents for your birthday and if you throw an expensive party, the presents may actually be (or at least include) some money, so they will support you paying for it but that way it's up to them how much they want to pay for it. Also at work your employer may have a gift for you but other than that, you want to to have your birthday celebrated at work? Then you bring the cake, as it's your desire getting fulfilled here and some people juts don't want to have a celebration at work which is also fine. If people around you decide if to party, where to party and how to party, you could even offend someone who doesn't want to party at all or not that way or not with that people or not that big.

[@leobm27]

By the way, the Panama Canal is not that big. The North East Canal (In Germany) is 98 km long, the Panama Canal only 80 km.

[@heinzherbert1706]

But larger vessels can pass through the Panama Canal.

[@buninparadise9476]

NEC....in English: Kiel Canal

[@siblinganon66]

@@heinzherbert1706 As many ships passes through the Kiel Canal as through Suez and Panama Canal combined.

[@heinzherbert1706]

@@siblinganon66 That may very well be, but how much tonnage is that combined? 20 1-person-sailing boats do not make up for one really large vessel.

[@JakobFischer60]

Knocking on the table is something only students do. It comes from ancient university times, where students had many quirky behaviour.

[@simplegermany]

Oh interesting! I’ve definitely seen it at work meetings as well 🤓

[@tosa2522]

@@simplegermany They may be showing their academic background.

[@habi0187]

The roots of TÜV are in fact not from the cars but from the boilers in factories in the old times of steam engines and transmission belts there have been several incidents with exploding boilers killing a lot of people. This was the reason why a system of controls has been created for controlling this boilers and set industrial standards for this equipment. It has a big share of creating the good name of “Made in Germany” all over the world.

[@simplegermany]

@@habi0187 Wow! super interesting. Thanks for sharing :)

[@jannesfriedrichs1563]

And because clapping in school would disturb the students in the classrooms nearby. Imagine knocking at a concert🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️

[@jschlund3588]

Birckenstock is also expansive. My family has any kind of houseshoe, but no Birckenstocks, coz they are fancy (expansive)

[@jina6429]

Ich hab meine von Tamaris sind günstiger und ich mag das fußbett lieber oder von Bahma von real 😜

[@SomethingStupide]

Das stimmt, aber dafür halten sie auch ewig. Ich hab Birkenstocks, die 15 Jahre alt sind und die ich echt viel getragen habe und immer noch trage. Da konnte bislang noch kein Korkschlappen-"Imitat" mithalten. Das trifft sich auch gut, da die aktuellen Designs bei Birkenstock so ultra hässlich sind, dass ich keine 60€ für neue ausgeben würde. Allerdings hab ich auch das - kann man es "Glück" nennen? -, dass meine Fußsohlen exakt so geformt sind wie das klassische Birkenstock-Fußbett es vorsieht. Mit Plattfüßen oder auch jeder anderen Fußform stelle ich mir die starre Sohle äußerst unbequem vor.

[@Cadfael007]

In the 19th century many steam engines exploded, causing deads and damages. So, the TÜV was invented to look if the steam engines are okay and work well. During the centuries the TÜV looked for everything "technological" and is also a sign for quality.

[@nordwestbeiwest1899]

Towards the end of the 18th century, people also hit the table with their fists. Since the "scratching" and "hissing" were already known as signs of displeasure, the knocking on the table seems to have turned into an applause for the lecturer. Today's form of "Father's Day celebrations" came up at the end of the 19th century in Berlin and the surrounding area, probably brought into being by brewery entrepreneurs for economic interests [3], and has since enjoyed great popularity with men. Ascension Day has been a public holiday in Germany since 1934. In the GDR the day was only a public holiday until 1966 and in 1990; There various possibilities were used to still be able to do a “men's day game” on this day. For example, members of religious communities had the right to celebrate their festive days, provided that this was or could be granted by the employer. Even though in Germany, in the meantime, celebrating Father's Day has replaced the perception of Ascension Day as a Christian-religious feast day in large parts of the population and the media, criticism is still expressed in view of the special German customs of the “men's day party”. So opening beer bottles is actually based on a single physical law of the long lever and if you know that you can use anything to pry open the bottle cap! The owner can forbid you to visit again and to enter for a certain time, so a "house ban"(Hausverbot).

