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A

A

a,  indef. art.,

ein, eine, a; a Chue, a Bärg, as Hus; for m. and f. nouns the liaison is n: anElefant, anOrgele, for n. nouns it is s: asEi

 

aabändele, v.t.,

anzetteln, verleiten, to seduce, to entice, to plot

 

Aabee,  m.,

Abort, m., toilet

 

aabröötle,  v.t.,

bräunen, to pan-sear; s Fleisch aabröötle, das Fleisch bräunen, to pan-sear the meat

 

aacho,  v.t.,

befallen, to be stricken; eim Öppis aacho, einen etwas befallen, to be stricken with something; eim sSchtärbenaacho, sterben wollen, to be on one's deathbed; also berühren, to touch (inadvertantly); other meanings are as in German

 

aadräie,  v.t.,

andrehen, einschalten, to turn on, to switch on (gas, water, electricity, the TV); also aaträie; the opposite is abdräie, q.v.

 

aafoh,  v.t., v.i.,

anfangen, to begin; was söui drmit aafoh? was soll ich damit? what am I to do with it?; föhmr aa? wollen wir beginnen? shall we start? 

 

aagä,  v.t., v.i.,

1. v.t., angeben, to indicate, to declare, to state

2. v.i., prahlen, großtun, to boast, to show off, to swagger

3. v.t., antreiben, to propel

The third meaning is Swiss: gib mr aa! treib mich an! give me a push! (for instance on a swing)

 

aaha,  v.t.,

tragen (Kleider), to wear; i ha dr Mantu aagha, ich trug meinen Mantel, I was wearing my coat; vergl. German anhaben

 

aahocke, v.i.,

anbacken, to cake, to stick to the pan

 

aalänge,  v.t.,

berühren, to touch; läng nüüt aa, rühr nichts an, don't touch anything

 

aalegge,  v.t., v.r.,

v.t. anziehen (Kleider), anlegen (Geld), to put on (clothes), to invest (money); i ha dr Huet aagleit, ich setzte meinen Hut auf, I put on my hat; sich aalegge, v.r., sich anziehen, to dress

 

aaloh,  v.t.,

anlassen, anspringen, starten, to start, to declench, to turn on; as for example a motor

 

aaluege,  v.t.,

ansehen, betrachten, to look at, to ogle; öpper aaluege, jemanden ansehen, to look at somebody; öppis aaluege, etwas betrachten, to check something out; lueg mi nid so aa, schau mich nicht so an, don't look at me like that; see also luege

 

aalüte,  v.t.,

anrufen, to phone, to ring up

 

aamächelig,  adj.,

verlockend, appetitlich, tempting, enticing, appetizing

 

aapfurre,  v.t.,

anherrschen, tadeln; to rebuke, to scold, to tell off

 

aarämple, v.t,

ausschelten, tadeln, zurechtweisen, to chide, to rebuke, to upbraid; see also rämple

​

Aargöi, n.,

der Kanton Aargau, the canton Aargau; wie im alten Liedli; as in the sad old song: “im Aargöi si zwöi Liebi”. Conventional spelling Aargäu. Modern spelling Aargau. Dialect version Aargou.

 

aaschloo, v.t.,

anstoßen, zusammenstoßen, to knock against, to bump; hesch dr Chopf aagschlage? hast du den Kopf angestoßen, did you bump your head

 

Aaschnitt,  m.,

Anschnitt, m., first slice (of bread, roast, etc.), heel

 

ab,  adv.,

weg, davon, off, away; partly identical with the German meanings, such as ab und zue, ab und zu, now and then; Huet ab! Hut ab!, I take my hat off; ab hüt, ab heute, from today on; dr Chnopf isch ab, der Knopf ist weg, the button is missing; in addition it has the meaning of escaped, entwischt; sRoss isch ab, das Pferd ist entwischt, the horse escaped

 

ab,  prep.,

nach, after, past; zwänzg ab achti, twenty past eight; a Zwänzgabachtischnörre, f., is a sad face of the same outline as clock-hands at 08:20

​

Äbbeeri,  n.,

Erdbeere, f., strawberry; Äbbeeritörtli, n., Erdbeertörtchen, strawberry-tart

 

Äbberischturm,  m.,

Erbeercreme, f., Erdbeeren in Rahm und Haferflocken, strawberry custard, strawberries in cream, with oats

 

abdräie,  v.t.,

ausschalten, abdrehen, to turn off, to switch off( for example the radio); the opposite is aadräie, q.v.

 

abe,  adv.,

hinunter, herunter, down, downward; (the Austrians also have curious words for this, ahi and uhi, for abe and ufe)

 

abegheie,  v.i.,

herunterfallen, abstürzen, to fall, to crash; s'isch scho wider es Flugzüg abegheit; es ist schon wieder ein Flugzeug abgestürzt, yet another plane crashed; also v.t., hinunterstoßen, to push down; see gheie

 

abehaude,  v.i.,

schief liegen, abhängig liegen, to slope, to slant; from German Halde, f., slope

 

abelire,  v.t.,

aufzählen, to reel off; see lire

 

abeloh, v.t.,

fallen lassen, herunterlassen, to drop, to let drop; see also lisme

 

abemache, v.t.,

verunglimpfen, in Verruf bringen, to disparage, to bring into discredit

 

abenandgheie,  v.t.,

zerfallen, in Stücke fallen, to disintegrate, to fall apart; also abenandergheie; see gheie

 

abhänke,  

abhängen, to take off the hook, to uncouple; fig. zurück lassen, to leave behind

 

abläschele,  v.t.,

erschmeicheln, v.t., to obtain by flattery, to wheedle

 

ablige,  v.i.,

sich hinlegen, to lie down; also abligge; I mues go ablige, ich muß mich hinlegen, I have to go and lie down; vergl. German abliegen, which has a different meaning

 

ablire,  v.t.,

abhaspeln, aufdröseln, to unreel, to unwind; see lire

 

abloh, v.t.,

entwischen lassen, to let escape, dr Hund abloh, den Hund von der Leine lassen, to let the dog run free; also to let off, loslassen, a Schuss abloh, to let a shot go off, einen Schuss verknallen

 

abluege,  v.t.,

absehen (in the sense of learning something by watching someone), abschreiben, spicken (at school, copying from another), to copy, to imitate; see also luege

 

abmache,  v.t.,

dr Bart abmache, rasieren, to shave; one can, of course, also say rasiere; also the normal German meaning of abmachen, to arrange something

 

abprotze,  v.t.,

den Weihnachtbaum entschmücken, to remove the decorations from the Christmastree; Protz, in the old sense, is similar to pride, and to German Pracht, f., Glanz, m., Zierde, f.,; the contemporary sense of similar German words is different; the opposite is ufprotze, den Baum schmücken, to decorate the Christmas tree

 

abschlo,  v.t.,

verprügeln, to beat up; i schlo di ab, ich werde dich verhauen, I'll beat you up; as v.i. it has the meaning of preislich reduzieren, to discount, as in German

 

abschüssele,  v.t.,

abspeisen, ablehnen, abweisen, jemandem eine Abfuhr erteilen, to fob off, to rebuff, to brush off, to fend off

 

absi,  adv.,

abwärts, downward, downwards; mit üüs goht's nume no absi, wir werden nur noch älter, we are only getting older; see nidsi

 

absitze,  v.i.,

sich setzen, to sit down; sitzit ab, setzt euch, have a seat; not to be confused with the German absitzen, to dismount

 

abverheie,  v.t.,

mißlingen, to fail, to fail to succeed; p.p. abverheit, mißlungen, failed; es isch mr abverheit, ich brachte es nicht fertig, ich habe es nicht gekonnt, I failed; used mainly as p.p. or passively, eim öppis abverheie, Mißerfolg haben, to suffer failure; es chönnt [eim] abverheie, es könnte fehlschlagen, you could fail; see also verheie

 

abzie,  v.r.,

sich ausziehen, to undress;  other meanings are as in German:

v.t., schärfen (ein Messer), to hone, to sharpen (a knife);  v.t., subtrahieren, to subtract; v.i., abziehen, to depart, to withdraw

 

ächt,  adj.,

echt, genuine; ächti Schwizer Chuchi, echte Schweizer Küche, genuine Swiss cuisine; ächt Gold, echtes Gold, genuine gold

 

ächt,  adv.,

wohl, possibly, do you think (expressing doubt or conjecture); chöme si ächt? kommen sie wohl? do you think they'll come?; isch's ächt z'schpoot? ist es möglicherweise zu spät? is it perhaps too late?; was heter ächt wöue? Ich frage mich, was er wollte, I wonder what he wanted

 

Achtibahn,  f.,

Achterbahn, f., roller coaster

 

Äcke,  m.,

Nacken, m., neck; Chnoiäcke, m., Kniekehle, f., popliteal, back of the knee

 

Äckegschtabi,  m.,

Nackenstarre, f., charley horse, stiff neck, a crick in the neck; see also Chehri; see also Gschtabi; the term charley horse is also used for muscle spasms, for instance in the leg

 

Adi, m.,

Adolf, also sometimes shortened to Dolf, Dolfi

​

adie,  int.,

tschüß, (both derived von adieu), bye-bye; also adiemitenand (if several are addressed), lebt wohl alle miteinander, good-bye everybody; vergl. French adieu

 

afe,  adv.,

bereits, schon, erst, for a start, for the time being; schteu dr Hafenafenufenofenufe, for a start put the pot on the stove (the n's are for phonetic liaison, sorry); vergl. German anfangs; (the tune is "In the Mood" by Joe Garland), see also ufe

 

Aff,  m.,

Tornister, m., military back-pack; see also Hooraff; from German Affe, m., monkey; though I am fairly sure they didn't know the expression 'to have a monkey on your back', see Näggi

 

Ägetsche,  f.,

Elster, f., magpie; from the way it expresses itself

 

Ähli,  n.,

Berührung der Wangen (eine Liebkosung), a hug, a cuddle; es Ähli gää, sich herzen, to touch cheeks

 

alei,  adv., pred. adj.,

allein, alone; auch elei, aleigge, eleigge, aleini; bisch immer aleini? bist du immer allein? are you always alone?

 

alleemarsch!,  int.,

vorwärts marsch! forward! march! get going!; from a French military command, allez marche!

 

amänd,  adv,

vielleicht, perhaps; ischs amänd doch wohr? stimmt es vielleicht doch? could it be true after all?; also emänd; a contraction of the German am Ende; zletschtemänd, adv., letzten Endes, in aller Wahrscheinlichkeit, möglicherweise, finally, in all likelyhood, in the final analysis, possibly

 

Ämd,  n.,

Grummet, n., second crop of hay, the Americans call it rowen; also Emd; ämde, v.t., das zweite Heu einbringen, to harvest the second cut of hay

 

ame,  adv.,

same meanings as aube, q.v.; aube is more Bernese, ame is more Basel and Argovian

​

amene,  prep.,

an einem, on a; amene Samschtig, on a Saturday; amene Fescht, at a party; see also anere; many other prepositions are similarly declined: vomene, miteme, mitemene, wägeme, ufeme; amenort (see nöime), as in the song "weis amenort gar grüseli viel"; sometimes also amenenort

​

Amme, m.,

Ammann, m., Gemeindepräsident, m., chief-magistrate, mayor of a municipality (from the earlier version Amtmann)

 

Ämmitau,  n.,

Emmental, n.; the valley of the Emme; niene geit's so schön u luschtig, wie bi üs im Ämmitau (an old Liedli, an old song); der Käse wäre Ämmitauer, oder Ämmitaler, the cheese would be Ämmitauer,

 or Ämmitaler

 

Ändivie,  f.,

Endivie, f., endive; see also Tschicoree

 

äne,  adv., also prefix to verbs

hin, her, thither, down; änedra, drüben, jenseits, yonder, on the other side; dört äne, dort, over there; äneschteue (-setze, -lege, -tue), to put down; äneha, v.t., hinhalten, to submit; änegää (coll.), übergeben, to hand over; chum doäne! komm hierher! come here!

