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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German words you need to know: Die Streicheleinheit

You can show your pets - or your German friends - some TLC with this word.

German words you need to know: Die Streicheleinheit
A woman scratches her dog in Lower Saxony. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp Schulze

This feminine noun is made up of the verb ‘streicheln’, meaning ‘to stroke’ or ‘to pet’ – usually referring to an animal – and ‘Einheit’, meaning a single unit or, more accurately in this context, a session. 

Put together, ‘Streicheleinheit’ means ‘a session of stroking or petting’. It refers mostly to a physical act, but can imply any display of affection, including words of affirmation and endearment.

Imagine coming home after a long day at work, setting your cat on your lap, and stroking along its head and back as it purrs quietly. This activity helps to produce stress releasing hormones and makes you feel more relaxed and at ease – and your cat is likely to be practically ecstatic too. This is the archetypal image of Streicheleinheit

Although it is usually used in the context of animals, particularly household pets, you can also deal out a session of stroking to your human friends. Here it means something analogous to TLC – tender loving care – the perfect remedy to a stressful day and a great way to show care to the people closest to you. 

READ ALSO: German words you need to know: Der Stubentiger

You might be more used to hugging or kissing your loved ones when you greet them than stroking them, but if your friend tells you they are in need of a few Streicheleinheiten, in practice that generally means slowly stroking them up the arm or on the back. 

This kind of physical affection is proved to be effective at relieving stress for both the giver and receiver: it reduces secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, and increases levels of oxytocin, which helps to maintain emotional and mental wellbeing.

However, it also doesn’t have to be a solely physical activity – you can also experience a Streicheleinheit für die Seele’ (for the soul) by treating yourself to something, for instance a holiday or a spa trip, which will make you feel better: just as in English we might refer to a vacation or time with family as ‘good for the soul’. 

But the main purpose of a Streicheleinheit is that it is given as an expression of love and care – it isn’t something that can be paid for, but is something freely bestowed. It might be reciprocated, but it is not conditional. 

Examples:

Jeder braucht hin und wieder seine Streicheleinheiten. 

Everyone needs some TLC every now and again.

Von wahren Freunden kann man viele Streicheleinheiten erwarten.

From true friends you can expect a lot of TLC.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Rechtsruck

The word describes a trend in German politics that has been worrying many foreigners.

German word of the day: Rechtsruck

The word Rechtsruck comes up from time to time in German politics. It was recently plastered all over the German headlines the day after the European parliamentary elections, for example.

If you want to discuss the mood of the country’s voters in broad terms, Rechtsruck is a good term to have up your sleeve.

What does it mean?

Der Rechtsruck (pronounced like this) can best be translated as a lurch to the right.

It describes a sudden shift in politics to favour right-wing parties, and in some cases, the right-wing extremist and right-wing populist parties like Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).

Disillusionment with Germany’s centre-left government is peaking presently, and it appears that voters are increasingly turning to the right-wing CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD in elections and opinion polls.

This played out in the recent EU elections with the coalition parties losing 21 points between them, while the CDU/CSU emerged victorious and the AfD significantly increased their vote share.

READ ALSO: What do Germany’s far-right gains in EU elections mean for foreigners?

Beyond elections, ein Rechtsruck can also denote a more general embrace of conservative and right-wing ideas, such as a socially conservative stance on marriage or the LGBTQ+ community. This can play out as a lurch to the right within parties themselves, if more hard-line voices gain influence while moderates are left on the side-lines. 

Alongside Rechtsruck, you may also come across the term Rechtsrutsch, which means a slide to the right or a right-wing landslide. This version is more extreme, and usually means that a far-right party has unexpectedly made huge gains in an election.

Though it hasn’t happened too much recently in Europe, there is of course such a thing as a Linksruck: a lurch to the left in which left-wing voices suddenly gain influence in parties and elections. 

Use it like this:

Was ist der Grund für den aktuellen Rechtsruck in der deutschen Politik? 

What’s the reason for the current shift to the right in German politics?

Viele Ausländer machen sich Sorgen über den Rechtsruck in Deutschland. 

Many foreigners are worried about the shift to the right in Germany.

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