[@sandralison7584]

Sadly they don't celebrate parenthood. Ths mens day, not fathers day. They don't celebrate fatherhood

[@pen2prasath]

Hallo Yvonne and Jen,. You guys are really rocking with innovative contents! Thanks for that and I am grateful to you that I find you through this channel. Missed one thing from my perspective : Sneezing the nose so louddddd with tissue paper. ! 😅

[@simplegermany]

😅 true - some can be quite loud!

[@Philemaphobia]

Opening a beer bottle: it’s not about the tool. It about your knuckle game and leverage. Cheers: it’s believed you have to cheer without looking, so that the drinks could spill and mix a little, so nobody at the table would poison them, as you would die as well. That’s why you cheer everyone individually. I don’t know where the seven years of bad intimate luck came from though. I just think it’s amusing that Sex is something we bring up when a total stranger won’t look us in the eyes :D

[@hanlahi]

Eine Freundin war als Jugendliche in den Niederlanden mit einer Freizeitgruppe oder Ähnlichem und sollte da mit einem Bekannten zusammen Dill für das Abendessen kaufen. Leider wusste keiner von Beiden die englische oder niederländische Bezeichnung für Dill und so standen sie ebenso wie diese Frau vor den Verkäufer_innen und wiederholten einfach immer wieder " we are searching for Dill". 😂

[@segka8536]

Man muss es nur laut genug sagen, dann verstehen sie es auch :-D.

[@mucxlx]

The key of opening these bottles is actually the grip on the left hand with which you hold the bottle and where you position the lever. You have to grab it very high and with pressure. Through this pressure the muscle becomes harder at the contact point with your hand there and then its easy. And the lever has to be very tightly fit in there. With a spoon its more difficult because its so thin. But if you know how to open with a lighter you know how it works.

[@ingokueper]

I stumbled upon this video and loved it! As a German who used to travel a lot, I can relate to most of the "weird things". I love the vibes in this video keep it up!

[@fhhu3167]

Yes

[@florkgagga]

You must be under 30 then. Or maybe it's because i didn't travel, can't afford it. It is just cringeworthy to 50 year old who lived in Switzerland as a kid and now meets german tourists every year.

[@alicemilne1444]

TÜV monitors the safety of equipment and the security of digital services. It monitors compliance with legal standards. Although it is understood as a "seal of quality", quality itself is not what is being tested or approved. "Dinner for One" - I first saw this in 1980 in Germany. It was completely new to me (from the UK) at the time. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the film was actually made in Germany by two English actors who were on tour in Germany at the time (probably entertaining British troops). Anyway, it is not known in the UK at all. In Germany, the reason people find it funny is that they've seen it since they were children, they know it off by heart and are laughing more in anticipation of when the bulter is going to stumble over the tiger's head than anything else. Asking people to explain: Instead of saying "Das habe ich nicht verstanden" you have to say "Was bedeutet das"?

[@nessy1303]

I found Jen when I was looking for "right for left" driving rule and now I subscribed and binge watching all of your videos. You both rock! 👏

[@robertochahin4518]

On the TüV, Americans have something similar called the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) but it is not required for the roadworthiness of cars.