 

änedra, prep., adj.,

jenseits, auf der andern Seite, on the other side, across

 

äneluege,  v.i.,

hinsehen, to watch, to look at

 

anere,  prep.,

an einer, on a; anere Fahnestange, on a flagpole; anere Chilbi, an einer Kirchweih, at a festival; see also amene; see also vonere

 

änet,  prep.,

jenseits, auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite, beyond, across, on the other side; änetem Bach, am andern Ufer, across the river

 

angroo,  adj.,

in großen Mengen, massenweise, from French en gros, wholesale; also Angroo, m., Großhandel, Engrosgeschäft, wholesale business; angroo iichoufe, to buy wholesale

 

Anke,  m., no pl.,

Butter, f., butter; es Bäueli Anke, also es Mödeli Anke, a "pound" of butter (sometimes imprinted with a decorative mold), a stick of butter; Ankeschnitte, f., Butterbrot, n., Butterstulle, f., bread and butter; es Schnifeli Anke, ein klein wenig Butter, a butter pat; (but we say Chrütterbutter, für Kräuterbutter, for herbed butter)

 

Ankebäueli, n.,, same pl.

Hahnenfuss, m., buttercups, ranunculus

 

anne,  prep. phrase,

an ihnen, on them, at them; it is the pl. of amene, q.v.; Froid ha anne, sich dessen, or deren, erfreuen, to be delighted with them (speaking of the grandchildren, of course)

 

Annebäbi,  f.,

Anna Barbara, Bärbel

 

Annemie,  f.,

Annemarie, Ann-Mary, a personal name

 

ano,  prep.,

im Jahre, in the year; ano '14, in 1914; especially of years long past (but within memory), ano 29, in 1929; vergl. Italian anno

 

Anthebi,  f.,

see Hanthebi

 

apartig,  adj.,

besonder, special; öppis Apartigs, something special, etwas Besonderes; nüut Apartigs, nothing special, nichts Besonderes; vergl. French à part

​

Apiteegg, f.,

Apotheke, f., pharmacy

 

Ärbsli, n., s. and pl.

Erbse, f., s., Erbsen, f., pl., pea, peas

 

Are,  f.,

Ar, f., an area of 100 square meters

 

Ärfeli,  n.,

Armvoll, m., armful; anes Ärfeli näh, umarmen, to hug; also Arfele, f.

 

arig,  adj.,

eigenartig, odd, strange; är isch enarige Chuz, he is an odd chap

 

Ässmänteli,  n.,

Geiferlätzchen, n., bib; see also Rabättli

 

Ätti,  m.,

Großvater, Vater, grandfather, father; a bit older than Vati or Vatter; oddly, in Finnish aiti means mother

 

auä,  adv.,

allerwegen, vermutlich, wahrscheinlich, probably, hardly; auä scho, vermutlich schon, probably; är het's auä nit ghört, he probably didn't hear it; auä chuum, kaum, hardly; auch auwä, allwäg, allwä

 

aube,  adv.,

einst, jeweils, damals, weiland, then, formerly, of old,; dasch aube schwirig, das ist alleweil schwierig, that tends to be difficult; s'isch aube schöner gsi, früher war's schöner, things used to be lovelier; wie aube früecher, wie ehedem, as in the old days; s'isch eim aube nid rächt, es ist einem jeweilen nicht recht, one doesn't feel right about it; aubeneinisch, adv., gelegentlich, every once in awhile; früecher aube, zu alten Zeiten, in times past; see also früecher; see also einisch

 

audercheibs, adj., vulg.

Allerlei, allerhand, aller Art, of all sorts; audercheibs für Iwänd, Einwände aller Art, objections of every conceivable kind

 

audergattig,  adj.,

jeder Art, of all sorts; s'git audergattig Lüt, es gibt Leute jeden Schlages; it takes all kinds to make a world; also auergattig; see also Gattig

 

aui,  adj.,

alle, all; aui Lüt, alle Leute, everybody; requires a plural noun; accent on the a; also au; au Froue, au Manne, au Ching, aui mini Änteli, all women, all men, all children, all my little duckies; aus Gueti, alles Gute, all the best! see also aupott.

 

And here you have a nice example how Swiss and High German can go together in the same verse – without anybody noticing:

 

            Aui mini Änteli

            Schwümme nufem See

            Köpfchen in das Wasser

            Schwänzchen in die Höh’

 

            (All my little duckies

            are swimming on the lake

            heads are in the water

            tails are in the wake)

 

aune,  adj.,

allen, everyone, all; s'het aune gfaue, es gefiel allen, everybody liked it; aunem, an allem, of everything; s'fäut a aunem, es mangelt an allem, there is a shortage of everything; kene vo aune, keiner von allen, none of them

 

aupott,  adv.,

häufig, alle fünf Minuten, frequently, at the drop of a hat; dä wott aupott öppis anders, he changes his mind every five minutes; conveys a deprecating view of events; auschispott, an even more disdainful version which provides more perspective to its origin

 

auwäg, adv.,

jedenfalls, at any rate; sisch auwäg nötig gsi, es war wohl notwendig, it was probably necessary; auwäg scho, wahrscheinlich, probably; jo auwäg! kaum! hardly!

 

awägg,  adv.,

weg, hinweg, fort, away; gang awägg, geh weg, go away; wiit awägg, weitab, fern, far away

 

äxgüsi,  v.i.,

Entschuldigung, excuse me; vergl. French excusez!

B

B

Baabi,  n.,

Tolpatsch, m., dolt; dasch jetz ou es Baabi! dümmer gehts nicht! how smart can you get!

 

bääbele,  v.i.,

mit Puppen spielen, to play with dolls

 

Bääbi,  n.,

Puppe, f., doll; bääbele, mit Puppen spielen, to play with dolls; vergl. French poupée, English baby. You will be anxious to know the name of my first doll, Sidibambola, from Italian bambola (doll), and Sidi-Bel-Abbès, the city whence she hailed. She was dark of complexion, and swathed in flashy jewellery, showing her Berber ancestry. Yep, mother made her. Father might have called her es Ditti, q.v.

 

Baadi,  f.,

Schwimmbad, n., Badeanstalt, f., swimming pool, public swimming pool

 

bäägge,  v.i.,

heulen, weinen, jammern, to cry, to weep; endlos und grundlos schreien, to cry incessantly and without apparent good reason

 

Babbe,  m., fam.,

Papa, m., dad; vergl. Ital. babbo

 

bachab,  adv.,

mißlungen, unwiederbringlich, failed, irretrievable; die Glägeheit isch bachab; this opportunity is gone; lit. downriver; dr Fortschritt isch an illusion, im Grund gno isch aues bachab, progress is an illusion, in reality everything is going downriver

 

Bachbumele,  f.,

Dotterblume, f., marsh-marigold, (caltha palustris); vergl. German bammeln, to dangle

 

bachnass,  adj.,

triefendnaß, dripping wet; sometimes pronounced baachnass; lit. wet as a brook

 

Badi, f.,

Schwimmbad, n., Badeanstalt, f., swimming pool

 

bäffzge,  v.i.,

kläffen, to bark, to yelp; Bäffzgi, m., ein Hund der das tut, a dog who does it; auch fig. Für jemanden der dich so adressiert, also fig. for someone who yells at you

 

Bagaaschi,  n.,

grosses Gepäck, n., kit and caboodle, a big load; vergl. English baggage; from Old Norse baggi, which is what Leif Ericson packed when his old man Eric the Red told him to go fishing

 

Baiass,  m.,

Hanswurst, m., clown; also Paiass; vergl. Ital. baia (joke), baiazzo

 

Balangs,  f.,

Lenkstange, f., handlebar; lueg Mueti i fahre freihändig, look ma no hands, vergl. French balance

 

Bammert,  m.,

Bannwart, m., (which is also Swiss, as is Bannwald, m., protected forest), Förster, m., forest-warden, a person hired by the community to look after the forest

 

Bandeli,  n.,

Bande, f., border, edge; used in the sense of flower border, Bluemebandeli; see also Rabättli, n.

 

bängle,  v.t.,

lärmen, to make a noise, as with a stick on a can; vergl. German Bengel, m., cudgel, which also has the fig. meaning of urchin, scamp, which would be Bängu in Swiss; furtbängle, v.t., wegschleudern, to flip yonder (into the neighbour's Bluemebandeli, q.v.)

 

Bänne,  f.,

Karren, m., cart; a cart with board sides, to hold sand, or potatoes, or such; fig. Klapperkiste, f., jalopy, a rundown vehicle; vergl. English van, bin, French benne, f., (large basket)

 

Bänz, m.,

Benjamin; see also Grittibänz

 

Bappe,  m.,

Brei, m., paste, mush; wend ke Zähn hesch muesch Bappenässe, if you have no teeth you have to eat mush; also Bäppeli; vergl. Italian pappa, and also Pablum

 

Baragge,  f.,

Baracke, f., barrack; vergl. italian baracca

 

Bäredräck, m.,

Lakritze, f., liquorice; (lit. bear scat)

​

barfis,  adj., adv.,

barfuß, barefoot; barfis loufe, barfuß gehen, to go barefoot; also z'barfüesslige, adv., mir si z'barfüesslige gange, wir gingen barfuß, we went barefoot

 

Bärnbiet, n.,

Bernergegend, f., the area of the canton of Bern; from the German Gebiet, n.; also used in Züribiet (Zürich), Baselbiet (Baselland)

 

Bärti,  m.,

Albert

 

bäschele,  v.t.,

frönen, verzärteln, to coddle, to pamper; zämebäschele, liebevoll zubereiten, to prepare with loving care; ufbäschele, mit Liebe gesundbringen, to look after lovingly, when you are sick and well looked after you are ufbäschelet; the French would say dorloter; vergl. German Büschel, n., tuft, bundle, whence Swiss büschele, v.t., q.v.

 

Bäsechaschte, m.,

Besenkammer, f., broom closet

 

Bassäng,  n.,

Schwimmbecken, n., swimming pool; also Schwümmbassäng; vergl. French bassin, m.

 

Batze,  m.,

Geldstück, n., coin; also a Swiss 10 cent coin; vergl. German Batzen, m., see also haubbatzig

 

Bätzi,  n.,

Obstbranntwein, m., brandy; also Bätziwasser; perhaps because it is served in a Beiz? or because it isn't worth more than a Batze a shot?; vergl. German beizen, v.t.

