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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German phrase of the day: Es geht um die Wurst

This phrase combines a winning resolution with the German love of processed meat.

German phrase of the day: Es geht um die Wurst
Photo: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash + Nicolas Raymond / flickr

Why do I need to know Es geht um die Wurst?

Because you can’t truly understand German until you embrace its sausage culture. And this idiom is the hilarious and inspiring little pep talk that gets to the heart of Germany’s language, food, and history.

What does it mean?

Es geht um die Wurst or Jetzt geht’s um die Wurst (pronounced like this) is a colloquial phrase that translates to ‘it’s all about the sausage’ or ‘now it’s about the sausage’. In English, it means that something is very important – ‘It’s crunch time’, ‘now it’s getting serious’, ‘it’s now or never’ or ‘it’s the moment of truth’ .

This expression is used during a moment when you need to give it everything you have – whether it’s a competition, a game or a life-and-death duel. And the prize has always been, metaphorically speaking, sausages.

It’s the sort of phrase you would utter before you walk into the interview room for your dream job, or when you were down to your last card playing UNO, or perhaps when watching the penalty shootout of Germany at a World Cup final.

But why sausage? It’s down to the historical importance of sausages in Germany. 

READ ALSO: ‘More than a sausage’: Germany’s Currywurst Museum closing after 10 years

A Bratwurst coated in mustard.

A Bratwurst coated in mustard. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Hendrik Schmidt

The first documented use of this phrase was in Leipzig in 1881, but its origins are thought to date back much further.

Throughout this period in Germany’s history, fairs, beer festivals, and carnivals were becoming increasingly popular in many towns and villages across the country. 

Many games and competitions were set up for the occasion. Rather than a cash prize, large and high-quality sausages were awarded to the winner. Unlike today, sausages were labour-intensive and expensive commodities, rich in nutrients and fats, reserved only for the higher classes.

To the peasants of the time, it could easily be worth several days, if not weeks, of wages. Winning sausages was not only a great way to earn extra money but also a tremendous treat for the family, giving them a secure food source. It is the modern equivalent of a jackpot, so people were serious and put their hearts into it. Hence, the phrase highlighting that it really is all about the sausage!

Use it like this:

Ich habe meine Prüfungsergebnisse bekommen. Es geht um die Wurst!

I’ve received my exam results. It’s the moment of truth!

Deutschland steht im Finale, jetzt geht es um die wurst.

Germany is in the final, now it’s crunch time.

Member comments

  1. This always cracks me up how important sausage is in Germany. My grandfather was a Metzger which was listed on his immigration application as his professional qualification that got him into the US in the 1920’s and eventually US citizenship. My father said that his father being a butcher meant that they always had some meat, though never the good cuts. And that was usually stuff they wouldn’t put in the sausage. I’m a vegetarian now so I tend to shy away from German restaurants when in Germany. Did have a really good veggie schnitzel once in Köln. Still on the lookout for veggie sausage there. Is that a thing in Germany?

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

This German word marks the changing of seasons, and the longest day of the year.

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

Die Sommersonnenwende, pronounced like this, is the German term for the summer solstice, which is the day that marks the meteorological beginning of summer in Germany and the northern hemisphere.

Alternative names for the day are Sommer Solstitium, which comes from the Latin term, and Mittsommer.

Like so many great German words, the term for the summer solstice is a compound noun which translates quite literally. It’s made up of three simple words: Sommer (summer), Sonnen (sun) and Wende (turn or turnaround).

So the name for the summer solstice in German is meant to remind you that this is the day that the sun ends its journey northward in the sky, and turns around.

As you can probably guess, the winter solstice is called die Wintersonnenwende.

You might recognise the term Wende from another compound noun that got a fair amount of attention in recent years – Energiewende, which means energy transition, has also been used to describe Germany’s big picture plans to phase out fossil fuel use.

The summer solstice usually falls on June 21st or 22nd. But it fell on June 20th this year, due to 2024 being a leap year.

How is ‘die Sommersonnenwende’ observed in Germany

Humans have taken note of, and celebrated, the summer solstice for thousands of years.

Archaeologists suggest that Stone Age cultures were already able to determine the day. Evidence of this was uncovered in 2004 at the site of a 7000-year-old solar observatory found in Goseck in Saxony-Anhalt.

Among Germanic tribes, the summer solstice was celebrated with pagan folk festivals that often included fire rituals.

After Christianization of the region, the Catholic Church tried to abolish the pagan solstice traditions – eventually designating the day for a memorial day for John the Baptist (June 24th), and adopting the fire as a symbol for Jesus Christ. 

Most of the original solstice traditions have been lost, but some are being reinvigorated for tourism, especially on the Baltic Sea coast.

More broadly, the long daylight hours experienced in the weeks before and after the summer solstice, offer a chance to stay out or do outdoor activities late into the evening. There are also a number of music festivals around Germany at this time of year.

READ ALSO: How to make the most of Germany’s long summer days

Use it like this:

Die Sonne geht so spät unter, es muss die Sommersonnenwende sein.

The sun is setting so late, it must be the summer solstice!

Haben Sie dieses Jahr Pläne, die Sommersonnenwende zu feiern?

Do you have plans to celebrate the summer soltice this year?

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