[@louisefitzgerald8918]

It's super interesting, I'm Irish, married to a German guy, living in Berlin. I totally have the same view as you about birthday thing, it makes sense to celebrate earlier sometimes and I feel German people are otherwise absolutely not superstitious and more practical. I also feel cheated with having to pay on my birthday, in our culture we get treated instead too..I like your videos!..oh yea, dinner for one, I had only heard of it when I came here and it wouldn't be considered funny from an Irish perspective. It's all too obvious, maybe it's just nostalgic for German people because they like the tradition of watching it together on NYE, but someone stumbling because they're a bit drunk is just too slapstick and generally not considered funny...I've read that it was actually produced in Germany from a play that once aired in England, it's therefore relatively unknown in English speaking countries from what I can gather...one new subscriber 😃

[@DasPlattenTier]

The beer opening is really a kind of national ability. I can open bottles on ledges, with lighters, my phone, or even twigs. One time I was hocking in England, a group asked me if I gad a bottle opener, I took the bottles and opened them with each other, the last one, I opened with a twig. They stared at me, like I used a spell to open them. So yeah, it's kinda a German superpower.

[@simplegermany]

😂

[@FINNSTIGAT0R]

I wouldn't call it a national ability, but lots of Finns do that too - open beer bottles with whatever.

[@uwekall6281]

Concerning TüV approval: if you strap down goods on a trailer and the straps break on the 'Autobahn', you know why they should have decent quality. Same thing with accessibility of websites for impaired people.. it immediately makes sense if you think about it :-) event if it's not that obvious in normal situations.

[@wonda1992]

I am 50 from USA, been wearing Birks since I was around 16 years of age. I got my house Birks and my outside Birks. I have never participated, but Father's Day is done right in Germany. I think the beer opening is a man thing not German thing, because tons of friends back home always open their beers with cigarette lighters. But same way, just the pressure between the finger and cap. Culture is great and funny, I lived in South Korea 20 years ago. If I remember correctly after a cheers(geonbae) you actually turned away and do not look the oldest person at the table, because it's considered rude to look at a elder in the eyes in this situation. The fact that you have German Friends only after living here a few years is great. I can tell you are in a bigger city. When I 1st got here I went out several times when I arrived here, I started giving out my phone number to people, and they all looked at me like I was crazy.

[@balthazarbeutelwolf9097]

Father's day in the form you describe it is a relatively new thing. I emigrated from Germany 30 years ago, and it was not quite like that back then, certainly not groups of men going out together getting wasted - that happend as a pre-wedding tradition, but not (yet) on father's day.

[@sandralison7584]

Sadly they don't celebrate fatherhood and parenthood, but ther manliness. Its call Männertag in east Germany. Sadly not a time for fathers and thier children

[@RANJITSHARMA-cd8tn]

Table clapping is done in India ,in very formal meetings. The approval mark is very important.

[@hartmutbohn]

I am not sure when it happened, but basically "the guys" kind of kidnapped the public holiday (Ascension) and repurposed it as "father's day".

[@reko7264]

The other way around. Like the julfest the church occupied a existing day a create a own theme around...

[@chrisrudolf9839]

@@reko7264 Not really. The father's day tradition of men having a "guy's day" on that date is a 20th century development that has nothing to do at all with pagan Julfest traditions, it has no religious background whatsoever and was basically a reaction to the introduction of mother's day and they used Ascension for it because it already was a work-free holiday and is close-ish to mother's day.

[@reko7264]

@@chrisrudolf9839 i travel in dangerous half knowledge..... 😁In my knowledge there was one Day in the year when a freier Germane has to walk around his Landbesitz so i He can further can call it as it's one. This tradition was the inspiration for the wall around of man only.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

@@reko7264 Hat auch wiederum nix mit dem Julfest oder Christi Himmelfahrt oder Vatertag zu tun und ist im übrigen generell Unfug, schon deshalb, weil es so etwas wie ein germanisches Volk mit auch nur annähernd einheitlichen Gesetzen und Gebräuchen niemals gegeben hat. In einigen Kulturen war das Umrunden eines Landbesitzes Teil einer üblichen oder gesetzlich vorgesehenen rituellen Handlung bei der Übereignung von Landbesitz (wie etwa der Mancipatio im römischen Recht) , aber eine Regel, dass man sein Eigentum an Land verlöre, wenn man nicht einmal im Jahr drum herum ginge, ist meines Wissens historisch nirgendwo belegt.