 

bau,  adv.,

bald, soon

 

Baue,  f.,

Ball, m., ball; Bäueli, n., kleiner Ball, small ball; es Ping-pong Bäueli, ein Tischtennis Ball, a ping-pong ball; ea Bäueli Anke, ein Stück Butter, a stick of butter

 

bäuele,  v.i.,

mit einem Ball spielen, to play with a ball, which is not quite as serious as to play ball; see also Baue

 

bauge,  v.i., v.t.,

schelten, schimpfen, to scold, to chide; d'Muetter het bauget mit is, Mutter hat uns gescholten, mother scolded us; vergl. German balgen, which, however, means to romp

 

bchaue,  v.i.,

gelieren, gerinnen, to set, to jell, to congeal; bchaueti Soosse, Sülze, f., aspic; Bchauets, n., Gallert, n., gelatine, jelly; vergl. German erkalten

 

bchoo,  p.p.,

vom Ausdruck bchoo möge, mithalten, to keep up with; magsch bchoo? magst du mit? Can you make it? vergl. German bekommen

 

bebe,  n.,

Kleinkind, baby; von French bébé, m.; see also Buscheli

 

Beck,  m.,

Bäcker, m., baker; Zuckerbeck, Zuckerbäcker, confectioner; Beckerei, f., Bäckerei, bakery; Wegglibeck, m., Weckenbäcker, m., bun baker

 

Becki,  n.,

Becken, n., basin, bowl

 

bedele,  v.i.,

zum Spaß baden, to bathe for fun (as in a spa)

 

Bees,  n.,

Gebiss, n., denture, set of false teeth; Rossbees, n., Trense, f., snaffle, horse-bit

 

Beetli,  n.,

Elisabeth

 

beiele,  v.i.,

leicht schneien, stöbern, to snow very lightly, as in flurries; es schneielet, es beielet, es goht e chüele Wind, und d'Meitschi lege d'Häntschena, und d'Buebe loufe gschwind (an old rhyme),

 

Beieli,  n.,

Biene, f., honey bee; vergl. Fr. abeille; e Beielistich, m., Bienenstich, m., bee sting; Bernese Beiji; Beijischtock, m., Bienenstock m., beehive

 

Beiz,  f.,

kleines Restaurant, Tavern; wo man Gebeiztes serviert, anstatt Frisches, where you may be served pickled rather than fresh food

 

Bettmümpfeli, n.,

see Mümpfeli

 

Bettstatt,  f.,

Bettlade, f., Bettstelle, f., bedstead

 

bhaute,  v.t.,

behalten, to keep, to retain, to remember; im Chopf bhaute, im Gedächtnis behalten, to retain in memory; für sich bhaute, to keep to oneself; bhautet, p.p.; zum Bhaute, zum behalten, to keep; see also Bhautis

 

Bhautis,  n.,

Trinkgeld, n., tip; vergl. German behalten (to keep)

 

Bibeli,  n.,

Kücken, n., Küchlein, n., chick, young chicken; older hens and roosters remember this name from their youth, hence the traditional call "bibibibibib" when you summon them to the coop for a feeding

 

Biecht,  m.,

Rauhreif, m., a light hoar-frost; in Swiss also sometimes called Duft, or Giescht

 

Bieli,  n.,

Beil, n., small axe, hatchet; Bielischtiu, m., Beilstiel, hatchet-handle

 

Biftegg,  n.,

Entrecôte, Rippenstück, beef steak

 

bigoscht,  int.,

bei Gott! wahrhaftig! good heavens! really!

 

Biigi,  f.,

Stapel, m., stack; (Beige does not exist in German); e Schiterbiigi, ein Stapel Holz, a stack of wood; hey, perhaps Beige is a colour; uufbiige, v.t., aufstapeln, to stack something up; also Bigete, f.; pl. Bigine; ufbiige, v.t., aufstapeln, v.t., to stack; ufbiigele, v.t., aufstapeln, to stack up small items

 

Biliee,  n.,

Fahrkarte, f., ticket; vergl. French billet; see also rötuur

 

Bimsu,  m.,

Pinsel, m., paint-brush

​

binang,  adv.,

beieinander, together; see nang; also binand, also binenand

 

Bire,  f.,

Birne, f., pear; also Glühbirne, f., light bulb

 

Birebitzeli,  n., and adj.,

ein klein wenig, ein bißchen, a little bit, a teeny bit, a smidgen; gisch mr ou es birebitzeli? Gibst du mir auch ein klein wenig? will you give me a teeny bit?

 

Birewegge,  m.,

Birnenbrot, n., Birnenpastete,f., pear-pastry, pear-turnover

 

bis, v.aux.

sei, bis-so-guet, bitte schön, please; bis z’fride, sei zufrieden, be content; bis nid so ungeduldig, sei nicht so ungeduldig, don’t be so impatient; bis froh, sei froh, you should be so lucky

 

bisle,  v.i.,

Wasser lösen, to spend a penny

 

Bisluft,  m.,

Bise, f., Ostwind, m., east-wind; usually brings cold and dry weather

 

Bittibätti,  n.,

Gebettel, n., abject begging; Bittibätti mache, um etwas flehen, demütig bitten, to supplicate something, to beg for something one shouldn't have to beg for; vergl. German bitten and beten

 

Bitz, m.,

Bissen, m., Stück, n., bite, piece

 

Bitzeli,  n., and adj.,

ein wenig, ein bißchen, a little bit; heb es Bitzeli Geduld, have a little patience; see also Birebitzeli

 

Biugere, f.,

Zahnfleisch, n., gums

 

Blache,  f.,

Zeltbahn, f., tarpaulin; vergl. French bâche goudronnée, vergl. German Placke, f.,

​

Blaggei,  n.,

Schuhzwecke f., shoe nail, brad; auch Blaggettli, for the old custom of reinforcing shoe and hiking boot soles with studs or metal crescents; from English ‘blakey’, a nail with a kidney-shaped head; other names for types of shoe nails were Chappe (caps), Mugge (Mücken, mosquitos), Rigati (from Italian, geriffelt, rippled), Tricouni (from Italian, three cusps), and Zwäck (from German Zwecke, tack), but that was all before PVC and polyurethane

 

blagiere,  v.i.,

prahlen, to boast, to crow; see also Blagöri, m.

 

Blagöri,  m.,

Prahler, m., Prahlhans, Aufschneider, m., braggart, blusterer; also Blagieri, m., also Blagör, m.,; vergl. French blaguer, blagueur; see also blagiere

 

Blätz,  m.,

Flick, m., patch (of material, for repairs); e Blätz abha, to suffer a scratch, or a scrape (on the skin), such a Blätz being une blessure, évidemment, but it's pure coincidence; sich a Blätz abmache, to get a scratch, einen Kratzer kriegen, a Blätz Härdöpfu, or a Härdöpfublätz, ein kleines Kartoffelfeld, a patch of potatoes

 

blätze,  v.t.,

flicken, to patch; du sötsch di Tschoope blätze, du solltest deine Jacke flicken, you should darn your jacket

 

Blätzli,  n.,

Schnitzel, n., cutlet; Schwiinsblätzli, Chalbsblätzli, Schweineschnitzel, Kalbsschnitzel, pork cutlet, veal cutlet

 

bloche,  v.t.,

bohnern, to polish (wax) a floor; Blocher, m., Bohner, m. (also Bohnerbesen, m., Bohnerbürste, f.), floor-polisher; jestingly used in my distant youth to describe fast driving: uf Züri use bloche, nach Zürich rasen, to zip to Zurich

 

blöffe, v.i., irreführen, großtun, to bluff; a Blöffer, m., Großhans, m., Großtuer, m., braggart

 

blöödele,  v.i.,

Possen treiben, Faxen machen, to fool about, to clown around; vergl. German blöde

 

Blootere,  f.,

Blase, f., Hautblase, f., bubble, blister, bladder; Seifeblootere, Seifenblase, f., soap bubble; Söiblootere, f., Schweinsblase, f., pig's bladder, which were our balloons before we had balloons; Blöterli, n., pl., small bubbles, tiny bubbles; vergl. Engl. bladder 

 

blöterle,  v.i., v.t.,

Zeit vertrödeln, to dilly-dally; which is one aspect of blowing soap-bubbles, see Blotere

 

Blöterliwasser,  n.,

Brausewasser, pop; non-alcoholic carbonated water, flavoured or unflavoured; see also Glürliwasser

 

blüemlet,  adj.,

geblümt, with floral design; e blüemleti Chue, a designer cow; also 'bluemet, mit Blumen bemalt, with a floral design; es 'bluemets Trögli, q.v.

 

Bluescht,  f.,

Blühte, Blühten, bloom, flowering; d'Chriesiböim si voller Bluescht, the cherry trees are in flower

 

blutt,  adj.,

nackt, naked; füdliblutt, splitternackt, stark naked, bare-assed; vergl. German bloß

 

blüttle, v.i., nackt umhergehen, sich entblössen, to go naked, to strip

 

Böckli, n.,

Rollator, m., Zimmer frame, m., walker

 

bödele,  v.i.,

tanzen, to dance, to tapdance; vergl. German

Boden, and Bavarian Schuhplattler

 

Bödeli, n.,

kleiner Boden, m.,  kleine Fläche, f., Vorsprung, m., Platte, f., Felsenriff, n., small floor area, ledge, small flat area

 

Bodesurri,  m.,

Kreisel, m., spinning top; fig. eine Person kurzer Statur, a short person; vergl. German surren, v.i.; vergl. also Kiesel, m., in the  sense of top, and kieseln, v.i., to spin a top; see Hurlibueb, Zwirbu

 

bodige,  v.t.,

überwältigen, bezwingen, lit. zu Boden bringen; to master, to overwhelm, to wrestle to the ground

Bögli,

n., Brücke, f., (Gymnastik), bridge (gymnastics); das Rückwärtsbeugen des Oberkörpers bis die Hände den Boden berühren, the back-bending of the upper body until the hands touch the floor; es Bögli mache, eine Brücke machen, to make a bridge; auch kleiner Bogen, kleine Kurve, also a small arch, a small curve; see also U-Bögli

 

Bolei,  n.,

Murmel, f., marble; boleile, to play at marbles, knausern; vergl. bull's eye, cat's eye; see also Schpicker; see also Chlürli

 

Bölimaa,  m.,

Buhmann, m., Schreckgespenst, n., bogeyman; jez chunt de dr Bölimaa! gleich kommt der Poltergeist! the bogeyman will get you

 

Boord,  n.,

Rand, m., Abhang, m., edge, slope; ein kurzer, steiler Abhang, a short, steep incline; Schtroosseboord, n., Straßenrand, m., roadside; Börtli, n., kleiner Abhang, also Saum, m., small incline, also hem

 

boosge,  v.t.,

etwas anstellen, etwas anrichten, to do something malicious, to transgress; was heiter boosget? was habt ihr verbrochen? what were you up to?

 

Böötli, n.,

klines Boot, n., little boat, cockleshell, fig.

 

böpperle, v.i.,

leicht (an)klopfen, to tap lightly, to knock gently

 

Bouele,  f.,

Baumwolle, f., cotton; s'isch Boueligs, es ist aus Baumwolle, it's cotton; a Bouelehängscht, m., in the old days, was a fellow who was in the textile business. They came mostly from the eastern part of Switzerland, and they were smart.

 

Brähme,  f.,

Bremse, f., horsefly, deerfly

 

Brangsche,  f.,

Zweig, m., branch; in the sense of branch of industry; uf welere Brangsche schaffet är? was hat er für eine Beschäftigung, what kind of work does he do?; vergl. French branche

 

Brangschli,  n.,

Schokolade-Stengelchen, n., a round bar of chocolate; vergl. French branche

 

Bränte,  f.,

große Milchkanne, f., large milk-can; a container, or tank, sometimes fitted with straps for back-packing, used to take the milk from the farm to the dairy

 

braschte,  v.i.,

plaudern, to talk; also prahlen, to boast; a Braschti, one who does it

 

Brät,  n.,

Bratwurstmaße, f., gehacktes Füllfleisch, n., force-meat; wherewith you can make delicious Chrügeli, q.v., to stuff Paschteetli, q.v.

 

Brätsch,  m. pl.,

Schläge, m.pl., beating; Brätsch übercho, Schläge kriegen, to get a beating; see also Tätsch, see also verbrätsche, v.t.

 

Brattig,  f.,

Almanach, m., almanac; which in old days also described the "practice" of farming

 

Brätzeli, n., s. and pl.,

Brezel, f., (also Prezel), ein süsses Gebäck, das auf einem heissen Eissen gepresst und gebacken ist; a type of cookie baked on a hot iron press;

 

Brätzeli-Ise, n.,

Brezel-Eisen, zum Backen von Brätzeli, q.v.; pretzel iron, to bake Brätzeli

 

Breschte,  n.,

Gebrechen, n., ailment; also breschte, v.i., sich über ein Gebrechen beklagen, to complain about an ailment

 

briegge,  v.i.,

weinen, wimmern, to weep, to whimper, to blubber; gentler than brüele; muesch nit briegge, weine nicht, don't cry

 

brittlig,  adj.,

bröckelig, brittle

 

Bröche,  m. pl.,

Brocken, m., morsel; specifically Miuchbröche, morsels of bread in milk, a simple breakfast that makes you strong like ox and smart like streetcar

 

Brockeschtube,  f.,

Brockenstube, f., a secondhand shop found in some towns in Switzerland, especially for used household goods; vergl. French brocantage, m., brocanteur, m.

 

Bröisi,  n.,

Argovian dialect for Röschti, q.v.; also etwas  Geröstetes , something fried, or cooked for that matter;  vergl. French braiser, German braten, English braise; used also more generally as "something to eat"; machsch mr es Bröisi?, machst du mir was zu essen? will you feed me something?

 

broote,  v.t.,

braten, to roast; Broote, m., Braten, m., roast

 

bröötle,  v.t.,

braten, to grill; wämmer Würschtli bröötle? braten wir Würstel? shall we grill sausages?

 

Bröötli,  n.,

Semmel, f., hard roll, bun

 

Brösme,  m. pl.,

Brosame, f., crumbs, bread-crumbs; Brösmeli, n. pl., the small version thereof; also in the symbolic sense of crumbs, trifles; brösmele, v.t., Brosame verstreuen, to scatter crumbs; vergl. French broutilles (f.pl.), such as one would scatter to birds

 

Brotrauft,  m.,

Brotranft, m., breadcrust; see also Rume

 

brüele,  v.i.,

weinen, to cry, to weep, to blubber; hör uf brüele!, hör auf zu heulen, stop crying! not as the German brüllen (to howl), but rather more pathetic

 

Brüetsch,  m., fam.,

Bruder, m., brother;

 

Brugg,  f.,

Brücke, f., bridge; father says Brugg, mother Brügg, and both say Brüggli, n., dim.; über di auti Brugg, over the old bridge; (in Burgdorf, I would say Brügg)

 

brünzle, v.i.,

Wasser lösen, to urinate

 

bschliesse,  v.t.,

abschließen, to lock; bschlosse, p.p., verschlossen, locked; hesch bschlosse? hast du zugeschlossen? did you lock?; also to decide, beschließen, v.t.

 

bschtändig,  adv.,

fortwährend, immerfort, continually, incessantly; bschtändig reklamiere, sich fortwährend beklagen, to complain incessantly; vergl. German beständig (which has additional meanings)

 

Bschütti,  f.,

Jauche, f., Gülle, f., liquid manure; so called because you pour (German schütten, v.t.) it on the fields as fertilizer; bschütte, v.t., Jauche verzetteln, to spread manure

 

Bude,  f.,

Fabrik, f., factory; slang, in this sense; other meanings as in German; i mues i'Bude, ich muss zur Arbeit, I have to go to work

 

Bueb,  m.,

Knabe, m., boy, lad; not used in the German sense of rogue, (Bube, m.) except in the word Nachtbuebe, m.pl., the pranksters who go around in the night of May 1 to unhinge garden gates and hide them (an old custom), and Söibueb, m., Dreckfink, m., ill-behaved youth

 

buechig, adj.,

Buchen, aus Buchenholz,n., made of Buchenholz

 

Büez,  f.,

(sometimes also Büezi) Arbeit, f., work, chore; büeze, v.i., arbeiten, schuften, to work, to drudge; vergl. German Busse, f., penance, Busse tun, to do penance; also a Büezer, ein einfacher Arbeiter, a simple worker; gohsch uf Büez? gehst du zur Arbeit? are you going to work?

 

Buggee,  n.,

Blumenstrauß, m., bunch of flowers; see also Meie, and Buschle; vergl. French and English bouquet; as the man said, once he knew French: la plume, die Blume, le plume-plume-plume, der Blumenstrauss

 

Buggeli, n., and pl.,

Kleiner Buckel, kleines Bläschen, small humpback, small bump; Buggu, m., Buckel, humpback; buggelig, adj., höckerig, humped

 

buggle, v.i.,

Buckeln, sich unterwerfen, to bow and scrape, to submit; the French would say courber la tête

 

Buk,  m.,

Beule, f., ding, dent; i hane Buk is Outo gmacht, ich habe den Wagen verbeult, I put a dent on the car; vergl. German Bucht, f., Buchtung, f.

 

Büppi,  f.,

Brust, f., breast

 

buschber,  adj.,

gesund und munter, sprightly, in good shape; sometimes said of the elderly, if in good shape

 

büschele,  v.t.,

bündeln, to bunch; vergl. German Büschel, n., zämebüschele, krausen, raffen, to gather; sMuu büschele, den Mund spitzen, to purse one's lips; Blueme büschele, einen Blumenstrauß binden, to arrange flowers in a bouquet; fig. zurechtmachen, v.t., to arrange, to organize in a neat way

 

Buscheli,  n.,

Kleinkind, n., baby; also Buschi

 

Buschle,  f.,

Strauß, m., bunch, bouquet; one also says Buggee, or Schtruuss, or Meie; e Buschle Blueme, ein Blumenstrauß, a bouquet of flowers; also Büschu, m.;vergl. German Büschel; see also büschele

 

Büsi,  n.,

Katze, f., Miezekatze; endearingly, otherwise it is Chatz; also Chatzebusle, pussycat; from the Arabic al Bis, of course

 

Bütschee,  n.,

Voranschlag, m., budget; es Bütschee mache, einen Voranschlag machen, to prepare a budget

 

buttele,  v.t.,

wiegen, to rock; which is what you might do when giving the baby the bottle; vergl. German dialect die Buddel (bottle)

​

Bütti,  f.,

Bottich, m., vat, tub; a büttivou, eine ganze Menge, a whole lot

 

Bützgi,  n.,

also Bütschgi; Kerngehäuse, n., fruit core; vergl. German Butz, Butzen, m.; vergl. Italian buccia; see also Gürbsi

 

Büugere,  f. pl.,

Zahnfleisch, n., gums; also Bilgere, also Büuere, Piuere, etc.; vergl. English bilge, bulge

C

C

Cäder,  n.,

Geäder, n., Knorpel, m., gristle; the unpalatable part of meat dishes; quite unrelated, it is also the hoofshaped, wedge-like seating at the upper end of the heel of a shoe, where it forms the base of the heel seat, nowadays mostly part of the molded heel; in this sense vergl. French cadre, m., frame

 

Camion,  m.,

Lastwagen, truck, lorry; camionnette, f., van; vergl. French camion

​

Caramel Chöpfli, n.,

crème brûlée

 

Cartong,  m.,

Pappe, f., cardboard; also used in the sense of Pappschachtel, f., carton

 

Chäber,  m.,

Käfer, m., beetle; also Chäfer, m., but then it might be a euphemism for cute girl, as in e hübsche Chäfer, sometimes also called a Chrott, m., Kröte, f., which illustrates the heilige Zwiefältigkeit in assessing such persons

 

Chabis,  m.,

Kohl, m., cabbage; also fig. Unsinn, m., Quatsch, m., nonsense, guff, piffle, tosh, balderdash

 

chäch,  adj.,

zäh, halbgar, knackig, stämmig, tough, undercooked, brisk, feisty

 

Chacheli,  n.,

Tasse, f., Schale, f., cup; möchtisch es Chacheli Cafe?, möchtest du eine Tasse Kaffee? would you like a cup of coffee?; chachele, v.i., klirren, to clatter; Chachle, f., Becken, n., bowl; vergl. German Kachel, glazed tile; for Kachelofen, m., see Chouscht

 

chafle,  v.t.,

knabbern, to munch, to gnaw, to nibble; dr Chüngu chaflet amene Rüebli, das Kaninchen knabbert an einer Karotte, the rabbit is nibbling a carrot; also fig. flüchtig hinschreiben, to scribble; es Kafu, ein Geschreibsel, scrawls

 

Chappe,  f.,

Mütze, f., cap; Sennechappe, Hirtenmütze, f., cowherd's cap; Chäppli, also Chäppeli, n. dim.; vergl. French képi

 

Chäpsligwehr, n.,

Kapselgewehr, n., cap-shooter; a percussion-cap is a Zündhütchen (es Chäpsli, n.)

chare,  v.t.,

verschmieren, to smear; see also verchare

Charerei, f., Geschmier, n., Sudelei, f., smearing, mess

 

chäre,  v.i.,

zanken, zoffen, nörgeln, quengeln, to quarrel, to squabble, to argue, to nag, to bicker; vergl. also French quereller

 

Chärerei, f.,

Zank, m., Streitigkeit, f., squabble, bicker, kerfuffle

 

Charrer,  m.,

Kärrner, m., Wagenknecht, m., carter; on a farm, the driver of the carts and wagons, and the one who looks after such conveyances, and after the draft animals; also Karrer; Chare, m., Karren, m., sometimes also used for automobile, like the English car, or the French-Canadian char

 

chaschperle,  v.i.,

den Hanswurst spielen, to clown; from the character Chaschperli (German Kasperle) who is the clown in German puppet theatre

 

Chaschperlitheater,  n.,

Kasperletheater, n., Puppenbühne, f., puppet theatre, Punch and Judy show; fig. ein kindisches Wortgefecht zwischen Erwachsenen, a childisch dispute between adults

 

Chäschtli,  n.,

Schatulle, f., Kasten, m., Anschlagtafel, f., case, notice board, pillar-box; im Chäschtli choo, zur Heirat ausgeschrieben sein, to be announced for marriage; see also Chuchichäschtli

 

Chäs-chüechli, n.,

Käsetörtchen, n., small cheese tart, ramequin

 

chätsche,  v.t.,

kauen, to chew; was chätschisch? what are you chewing? hence Chätschgummi, m., Kaugummi, m., chewing gum, latterly shortened to Chöitzgi, m.