[@markusberndkrause2858]

It depends on the party. I was on a lot of biker parties and there were no songs from BSB or Spice Girls played.

[@marenhuwald6395]

Even in the States Christmas was on the eve of the 24th of December for me. Also missed Julklapp and and Adventskalender. Always had a real Xmas tree and real candles.Hardly anybody jaywalks either, not wantig to be a bad example for the children.

[@spinozacelt]

That story about Fathers Day is brilliant 😂😂😂.Im Scottish and have a German friend and I remember her telling me about Dinner for One and I was like “Whats that?”.She told me and also told me about the New Year tradition surrounding it.I watched it and was like “Why are you all watching this daft wee film?I couldnt understand it then and still dont now 😂😂

[@derGraf-ys3xc]

Danke,für euere erfrischend andere Art die " Macken" der Deutschen auf netter Weise zu erklären.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍Ps. Zwei Videos von euch gesehen und schon bin ich ein Fan dieses Kanals, besser Euch zwei😀😀😀

[@CoconutwCoco]

Crack me up so much!! 😂😂😂😂shoe opening the beer!! The effort into the video is apprecited😂🎉 it is so fun n helpful to see it as u just talked abt it 😅

[@Utubemop]

TÜV also just certifies that the manufacturer runs a certified quality system with auditable procedures. It applies to every quality system and does not have to do anything with cars. I.e. a webstore owner can have such a quality system as well. It is definitively not unnecessary.

[@d-man8294]

Weird things #5: Yes, I can confirm this. It's part of our culture to learn how to open beer bottles! *lol* (Best accomplishment so far: With the newspaper!) *lol*

[@simplegermany]

Wow, with a newspaper! That’s awesome 😎

[@piccadelly9360]

@@simplegermany When it comes to beer, anything is possible

[@chellastation]

I am fascinated. I would like to learn this

[@inotoni6148]

Fun fact, Dinner for One was recorded in Germany 1961 for the NDR and was unknown in the UK. There it was shown for the first time on television in 2018

[@simplegermany]

wow @inoToni, that is a really fun fact! Thanks for sharing :)

[@ludicrousone8706]

It's a sketch by the German comedian Peter Frankenfeld from the early sixties. He's great, especially imitating dialects and mannerisms from different areas of Germany.

[@ep2560]

@@ludicrousone8706 Not exactly right . Originaly from Freddie Frinton in 1961 , Peter Frankenfeld did that Scetch in 1963 . Written by Lauri Wylie , published in 1953 in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac.

[@ludicrousone8706]

@@ep2560 information overload 😘thank you

[@roerd]

Well, not strictly unknown. The comedians were from the UK and would perform the sketch at home, too, so their live audiences would've seen it. But yeah, only in Germany it made it to tv.

[@vonderpikeauf]

11:00 just nailed it.... perfect explanation. I totally agree!

[@radidhan]

I really enjoyed your video guys 🎉 you seem like very cool people and I really enjoyed the conversation and laughed a lot with you 😁 keep it up and keep posting 🙌🏽

[@masterjack85]

It's a sign of respect and I it's carried down from medieval times. Kings swapped the glasses in case the other tried to poison them and when cheering looked into each other's eyes to reassure themselves they could trust them.. It is also considered bad luck to overcross the arms of other people when cheering with multiple people.

[@ravanpee1325]

Also the mothers day was adopted in the 1923 as a sales campaign by the "Association of German Florists ". It was later declared a holiday by the Nazis, to promote giving birth to future soldiers. Most of this "modern holidays or events" have a sales or political background like Black Friday, Valentin's day or Labour day. Labour day is also "go outside for hiking & drinking beer" for many people.

[@donaldtrumpscat2443]

Day of Labour is a day without labour and that is a bit weird...

[@henningbartels6245]

TüV approved is a quite reasonable label, because it usually concerns savety and security issues - you will find it on technical equipment like elevators or play playground equipment.