 

Chätschgumi,  m.,

Kaugummi, m., chewing-gum; also Chougumi; also Chöitzgi

 

Chatzebusle, f.,

Mietzekatze, f., pussycat, puss, kittycat

​

Chätzer,  m.,

unternehmungslustiger Knirps, m., Schlaumeier, m., little rascal, "weasel"; ein lebhaftes und einfallsreiches Kind; said in a good-natured sense of a child who is full of beans; originally from German Ketzer, m., heretic

 

Chatzewädu,  m.,

Schachtelhalm, m., horse-tail, equisetum; an interesting and ancient plant from which mother made an infusion, a tisane, (for gargling, against sore throat, or for poultices); the plant is also rich in silicon - it is said that it leaves a sandy residue when burned, and it was used to scour pewter; vergl. German Katze, f., und Wedel, m.

 

chatzkanoneverruckt,  adj.,

wutentbrannt, rasend, fuchsteufelswild, furious, shootin' mad

 

Chauberei,  f.,

Unfug, misconduct, an ill-judged undertaking that comes to grief; vergl. German Kalb; also chaubere, kalben, to calve, but also in the sense of kalbern, to romp, to horse around;  from the play of young calves, who are a bit ungestüm and awkward in their first outings

 

Chefe,  f.,

Schneeerbsen, f., Zuckererbsen, f., snow peas, chinese peapods; see also us-chifle, which, of course, does not apply to Chefe, but only to Ärbsli; vergl. Kichererbse, f., which is, however, chick-pea, Cicer arietinum

 

Chefi,  n.,

Gefängnis, n., Knast, m., jail, kitty, pokey; mach nume so witer und du chunsch no is Chefi, mach nur so weiter und du wirst noch eingesperrt, just go on like this and you'll end up in jail; vergl. German Käfig, m., which is Chefig, m., in Swiss;

 

Chehr,  f.,

Weile, f., a while; mr si no a Chehr bblibe, wir verblieben noch eine Weile, we stayed for a while; in Bernese also a Rung, eine Runde, a round; note also iichehre, einkehren, to stop for refreshments (in a restaurant); see also Wiili

 

Chehri,  m.,

Nackenstarre, f., Charley horse, stiff neck syndrome; vergl. German kehren, v.t., to turn, (because one isn't able to), see also Äckegschtabi

 

Cheib,  m., overused and vulgar malediction,

a tumme Cheib, an idiot; enarme Cheib, ein armer Trottel, a poor sucker; es cheibe Züüg, eine verzwickte Sache, a troublesome situation; vercheibe, v.t., zunichte machen, zugrunde richten, to ruin

 

cheibe,  v.i., (vulg.)

rennen, to run; not used in polite company; it may relate to the calcium structure around which we are built, and which is often what's left longest, in terms of earthly remains, before it, too, reverts to a more amorphous state; so now we are near the main lode of human sublimation, though you would not have thought so at the start of this entry

 

cheigle,  v.i.,

kegeln, kegelschieben, to bowl (e.g. at ninepins); Cheigu, m., Kegel, m., bowling pin; Cheigu-Chugele, f., Kegelkugel, f., bowling ball; mit Chind und Cheigu, mit Kind und Kegel, with kit and caboodle

 

Chemi,  n.,

Schornstein, m., chimney; elsewhere also Chämi, Chömi; Chemifäger, m., Kaminfeger, chimney-sweep; vergl. German Kamin, m.; öppis is Chemi schriibe, etwas als verloren betrachten, to consider something as lost

 

Cherbele, f., sing.and pl.,

Klettenkerbel, f., Schärlich, m., Kälberkopf, m., Leiterlichrut, n., cow parsley, Queen Anne’s lace, wild chervil; anthriscus sylvestris

 

Cheschtene,  f., s. und p.

Kastanie, f., chestnut; Cheschteneboum, m., Kastanienbaum, m., chestnut-tree

 

chessle,  v.i.,

rasseln, rennen, to clatter, to run; such as the sound of a stone swirling in a kettle; vergl. German Kessel m., kettle; Chesslete, f., Gerassel, n., a noise that would drive away ghosts; dervoochessle, v.i., wegrennen, to run away

​

Chetti, f.,

Kette, f., chain; Chetteli, n., Armband, n., bracelet

 

Cheueli,  n.,

kleine Kelle, f., small ladle; Cheue, f., Kelle, f., ladle; mit dr grosse Cheue aarichte, grosszügig handeln, to ladle it out big-time (in all senses)

 

chifle,  v.i.,

kritteln, meckern, nörgeln, to grouse, to grumble, to argue, to complain, to nag, to carp; get the idea?; vergl. German keifen, v.i.

 

chiiche, v.i.,

keuchen, to gasp, to pant, to wheeze; also chüüche

 

chiibe,  v.i.,

keuchen, to pant, to gasp, to wheeze; fig. hecheln, protestieren, to criticize vociferously, to protest

 

Chile,  f.,

Kirche, f., church; e chileturm, a church spire; also Chilche, Chiuche, Chirche; es Chileli, n., a small church; es Chileglüt, ein Kirchengeläut, church-bells; no connection to the country in South America, which would be "Chilee", in Swiss

 

Chindlifrässer,  m.,

Kinderschreck, m., bogeyman

 

Chindzgi,  m.,

Kindergarten, m., kindergarten, nursery school; (slang)

 

Ching,  n.,

Kind, n., Kinder, pl., child, children; also Chind, pl. sometimes Chinder; chömit Chind, es chunt cho chute, oh kömmet liebe Kindlein es geht ein böses Windlein, get inside, kids, there is a storm coming

 

Chini,  n.,

Kinn, n., chin

 

chirbele,  v.i.,

keuchen, to wheeze; more from illness than from exhaustion

 

Chiubi,  f.,

Kirchweih, f., a country fair; also Chilbi; hou adr Chatz dr Schwanz ab, houere nid dr ganz ab, lohnere nones Schtückli schtoh, dassi cha ad Chiubi goh, a song of the past, thank heavens; Chiubi is also used in the sense of Brouhaha, hullabaloo, Klamauk, all of which mirror the event

 

chläfele,  v.i.,

klirren,  klappern, to jingle, to rattle, to clatter, ; Bernese chlefele;  es Chläfelizüg, ein Lotterding, a rickety thing; vergl. German Klavier, n.,

 

Chlämmerli, n.,

Wäscheklammer, f., clothes-peg, clothes-pin; Chlämmerlisack, m., the pouch used for keeping them; a Chlämmerlisack is fig. an amorphous individual of undefined purpose, may be considered derogatory, though it be said with empathy and followed by help

 

chlämpere,  v.i.,

klappern, rasseln, to clatter, to clank; vergl. German Klempner, m., plumber or sheet-metal worker; klempnern means to do plumbing or to work in sheet-metal (Blech, n.), which you cannot do without some Geklimper, n., jingling, vergl. klimpern, which refers to attempts at the piano, whence Klimbim, m., also used in Swiss, in the sense of pother and fuss, so forget the whole Klimbim and go on

 

Chlapf,  m.,

Klaps, m., Knall, m., slap, bang, clap, detonation; e Chlapf übercho, eine Ohrfeige kriegen, to get slapped; e Chlapf ha, einen Rausch haben, to be drunk; see also chlöpfe, chlepfe; pl. Chlepf, used mostly in the sense of Schläge, m., hits, beating

 

chläppere,  v.i.,

klappern, to clatter; Chläpper, m., Klepper, m., nag, old horse; vergl. Engl. clapper, which is the Klöppel, m., of a bell

 

Chleck,  m.pl.,

Hautschrunde, f., Klack, m., chap (as in chapped hands); Chleck ha, Hautrisse haben, to have chapped skin

 

chleippe,  v.t.,

kleben, to glue

 

Chleippi, f.,

Klebstoff, m., glue, adhesive

 

chlepfe,  v.t.,

ohrfeigen, to slap; die tüe so tumm, me sött se chlepfe, sie betragen sich so schlecht, daß man sie ohrfeigen sollte, they are acting so silly one should box their ears; see also Chlapf; see also chlöpfe

 

chlii,  adj.,

klein, small; pl. chliini; es Chliis, n., ein Kleines, n., a little one

 

chlööne,  v.i., v.t.,

klagen, sich beklagen, jammern, sich beschweren, to complain, to moan, to grumble; was hesch zchlööne? was jammerst du? what's wrong now?

 

chlopfe,  v.i.,

klopfen, to knock

 

chlöpfe,  v.i.,

knallen, to crack, to detonate; mit de Finger chlöpfe, die Finger schnellen, to snap one's Fingers; mit der Zunge chlöpfe, schnalzen, to click the tongue; öpperem eis chlöpfe, jemandem einen Nasenstüber geben, to give someone a fillip; see also Chlapf; see also chlepfe

 

Chlöpfer, m., same pl.

knackige Kirsche, f., Bing cherry, usually of a brownish-red colour, sweet, a tad larger than average. We had two trees of this type on the farm. Grandpa planted them in the thirties. They were razed in the sixties to make room for swimming pools in the new development.

 

Chlöpfer, m., same pl.

Cervelat, f., the national sausage of Switzerland, made of pork and who knows what. In the Nideramt almost always called a cervelat; as you go farther east it becomes increasingly a Chlöpfer. Edible cold, boiled, or roasted.

 

Chlöpfer, m., same pl.

Schwärmer, m., firecracker; set off at Fastnacht and other noiseworthy occasions; known by many names, as rattled off by J.R.R.Tolkien in The Fellowship of the Ring: squibbs, crackers, backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarve-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers, and thunder-claps.

 

Chlöpfer, m., same pl.

a sparkling rosé from the hills around Zurich; the name is also used for other alcoholic beverages; see also ufchlöpfe

 

Chlöpferei, f.,

Knallerei, f., banging of fireworks, shooting; deutet Missfallen an; implies a dislike of the noise

 

Chlotz,  m.,

Klotz, m., block, chunk; also slang for money, as are Chröösch, Chümi, Höger, Münz, Schtütz, in the sense of Moneten, Makrelen, und Pinke-pinke, or of lolly, change, dough; pl. Chlötz

 

chlüepple,  v.t.,

klöppeln, to make a type of lace, over a pillow and with the use of a Klöppel (a bobbin); French guipure

 

Chlüepplisack,  m.,

Düffelmantel, m., duffelcoat; vergl. Austrian Kluppe, f., Wäscheklammer, clothes peg;

 

Chlungele,  f.,

Garnknäuel, m., Strang, m.,ball of yarn, hank; vergl. althochdeutsch chliuwa, Knäuel, m.; vergl. German Klüngel, m., which means clique or gang

 

Chlupf,  m.,

Schreck, m., scare, shock; see verchlüpfe; i hane Chlupf übercho, ich erschrak, I jumped (I had a fright)

 

Chlürli,  n.,

Murmel, f., marble (toy); see also Bolei; see also Schpicker

 

chneue,  v.t.,

(by which I mean chnëue, not chnöie) schnappen, beißen, (Hund), to bite (of dog); the corresponding German would be knellen, but it is missing. It is notable how many Germanic words starting with kn express a notion of force or violence

 

Chnode,  m., (slang)

Knöchel, m., knuckle; die Knöchelgelenke an Hand und Fuß, the knuckle joints on hand and foot; the word feels somewhat rough, similar to Scheiche, q.v., and it is used mostly when these joints hurt for some reason; i ha dr Chnode aagschlage, I bruised my knuckle; chnode, v.i., in the sense of chnode und pfuuschte, auf den Tisch hauen, to bang the table

 

Chnöiblätze,  m.,

ein Fasnachtsgebäck, a Mardi Gras confection; from how they are fashioned by being stretched over the bent knee (Chnöi, n.); also Fasnachts-Chüechli, carnival cookie.

 

How to make:

Bash 2 eggs in 2 Tbsp sour cream with a Hampflete sugar and a pinch of salt; add 250 to 300 g flour and 1Tbsp flaked butter; knead until smooth and blistering, rest for half an hour at room temperature; divide in walnut-sized chunks and roll out paperthin; put on knee (after covering it with a patterned cloth napkin) and pull out so thin that you can detect the pattern; let dry for awhile, separated by waxpaper; cook floating on sunflower oil at moderate heat, abt. 170 C, until golden, flip with prongs as needed; they will look verchrüglet; let drip on paper towels; sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cooled; stack high in a dry place; avoid sneezing during consumption.

 

Chnöi, n.,

Knie, n., knee; yes, the pl. is zwöi Chnöi, and in German pl. the ending e is pronounced, zwei Knie; which is of high importance if you should have to explain the bee's knees, or Ameisichnöischibesalat, or Chnöischlotter and the like

 

chnöile,  v.i.,

knien, to kneel; abechnöile, v.i., auf die Knie fallen, niederknien, to kneel, to fall on one’s knees

 

Chnööre,  f.,

Klumpen, m., dickes Stück, n., chunk, lump; a Chnööre Brot, a Chnööre Fleisch, ein (kräftiges) Stück Brot, oder Fleisch; a chunk of bread, or meat; vergl. German Knorren, m.

 

Chnopf,  m., pl. Chnöpf

l.   Knoten, m., knot; chnöpfe, v.t., knoten,

     to knot; mach e dopplete Chnopf, mach

     einen doppelten Knoten, make a

double knot

2.  Knopf, m., button; Chnopfloch, n.,

     Knopfloch, buttonhole; zuechnöpfe,

     knöpfen, to button, to button up

3. fig. in the sense of bud (Knospe, f.),

     dr Chnopf uftue, aufwachsen, to grow up,

     to open up

4. fig. Knirps, m., tot; a chliine Chnopf,

     kleiner Knirps, a small fellow

 

Chnöpfli,  n.,

Spätzle, n., flour dumplings; a Swiss soul food, particularly good with venison or other meat with gravy; contrary to what you are told, they are better if slightly fried in butter, to a light touch; more easily made with a Chnöpflisibli, n., Spätzlesieb, n., dumplinator; some call them gnocchi, as in Italian

 

chnorze,  v.i.,

pfuschen, umständlich arbeiten, to fuss, to botch, to work with more brawn than brains

 

Chnorzi,  m.,

Umstandsmeier, m., fuss-pot; one who applies much effort for little effect; vergl. German Knorz, m., knot (in wood)

 

Chnuppesaager,  m.,

Umstandskrämer, m., knucklehead, fuss-pot; perhaps in the sense of one who saws through knots when there would be soft wood on either side; this is one of the milder epithets, shaming rather than insulting

 

chnüüble,  v.i.,

herumbasteln, Kleinarbeit verrichten, dröseln, to tinker, to work on something small and intricate (such as a tinker would); Chnüüblerei, f., knifflige und mühsame Kleinarbeit, f., intricate and frustrating piece of work; vergl. German Knobel, m.pl., knobeln, v.t.

 

Chnüüs,  m.,

komischer Kerl, m., Kauz, m., odd chap, nut; perhaps from German Knauser

 

chnuuschte, v.t.,

umarmen, umklammern (liebevoll), knautschen,

to hug, to squezze sbdy. (affectionately); beschreibt auch verpfuschtes und hartnäckiges Arbeiten;  also describes doing poor work with great effort; Chnuuschti, m., wer das tut, the one who does it; see also verchnuuscht

 

cho,  v.i.,

kommen, to come; i chume, du chunsch, är chunt, mir chöme, dir chömet, si chöme; p.p. cho; subj. i chäm (chiemti), du chämsch, är chäm, mir chämte, dir chämtet, si chämte; druus cho, nochecho, verstehen, begreifen, mitbekommen, to get it, to understand; chunsch nid druus? begreifst du es nicht? don't you get it?; übercho, erhalten, to receive; aacho, ankommen, to arrive; förcho, es überstehen, to survive; umchoo, umkommen, to fall (in battle); i dr Zitig cho, am Radio cho, in der Zeitung, am Radio, erwähnt werden, to make the news; cho go schaffe, zur Arbeit kommen, to come to work; chumeni hüt nid chumeni morn, wenn nicht heute dann morgen, one of these days; see also us-choo, usechoo

 

chöcherle,  v.t.,

langsam kochen, auf niedriger Hitze kochen, köcheln, Koch-spielen; to simmer, to bubble, to play at cooking; Chöcherlis schpile, mit Spielzeug kochen, to play cooks

 

choge, adj.,

verflixt, darned; es choge Züüg, eine verflixte Sache, a confounded nuisance

 

Chöhli,  m.,

Kohl, m., cabbage, kale

 

Chöitzgi,  m.,

Kaugummi, m., chewing gum; see also Chätschgumi

 

chönne,  v.t., v.i.,

können, to know, to be able to; i cha, du chasch, är cha, mir chöi, dir chöit, si chöi; p.p. chönne; subj. i chönnt, du chönntsch, är chönt, mir chönnte, dir chönntet, si chönnte; wie chamenou! wie kann man nur! how could you!

 

Chopfete,  f.,

Kopfende, n., des Bettes, head of bed

 

Chorber,  m.,

Korbmacher, m., basket maker

 

chörble,  v.t.,

erbrechen, to vomit

 

chosle,  v.i.,

mit Wasser spielen, planschen, also plantschen, to splash, to play with water; a Choslete, f., eine Planscherei, a soaking mess; a Chosli, m., jemand der planscht, one who plays with water

 

choudere,  v.i.,

schlechter Laune sein, to be ill-humoured; Chouderi, m., Choleriker, m., he who is ill-tempered; vergl. choler, choleric, German Koller, m., (rage), and French colère

 

Chöuti,  f.,

Kälte, f., cold, coldness; also Cheuti; dasch jetz ou enAffechöuti hüt, es ist bitter kalt heute, it sure is godawful cold today; chaut, adj., kalt, cold

 

Chouscht, f.,

Kachelofen, m.,; also Kouscht; Ofenbank

 

Chräbeli,  n. pl.,

Anis-Plätzchen, n.pl., claw-shaped anise cookies; often Badener Chräbeli, though ours are better; the German version of these cookies is made with a carved rolling pin, and is called Springerle, n.pl., ; and there are the related Änisbrötli, which are not bad either, if you cannot get the real thing; vergl. German Kralle, f., claw; this may evoke bear-claws, of similar ilk, semantically, but in taste and texture related to the danish. Just thought I'd mention it.

 

chräble,  v.t.,

kratzen, to scratch

 

Chräbu,  m.,

Kratzer, m., Schramme, f., scratch, scrape

​

Chrache,  m.,

Gracht, f., ditch, gulch; entfernter, abgelegener Ort, the boondocks, a remote, secluded place; dört wo dFüchs und dGäns enand guet Nacht säge (a saying, meaning a place so remote it isn't real); dä wohnt de scho im letschte Chrache hinde, er wohnt wirklich im hintersten Winkel, he lives indeed in the last corner of the earth; pl. Chräche; vergl. Engl. creek

 

Chrampf,  m.,

Plackerei, f., mühselige Arbeit, toil, struggle, arduous task; chrampfe, v.i., sich abmühen, to toil; also Chrampferei, f.,(if of a lasting nature)

 

Chratte,  m.,

Korb, m., basket; a deep basket; Chriesichratte, a basket used for harvesting cherries; pl. Chrätte; Schteichratte, ein Korb für Steine, a basket for stones; vergl. Dutch krat

 

Chraueli,  n.,

Harke, f., small rake (a gardening tool); chrauele, v.t., die Erde lockern, to brak up the soil; vergl. German kraueln

 

Chräueli,  n.,

Kügelchen, n., Perle, f., bead; vergl. German Koralle, f., of which beads were sometimes fashioned

 

chrible,  v.i.,

kritzeln, v.i., to scribble, to scrawl; vergl. Verchrible

 

Chriesi,  n.,

Kirsche, f., cherry; chum mir wei go Chrieseli günne, weis amenort gar grüseli vil, (ein Liedlein aus alten Zeiten), (a song of old); Bernese: Chirschi

 

Chrigu,  m.,

Christian

 

Chrisascht,  m.,

Tannenast, m., branch of a conifer, in particular of spruce or fir; im Winter deckt me d'Rose mit Chrisescht (pl.) zue; im Winter deckt man die Rosen mit Reisig, in Winter you cover the roses with fir branches; Chrees, n., Tannnadeln, f., Reisig, m., conifer branches

 

chrisaschte, v.t.

zerschmettern, mit grossem Lärm zerschlagen, wüten, to smash, to shatter noisily, to rage, to cause havoc; gchrisaschtet, p.p.

 

Chritz,  m. pl.,

Krach, m., quarrel, tiff; heiter Chritz, habt ihr Streit, are you having a quarrel; also used in the lit. sense of the German Kritz, m., Kratzer, m., scratch

 

chrome,  v.t.,

einkaufen, to shop; in the sense of buying a present or a delicacy, as opposed to a necessity, which would be poschte, q.v.; or a little something, which would be gänggele, q.v.; or nothing at all, which would be lädele, q.v.; vergl. German kramen

 

Chrömli,  n.,

Plätzchen, n., cookie

 

Chröösch,  n.,

Spreu, f., chaff; also slang for money (dough, Pinke, f., Moneten, f.pl.); the öö is very closed, almost ü

 

chrose, v.i.,

rumpeln, poltern, rasseln, to rumble, to clatter, to make a crashing noise

 

Chrott,  m.,

Kröte, f., toad; auch als Beschreibung eines süssen Kindes, also used to describe a sweet child

 

Chrügeli,  n.,

etwas, das zu einem Ball zerknittert oder gerollt ist, something bunched up into a pellet; vergl. Chügeli, Kügelchen, n., pellet; see also verchrügle

 

Chrüpfe,  f.,

Krippe, f., Futtertrog, m., manger; the ü is open, almost ö

 

chrüpple,  v.i., (vulg.)

schuften, to toil, to slave; Chrüpplerei, f., Plackerei, f., drudgery; vergl. German Krüppel; see also chrampfe

 

chrüschele,  v.i.,

knistern, rascheln, to rustle

 

Chruseli,  f.,

1. Kraushaar, n., curls,

2. Stachelbeeren, f., gooseberries; also Chruselibeeri

 

Chrüsimüsi,  n.,

Durcheinander, n., Wirrwarr, n., hodge-podge, hotchpotch, jumble; see also Dürenang

 

Chrüsmeli,  n.,

Krume, f., (pl. Krumen), Krümel, n.&m., crumbs; also Chrümeli; also Chrösmeli, also Brösmeli, q.v.