[@oahuhawaii2141]

I visited München and Saarbrücken to get German safety certifications for my company's electronic equipment, which we planned on selling to German banks, restaurants, and stores. We needed that TUV approval months before our manufacturing facilities could start building the product. In Germany, there's only one government-approved certification lab. [It's much easier in the US, as we can use any of the many UL offices.]

[@raka522]

If that is so surprising for non-Germans with Father's Day, then we can increase it in the north, more precisely in the Bremen and Oldenburg area! The cabbage-tours in January and February are almost a must here. An often self-built Bollerwagen with a music system on it (mine now even has an electrical auxiliary drive). A dozen people, women and men, and then it starts. Walk a few kilometers, stop at every intersection with a drink break, and at the end a few hundred people meet in a large restaurant where they can eat ´Kohl and Pinkel´. For the restaurant you pay around 50 euros after pre-ordering, and this includes food and all drinks until midnight and also a live band that plays music all the time. Then they celebrate and dance in a large hall, and at the end of the day, a pre-booked bus takes you back home. You can get 2 cabbage tours a year, and now the trend in my area is to have a similarly structured asparagus-tour a few months later :-D

[@jencios]

Wow, that is so cool! Would like to attend that one day, sounds like a lot of fun! 😄

[@PowerControl]

In Australia one cashier spoke sloooowly and in a LOUD voice when she heard I was from Germany.

[@human_isomer]

11:25 Dinner For One is much funnier when you had a few drinks... because that's actually what that little movie is all about ^^

[@a.riddlemethis795]

I have a nice story as well: Few years ago I was shopping at the local Turkish shop here in Southwest Germany. I'm waiting at the meat department in the queue. Before me, there are these two German ladies, dressed a bit fancier, obviously stepping on unfamiliar grounds, talking to the Turkish butcher as if he has a degree in Germanistic studies: Well you know, we would like to purchase some meat for our barbecue, but as the taste is a bit odd for some of our guests and we are not very skilled in preparing it, probably it's for the best if you offer us something other than lamb. All the butcher understands is the word "lamb" or maybe "barbecue" as well. I observe as he starts to put some lamb chops on the scale and I realise that the women don't even recognise the meat. They are fully unaware that he doesn't understand them, so I step in and offer my help. They gratefully accept. I turn to the butcher and say three simple German words: Barbecue! No lamb! (Grillen! Kein Lamm!) He nodds vigorously and puts some beef steaks on the scale. The ladies are relieved: We don't speak Turkish, thank you so much for translating! I shake my head in disbelief: Neither do I! That was German! :))))

[@simplegermany]

😅 thanks for sharing and well for translating as well 😂

[@a.riddlemethis795]

You're welcome! I'm just saying, most (if not all) Germans don't get the concept auf "Ausländerdeutsch". This is the speciality of us immigrants :)) Don't be too frustrated when all Germans think of doing is the slow, loud pronounciation :)

[@ramblingmillennial1560]

lmao what XD

[@JackieOdonnel]

I am laughing like a loon over here. "Dinner for one" is soooo classic. WHY?! I never did understand that. (I now live back in the states, but was married to a German for several years, and lived in Munich.) Really enjoying your videos.

[@florian_hirnreit]

LOL for the beer opening clip, sitting here in my Adiletten^^

[@tonil6757]

I've got some questions.... 1. Did Jen moved to germany because of love or was it just an accident that you met Yvonne and decided then to stay? 2. Am I a so wired person that I would cherrish Fathersday by taking my kids out with me, without the mother and spend it with my kids in a botanical garden or on a "killing spree" of museums, (those with Planes, Spacerockets, Dinosaurs, etc...) And I would love it if my children make me breakfast.... My family and closer friends call me Hobbit, I like food, nature and a "slow paced" life. Is it stange that I, as a german, dont get the Bollerwagen and Beer?!

[@sandralison7584]

No its totaly normal. You as a father want to celebrate the fact that you have kids. Of course you want to spend time with them on a day that celebrate the fact that you have kids.