 

Chrüter,  m.,

ein Schnaps auf Kräuterbasis , a spirit, or liqueur, made from herbs

 

chrüttere,  v.t.,

zusammenbrauen, zusammenbasteln, to concoct, to cook up; also zämechrüttere, pfuschen, to botch

 

Chruttschtile,  m.,

ein Mangold-artiges Gemüse (Betula vulgaris cicla), Swiss chard

​

Chrützlischtich, m.,

Crossstitch, Kreuzstitch, m., an embroidery stitch for beginners

 

Chuchichäschtli,  n.,

Küchenschrank, m., kitchen cupboard

 

chüderle,  v.i.,

liebevoll pflegen, verhätscheln, schmeicheln, to care for lovingly, to humour somebody, to pamper, to mollycoddle, to flatter; de Rose mues me chüderle, Rosen brauchen liebevolle Pflege, roses need loving care; öpperem der Bart chüderle, jemanden schmeicheln. To stroke someone’s beard, see also Chuderwäutsch, and hächle

 

Chuderwäutsch, n.,

Kauderwelsch, n., verworrene Rede, f., gibberish, gobbledygook, double Dutch; vergl. Swiss Chuder, Hanf, m., the fiber of hemp before it is spun; see also chüderle, hächle

 

Chüechli,  n.,

kleine Kuchen, auch Guezli, cookies, muffins, small cakes; Bernese: also Chüechleni; vergl. Fasnachts-Chüechli, see Chnöiblätze; also im Fett gebackenes Zuckerwerk; also used in the sense of pancakes, Pfannkuchen, m.

 

chuenegle,  v.i. (3rd person only),

von Kälte verursachtes akutes Schmerzen der Fingernägel (auch Zehennägel), acute pain in fingernails (also toenails) exposed to cold; es chueneglet mi; (a signal warning of reduced blood circulation preceeding frostbite, chilblain, etc.)

 

Chüier,  m.,

Kuhhirt, m., Küher, m., cowherd; the fellow who looks after the cows; cowboy would be misleading, because a Swiss cow is mainly a dairy cow, not beef on the hoof, and a member of the family, ranked somewhere between the Chüier and the Verdingbueb, q.v.; Chüierglüt, n., das Schellen (das Geläute) von Kuhglocken, the ringing sound of cow-bells

 

chümele,  v.i.,

schmeicheln, locken, herumkriegen, to flatter, to coax, to cajole; see also flattiere, and chüderle

 

Chümi,  m.,

Kümmel, m., caraway, cumin-seed; fig. a Chümi, ein Quatsch, m., nonsense, baloney, and one who disseminates such; Chümi is also Kümmelschnaps, m., kummel (liqueur); also slang for money, hesch Chümi? hast du Moneten? have you got "change"?

 

Chüng,  m.,

König, m., (beim Kartenspiel), king (in a deck of cards); otherwise it is König

 

chüngele,  v.t.,

pfuschen, vermasseln, to bungle, to botch, to work to no clear purpose

 

Chüngu,  m.,

Kaninchen, n., rabbit; also Chüngeli; pl. Chüngle; vergl. English coney

 

Chuppele,  f.,

Schar, f., Gruppe, f., flock, group, small crowd; a Chuppele Schoof, eine Schafherde, a flock of sheep; e ganzi Chuppele Chind (Ching), eine Gruppe Kinder, a whole bunch of children; chuppelewiis, adv., haufenweise, in heaps or crowds; vergl. Latin copula, Engl. Couple

 

chüschele,  v.i., v.t.,

flüstern, to whisper; vergl. French chuchoter

 

Chuscht,  f.,

Geschmack, m., Aroma, n., taste; see also chüschtig, aromatisch, tasty; vergl. German kosten (to taste) and French goût

 

chüschtig,  adj.,

schmackhaft, knusprig, tasty, crunchy; see also Chuscht

 

Chüssi,  n.,

Kissen,n., Pfulmen, m., pillow, cushion; Gufechüssi, n., Nadelkissen, n., pin-cushion

 

chute,  v.i.,

winden, sausen, to blow; es chute ums Huus ume, der Wind fegt um das Haus, the wind is whistling around the house

 

Chütt,  m.,

Kitt, m., putty; muesch d'Fänschter verchütte, süsch chunt dr Wind ine, du mußt die Fenster verkitten, sonst pfeift der Wind durch, you have to caulk the windows to keep out the wind

 

Chüttene,  f.,

Quitten, f., quince; Chütteneschlee, m., Quittengelee, m., quince-jelly; Chüttenebäschtli, Plätzchen aus Quittengelee, quince jelly sweets

 

Chuttli,  n.,

Kittel, m., Weste, f., jacket, vest; Sennechuttli, n., Sennenkittel, m., the traditional alpine cowherd's jacket; also Chutteli; vergl. Frankish kotta, English coat; vergl. Indo-Europäisch kadh-

 

chutzele,  v.t.,

kitzeln, to tickle, vergl. French chatouiller

 

chüüche,  v.i.,

keuchen, to gasp, to pant; also chiiche; Chüüchhueschte, m., Keuchhusten, whooping-cough

 

chuum,  adv.,

kaum, hardly, barely, like hell, no sooner ... than, only just; "Chuum", het dr Schtier gseit, wo si ne hei wöue mäuche, "Kaum", sagte der Ochse, als man ihn melken wollte; "Hardley", said the bull, when they wanted to milk him

 

Chuz,  m.,

- Kauz, m., owl, screwball; e komische Chuz, ein wunderlicher Kauz, an odd chap; pl. Chüz;

- wirre Haartracht, f., unkempt hair; a Chuz ha, zerzauste Haare haben, to have a bad hair day; see also verchuze

 

Cöuer,  n.,

Kragen, m., Kragenteile der Bekleidung, collar, cape; auch Göller; (a seamstress word); vergl. German Koller, n.

 

Cuppe,  f.,

Schale, f., bowl; Früchtecuppe, bowl of fruit; also bowl of icecream, vergl. French coupe, f.

 

Cuveer,  n.,

Briefumschlag, m., envelope; hesch sCuveer zuekleippet? hast du den Briefumschlag verklebt? did you seal the envelope?; vergl. French couvert

D

D

dä,  dem. pron. (declined as adj.)

dieser, m., this one, he; dä do, dieser hier, this one here; mit däm, mit diesem, with this; the f. version is die (with pronounced e); the n. version is daas, dieses, this one, it; i ma daas nid verliide, ich mag das nicht, I can't stand this; pl. is as f., die, diese, they

 

Dachchänu,  m.,

Dachrinne, f., Traufrinne, f., roof gutter

 

dada,  int., (nursery talk)

bitte, danke, ta! please, thanks; your first words; accent is still on first a, the second a is a tad longer

 

dafi, expr.

Darf ich, may I

 

Däle,  f.,

Föhre, f., Kiefer, f., pine (-tree)

 

däne,  adv.,

drüben, jenseits, over there, beyond; vergl. prehistoric Germanic jandana, and English yonder; see also dörtäne

 

dängele, v.t.,

dengeln (eine Sense), to whet (a scythe); to temper the blade of a scythe by beating it with a mallet, on an anvil, see Sägeze

 

dänk, part.

wohl, perhaps, probably; I mues dänk, ich muss wohl, ich sollte wahrscheinlich, I probably should;

 

dasch,  contraction,

das ist, this is; dasch nid wohr, das ist nicht wahr, that's not true; dasch esoo, das ist so, that's like this; dasch gäbig, das ist praktisch, that’s handy

 

däwä,  adv.,

solcherart, so, along these lines; also däwäg, lit. auf diesem Weg, this way; i ha mi däwä ufgregt, ich hab mich so aufgeregt, I was so upset

​

de, adv.,

dann, then; und de bin I hei, und dann ging ich nach Hause, and then I went home

​

Dechi,  f.,

Federbett, n., duvet; pl. Dechine

​

Deckeli, n.,

Tortenspitze, f., small mat of lace

​

deer,  pers. pron.,

ihr, Ihr, you; 2nd person pl., and lower polite form; at times shortened to der or dr; deer chöit mer blöterle, zum Teufel mit euch, to hell with you; also, more courteously:  Der chöit inechoo, Ihr könnt hereinkommen (tretet ein), you may come in

 

deet,  adv.,

see dört

 

deheimeloh, v.t.,

zuhause lassen, to leave at home; i has deheimegloh, I left it at home

 

deheimesii, v.i.,

zuhause sein, to be in, to be at home; bisch deheime?, are you at home?, siter deheim? (plural); vergl. the German adv. daheim

 

dehre,  v.t.,

dörren, to dry, to desiccate; Öpfuschnitz dehre, Äpfelschnitze dörren, to dry appleslices

 

deizit,  adv.,

damals, zu jener Zeit, then, at that time, in those days; deizit si di meischte gloffe, damals gingen die meisten zu Fuss, at that time, most everybody walked

 

derbii,  adv.,

dabei, near, at the same time; s'goht guet, derbii chlage si immer, es geht gut, obwohl sie sich immerfort beklagen, all is well, though they keep complaining; the accent is on the i; derbiisii, dabei sein, to participate, to be present; p.p. derbiigsi, dabei gewesen, to have been present

 

derfoochoo,  v.i.,

davonkommen, to escape, to get off; mir si mit knapper Noot derfoochoo, mit größter Not entwischten wir, we had a narrow escape

 

derfooloufe,  v.i.,

entlaufen, to run away; pp. derfoogloffe;

 

derför, adv.,

dafür, for; bisch derför oder derwider? Bist du dafür oder dagegen, are you for or against?

 

dergliche tue,  v.i.,

vortäuschen, tun als ob, to act as if, to pretend, to go through the motions, faire semblant, fare mostra di ...; är tuet nume dergliche, er tut nur als ob er sich darum kümmere, he is only pretending; öppis dergliche tue, reagieren, auf etwas eingehen, etwas beitragen, to react, to respond, to contribute; nüüt dergliche tue, nicht darauf eingehen, to ignore something; är het nüüt dergliche to, er hat sich nichts anmerken lassen, he did not react; eim eis dergliche tue, jemandem einen Gefallen erwidern, to return a favour

 

derig,  adj., dem. pron.,

solche, solche welche, such; also derigi; also dere; synonymous with settig, q.v., the latter being more Bernese; öppis derigs, something like that, etwas solches

 

derno,  adj.,

danach, gewiß, bestimmt; according, certain, corresponding; derno Sache, gewisse Dinge, certain things; derno öpper, jemand dieser Art, gewisse Leute; somebody of a certain ilk, some folks; derno öpper häts nid gärn, gewisse Leute würden es nicht schätzen; some might object

 

derwile,  adv.,

unterdessen, meanwhile; derwile chani afoh choche, mittlerweile kann ich zu kochen anfangen, meanwhile I can start cooking

 

derzit ha,  v.i., expression,

Zeit haben, Weile haben, to have (the) time, to have a moment; hesch derzit? hast du Zeit? can you spare the time?; see also Zit, f., and Zit, n.; vergl. German derzeit, adv., at present, and derzeitig, adj., present; also vergl. German derweil, derweilen, conj., while, adv., meanwhile

 

derzuegheie,  v.t.,

beigeben, to add in, to throw in with the rest; see gheie

 

derzwüsche,  adv.,

dazwischen, between

 

derzwüschegheie,  v.t.,

dazwischenwerfen, to throw inbetween, to add in; see gheie

 

Dili,  f.,

Decke, f., (eines Zimmers), ceiling; pl. Diline; vergl. German Diele, f., (floor, vestibule)

dinne,  adv.,

drinnen, indoors, within

 

dise, dem. adj.,

jener, that, that one; dise wär der besser gsi, the other one would have been better; the opposite is dä, q.v.