[@ArenaGamerX]

I would say the knocking on the wood makes sence with: "Auf Holz klopfen" as Idiom for brings you luck, to make a good sale... So instead of applause - we knock on wood

[@petragillespie6901]

Tolles Video 💙 Danke..I am a german living in the USA..and you are right on all points..when I come back to Germany for a visit I have reversed culture shock 😂

[@JK-ut5cs]

I never really realised the knocking thing until I started University. It has an other dimension when there are 400-500 people knocking than 20 in a class in school or something.

[@ElektrischInkorrekt]

I as a German don't actually have birkenstocks. The only time I would actually use them, is at work, because some of them are able to discharge electrostatic differences. (ESD-conformity)

[@achimgebhardt5982]

#1 Knocking on the table is a university thing. It is very old and nobody really knows why it exist. But it seems to be a fraternity quirk. #2 Quality Certificates are something good. #3 I've lived in Germany all my life and I don't know anyone who wears Birkenstocks at home. #4 It is believed that this bevaviour on Father's Day is made by the brewing industry in the region of Berlin. It started around 150 years ago. #5 It is youth culture to open a beer in many ways. When germans drink beer, they're young, often younger that the legal age of 16 for drinking beer. It's mostly showing off. #6 I have nothing to say to it. #7 Nobody knows why we love it, but it's a habit. #8 Why should you celebrate something before it happened? If you're unlucky, you won't make it to your birthday. #9 I have nothing to say to it. #10 The repeating of words depends on acustic misunderstanding. I know nobody who would repeat a word that you doesn't know. It makes no sense, not for you, not for us.

[@plingess]

Wie schön Euch zu zuschauen :-) Das war ein erfrischend schöner Talk ...

[@purosfoodntravelnetworkper9268]

😂😂 had a good laugh.. thank you Jen and Ivan...❤

[@Wolfspaule]

No 7 21:00 it is actually very short, but since we watch it several times that eve, we collectivly "feel" it must be longer^^ It is so funny, I only realized after expats pointing it out AND not doing it for a year, to see how weird it is.

[@zappel64]

Wieder was gelernt! Kielkanal! bisher auf sämtlichen Karten, Wanderführer, Tourismusbroschüren, Navis... immer Nord-Ostsee-Kanal (Kaiser Wilhelm-Kanal) gelesen!

[@ep2560]

Wird hauptsächlich von englischsprechenden Menschen benutzt . Nord Ostsee oder Kaiser Wilhelm ist wohl von der Aussprache her schwierig . Könnte aber auch international so festgelegt sein . Alles nördlich der Elbe sagt nur NOK

[@Fast_Ultralight]

"Dinner for One" is a production from Hamburg/Germany🥂

[@sharoncox1734]

New Zealanders can open beer with anything too. I think it's probably the same for Australians too.

[@candoga]

We usually call "adiletten" type slippers as "toilet slippers" in Turkey 😅These types are usually preferred to use them when entering a squatting toilet. Fortunately european-style toilets are common nowadays so nobody use them 😄

[@simplegermany]

😅

[@chellastation]

That cruise ship story was great 🤣. Also, I want to learn to open bottles with anything. That looks like fun 😃

[@akshaymadhukarnayak955]

your smoothly gesture is kind of addictive🤣

[@Schalalai]

Most german thing on this video was how she correct her from 8.1 to 8.5 - I thought 8.5 too in my head xD

[@simplegermany]

🤣🤣

[@vrlord7949]

Correcting other people is a German hobby...I try to get better in this Point mit correcting people...

[@dr.penpen]

@@vrlord7949 "da kann man nicht meckern"=" cant complain about that." Is a big compliment from a german. (but if you listen closely you can hear the disappointment.)

[@m.h.6470]

@@dr.penpen im schwäbischen "Net g'schumpfe is g'nug g'lobt" (nicht geschimpft ist genug gelobt) roughly in English: Not being scolded is enough compliment

[@Trashloot]

You clap in the theatre/movies/airplane/bus and you knock in school/the job/Uni. Knocking is more official i guess ^^. In Saxony/Leipzig the girls party on fathers day as well. The beer bottle opening thing is just a survival skill xD. I don't carry a bottle opener with me all the time but i can get a beer bottle anywhere so i have to make do with what i have. (Ok a lighter is just a bottle opener that can produce fire so i technically carry a bottle opener all the time)

[@ulrichschluter9120]

Here in the US we have UL (Underwriters Laboratories) for TUV. You can find it on all kinds of products. Have a closer look next time, and you will find a sticker on the item.

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

TÜV

[@m0rce1]

I (portuguese/german) live in the uk. Ive asked people about "diner for one". No one knows what im talking about. Its watchable once a year (just once, def not on loop)

[@bettinagudat875]

Didn‘t know the „cheers“ thing, looking in the others eyes… very funny video

[@heinzherbert1706]

Der "Kiel Kanal" heißt übrigens Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. :)

[@tonyhoward1735]

The tüf approved seems to be like a similar thing we have here.... it just means that it meets the standards set out for different things, be it mechanical, food or whatever... so basically it's a good thing

[@S16E1]

I‘m afraid to say that especially in Mallorca a lot of germans assume that every person in Mallorca has to understand german.

[@polytropos1.1]

The really weird thing is not the assumption, but the truth of the assumption.

[@XYpsilonLP]

Fun fact: You can open a beer bottle with just a sheet of paper O:) And I recognized the tiny sheet in die video :D The thing with us germans repeating things LOUDER anoys me a lot. A few years ago I had a bad inflammation of my vocal cord and was not allowed to talk. So I carried a piece of paper with me which says that I am not allowed to speak at the moment (shopping is a bit tricky). Ad people suddenly treat you as if you are death. The at least speak A LOT LOUDER and I had a woman at an ice cream parlor which even started to use hand signaling me ^^° Yeah, we germans... always worrying for the hearing abilities of our fellow citizens ^^°

[@simplegermany]

😂

[@barbarahallowell2613]

My Dad explained to me that the knocking instead of clapping started long ago with students so they could applaud the professor while still having a hand free to takenotes in a lecture. It spread from the across society. I don't know how true it is but he was very insistent of this origin

[@silkedavid8876]

I live as a German in GB and loove watching stuff like this. If you watch "dinner for one" , it HAS to be the Radio Bremen recording. There is also the Swiss TV version, which was not filmed in front of an audience. The Radio Bremen version, the one woman laughing so much, it is infectious! Even after 20+ years in England, I still HATE it when people say birthday wishes to me early. My family has an allotment (Kleingarten), and it was common to visit and have a beer. I have never experienced the look in your eyes when saying Prost. Maybe it is not a North German thing?

[@karstent.66]

I do the same like you, but I just fill 15 years... Do you also feel a bit like a foreigner now in our own country? Last time I was there, I did...

[@silkedavid8876]

@@karstent.66 Oh yes, I cannot speak German proper anymore, especially when I am tired. I am known as "The english". I do not like the German rudeness. I english use phrases literally translated, like, I once was asked I wanted another drink, and I said Ich bin fein. Confused looks.

[@karstent.66]

@@silkedavid8876 Where in England do you live? My german has also become a little bit strange. But - I still keep watching german youtube videos. And when I am back home for at least 2 - 3 days, then I am back into the language. Not necessarily back into the spirit that you can find in Germany these days. And I stll see myself as a guest here. Only when I go back home I get shown clearly how much did I adjusted.

[@silkedavid8876]

@@karstent.66 Suffolk, East Anglia I always have a more German accent when I come back from visiting. I had a time where I really struggled to speak German, I even lived with 2 girls from Austria, they spoke German and I answered in English! These days it is easier as I also watch a lot of German YT. Still, certain words I sometimes struggle with, which makes phone calls to my parents difficult. I still and never will feel British or English, but I feel totally at home here. I am proud of my German heritage, characteristics, and love to get together with other Germans and moan about some English habits!

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

6:15: Father's day is about to replace the traditional Christian holiday of the Ascension of Jesus which is the 40th day after Eastern, therefore a Thursday. It is still a public holiday in most of the German states. The following Friday is a so-called "bridge day" between the holiday and the weekend, a day many employees take off. (There is one town in the south, where the Friday is the more important catholic holiday - but that is completely another story, and only interesting if you're interested in horses.) Around the end of the 19th century some breweries around Berlin started to propagate this Thursday for such outdoor activities like drinking beer on the walk, based on some earlier traditions around the 1st of May (and maybe also on the Christian traditions of processions around Ascension). It developed to somewhat like a really weird tradition in many regions of Germany: A group of man on the hike through green fields, tugging a small "Leiterwagen" or "Bollerwagen" (like a small hay cart, often used also as a child's toy) with beer with them, and if they come home in the evening, the barrels and bottles are empty, but the men are full.

[@HeyItsSarah30]

What’s super funny/crazy is my German friend and I have a mutual friend and she always wishes our German friend happy early birthday every year (she doesn’t know it’s bad luck) and my German friend literally doesn’t care and doesn’t believe in the bad luck even tho every year either her or someone in her family has almost died after her birthday, and me as the American is always the one freaking out like “omg no!!! 😳” whenever our mutual friend tells her happy bday lol. It’s become a running gag between us 🤣🤣

[@simplegermany]

🤣 that’s funny! Thanks for sharing!

[@Finiiiii]

I would say that you don't have to stare deep into another's eye while saying cheers, you don't have to but you have to look at the person

[@mayravazquez5025]

The opening beer bottles with anything is a Mexican thing as well. I work in corporate America and seeing my boss struggle with opening a fake beer champagne bottle once, was painful to see 😂

[@Bonsai61]

TÜV is not only to proof things that they are OK for offcial use ... cars for example. Without that stamp on the licence plate you are not allowed to use it on the road. There are also TÜV certivicates which realy doesn't mean anything special like on that piece of paper you have shown. Just means that things have been tested under certain conditions and that they have met at least the minimum requirements. Much more importend is the "CE" lable which proofs things all over europe. There are things which are not to being used without this lable ... for example motor bike helmets. CE is similar to the US ASTM label.

[@LasseLuehmann]

I never heard the term Kiel kanal. Everybody where I live call it the Nord Ostsee Kanal and I live near Brunsbüttel xD

[@christianrichert5197]

I think the repeating it more clearly is just because you are used to it. If a German doesn't understand something another German said, they will say "hä" or "wat" or "hab ich nich verstanden" all of which is a call to repeating it louder and more slowly. So the first instinct is off course to do the same when asked in english, because that's what you are conditioned to do. Also I don't think it's a German thing. I have, f.e., seen the same behavior displayed in US shows and movies.

[@Wolfspaule]

No 2 is also safety certification for lifts and stuff. I don't take a lift that has no TÜV.

[@Wolfspaule]

Alles was Menschen transportieren kann wird geprüft, z.B. auch alle Fahrgeschäfte auf dem/der Rummel/Kirmes.

[@tcw6043]

Ich hätte da noch einen schönen: "Draussen nur Kännchen"

[@2002Australien]

Kenne ich nicht..?!

[@tcw6043]

@@2002Australien wenn du im Biergarten sitzt, gibts keine Tassen mit Kaffee, sonrn nur Kännchen

[@Markus-yz5io]

#9 We play Vengaboys - Boom, boom, boom 😂😂😂

[@cawaar8103]

We had to wait for theTÜV for the climbing wall from our school before we could use it for sports last month

[@roysigurdkarlsbakk3842]

I likethe part of bringing gifts to your guests at birthday parties. It's in the book The lord of the ring by JRR Tolkien (albeit not the film), but that was just hobbits, of course, but perhaps Tolkien mixed up Germans with hobbits a bit :)