 

disewäg,  adv.,

umgekehrt, auf die andere Art; vice versa, the other way around; also disewä, also disewäg ume; vergl. däwä

 

Ditti,  n.,

Puppe, f., doll, dolly; see also Bääbi

 

Diwan,  m.,

Sofa, n., couch, divan

 

do,  adv.,

(referring to time) dann, then; i bi do hei, after that, I went home; do isch es zschpoot gsi, und dann war's zu spät, and then it was too late; do frogsch di, da fragst du dich, you wonder; see also doo

 

doäne,  adv.,

hierher, hither; chum doäne, komm hierher, come hither

 

dobe,  adv.,

oben, at the top, upstairs; hesch dobe gluegt? hast du oben nachgesehen? did you check upstairs?

 

dohäre, adv.

hierher, here; chum dohäre, komm hierher, come here

 

Donschtig,  m.,

Donnerstag, Thursday; also Donschti

 

doo,  adv.,

(referring to place) da, hier, here; i bi doo, ich bin hier, I am here; was isch doo los, was geht hier vor? what's going on here; chum dohäre, komm hierher, come here; doo obe, da oben, up here; dä doo, dieser hier, the one here; doo düre, in diese Richtung, this way; do ume, hierzulande, in this country; see also do

 

Dorli,  n.,

Dora, Dorothea, Dorothy

 

dört,  adv.,

dort, there; dört und äne-use verwöne, to spoil in every way; dört und äne-use rüeme, to praise beyond description; also deet; vodeetawägg, von

dort an, starting from there

 

dörtäne,  adv.,

dort, dorthin, dort drüben, there, over there; dörtäne goni gärn, dorthin geh ich gerne, I like to go there; also dörthäre

 

dört-he, adv.,

dorthin,to that place, there; wotsch einisch dört-he, möchtest du einmal dorthin, would you like to go there for a change

 

dra,  adv.,

daran, on it, on them; prefix to many verbs, such as drasii, to be in the process of doing something, dragä, beifügen, to add to, dratue, zugeben, to

mix with, draha, geschmückt sein, to be adorned with; and as suffix to many adverbs, such as näbedra, nebenan, next to it, obedra, darüber,

above it, undedra, darunter, underneath it, hindedra, dahinter, behind it, voredra, davor, in front of it; also dranume, daran, about it, drababe, hinunter, off it, drahäre, daran, on it, dranufe, dazu, onto it, and lord knows what else.

 

drababe,  adv.,

herunter, hinunter, off; gang drababe, geh 'runter, get off it

 

drababegheie,  v.i.,

'runterfallen, herunterpurzeln, to fall off (it); also drabgheie, which is perhaps from a slightly lesser height; see gheie

 

drachoo,  v.i.,

an der Reihe sein, to be next; wär chunt dra? der Nächste bitte, who is next?

 

Dräckete, f.,

Verschmutzung, f., mess

 

dragheie,  v.t.,

dazuwerfen, beifügen, to throw in, to add; Salz dragheie, Salz beigeben, to throw in some salt

 

dräie,  v.t.,

drehen, to turn; Dräibüni, f., Drehbühne, f., revolving stage; see also aadräie, abdräie, düredräie

 

dri,  adv., pref., suff.,

darein, drein, in, into it, into them; sich dri ergäh, sich darein ergeben, to resign oneself to it; sich drischicke, same meaning; used also as prefix with many verbs, such as drigheie, drigumpe, drimischle, driploudere, drischiesse, and dritschauppe; also used as suffix in such words as hindedri, obedri, undedri and voredri, q.v.; Wema obedri Öpfu tuet chunnt unde Moscht use, wenn man oben Âpfel einfüllt fliesst unten Most heraus; if you add apples on top you get cider below

 

drigheie,  v.i.,

reinfallen, to fall for it; also v.t., hineinwerfen, to throw in; see gheie

 

driluege,  v.i.,

hineinsehen, to look into; fig. aussehen, to look; wie luegsch ou dri? wie siehst du auch aus? what happened to you?

 

drinine,  adv.,

hinein, into; drinine flüge, hinein fliegen, to fly right into it

 

drininne,  adv.,

im Innern, drinnen, in der Mitte, inside, within, in the middle of; drininne hets Chärnli, im Innern hat es Kernchen, inside, there are pips

 

dritrappe, v.i.,

dareintreten, to step into; Bernese;

 

dritümpfle, v.t.,

eintunken, to dip in, to sop; vergl. Austrian Tümpf, pool; see also tünkle

 

drü,  num.adj.,

drei, three; Drüblatt, n., Dreier, m., set of three (when playing cards, for instance Jaß)

 

drüberabe, adv., prep.,

nachher, afterwards, later; churz drüberabe, kurz danach, shortly afterwards; asa prep. It means the same as drüberübere, except the direction of the movement is more downward

 

drüberübere,  adv.,

darüber hinweg, over it, across it; drüberübere gumpe, darüber hinweg springen, to jump over it

​

Drück,  n.,

Gedränge, n., a crush of people, a jam; at times pronounced Trück; a Drückerei, f., the behaviour leading to the Drück, ein Gedränge f., a crowding, a pushing and shoving

 

drufaachoo,  v.i.,

darauf ankommen, wichtig sein, to matter, to be of importance, to be critical; s chunt nit drufaa, es ist egal, it doesn't matter

 

drufufe,  adv.,

darüber, over, across, on top of; also drufue

 

drufufegheie,  v.i.,

darüber hinfallen, to fall on top of it; also v.t., darauf werfen, to throw on top; see gheie

 

drufufeschiesse, v.t.,

darauf werfen, to throw on top

 

drumm,  conj.,

darum, therefore

 

drumume,  adv.,

darum herum,darumher, rundherum, um etwas herum, rundum, around, round about; drumume loufe, darum herumgehen, to walk around it

 

drumumelire,  v.t.,

umwickeln, darum herumwinden; to wind something around something; see lire

 

drunderchoo, v.i.,

überfahren werden, darunter fallen, to be run over, to fall underneath; är isch drunderchoo, er wurde überfahren, he got run over

 

drunderunde, prep.,

unter, underneath; at the bottom of a heap of stuff

 

drunderundere, adv.,

darunter, underneath; öppis drunderundere lege, etwas darunter schieben, to put something underneath

 

druus-cho,  v.i.,

verstehen, begreifen, to understand, to grasp; i chume nid druus, ich verstehe es nicht, I don't get it; chunsch druus? kapierst du's? get it?

 

druusgheie,  v.i.,

aus dem Takt fallen, to lose the beat, to be put off one's stroke; sig rueig, süsch ghei i druus, sei still, sonst falle ich aus dem Takt, be quiet, or I'll have to start over; see gheie

 

dschtägenab, adv.,

die Treppe hinab, down the stairs; dschtägenab gheie, die Treppe hinunter fallen, to fall down the stairs; dschtägenuf, die Treppe hinauf, up the stairs

​

Dübu, m.,

Dübel, m., dowel

 

düele,  v.t.,

buddeln, to dig; see also Tüele, f., Delle, f., Vertiefung, dell, indentation

 

dunde,  adv.,

unten, dort unten, at the bottom, at the foot, downstairs

 

dürap,  adv.,

hinunter, downwards; a schtotzige Schtutz dürap, down a steep incline; also dürab, also dürabe

 

düre,  prep., adv., and verb pref.,

durch, through; also dure; do düre!, hierdurch!, this way!; wo düre?, welche Richtung?, which way?; voredüre, vornherum, around the front; hindedüre, hintenherum, around the back; änedure, durch die andere Seite, by the other side; obedüre, drüberhinweg, over the top; undedüre, untendurch, through the lower way; nöimedüre, irgendwohindurch, by any way; do müesse mir jez düre, das ist nun unser Schicksal, this is the path assigned to us

 

dürebrönne,  v.i.,

entwischen, entlaufen, to escape; not quite synonymous with the German durchbrennen, which is used fig. for to elope; sRoss isch düreprönnt (sRoss isch ab), das Pferd ist ausgebrochen, the horse ran away

 

düredräie,  v.t.,

durchdrehen (und dabei die Schraube vermasseln), to overtighten (so as to ruin the screw); fig. düreträit, durchgedreht, bekloppt, meschugge, nuts, quite crazy, gone

 

düregheie,  v.i.,

durchfallen, to fail (an exam); also düreflüge; p.p. düregheit; see gheie

 

düremache, v.t.,

durchmachen, erleiden, to endure, to suffer

dürenang,  adv.,

durcheinander, pell-mell, higgledy-piggledy, topsy-turvy; see nang; also dürenand; see also Chrüsimüsi

 

Dürenang,  n.,

Durcheinander, n., jumble, confusion, mess, pell-mell, snafu; also Dürenand; see also Chrüsimüsi

 

düreschtiere,  v.t.,

erzwingen, to force; öppis düreschtiere, etwas erzwingen/erzwängen, to force something in a pig-headed way; vergl. German Stier; träm tram trädiridii, üse Mutz isch gärn derbii, steuit ne ad Schpitze vüre, sakermänt är schtierets düre (Bärnermarsch); Düreschtiererei, f., Rechthaberei, f., obstinacy; see Zwängerei, f.

 

Duri,  m.,

Arthur

 

dürtue,  v.t.,

übertrumpfen, durchstreichen, widerlegen, to surpass, to go one better than, to cross out, to cancel, to refute

 

düruf,  adv,

hinauf, upwards; du muesch dört düruf, du mußt dort hinauf, you have to go up that way; also dürufe, also dürue

 

Dürzug,  m.,

Durchzug, m., draught; in Bernese: Dürluft, m.

 

dusse,  adv.,

draußen, outside, out of doors

 

düssele,  v.i.,

schleichen, leise gehen, to sneak, to tread softly; vergl. French doucement

 

dütsch,  adj.,

deutsch, German; chasch dütsch? do you know German?; im Dütschenusse, in Deutschland, in Germany; dütsch und dütlich, klipp und klar, in no uncertain terms

 

duure,  v.i.,

Mitleid haben, to feel sorry for; er tuet eim duure, man hat Mitleid mit ihm, one feels sorry for him

 

duzis,  adj.,

duzis sii, auf dem Duzfuß stehen; to be on familiar (first name) terms with someone; si si duzis mitenand, sie duzen sich, they call each other by first name; vergl. German sich duzen

E

E

echlii,  adj., adv.,

ein klein wenig, ein bißchen, a little, somewhat, a bit; mir göh echlii z'Bärg, wir gehen ein wenig in die Berge, we are going for a hike in the hills; also echli (with accent on the short i)

 

effee, n.,

in the expression „effee gäh“, beim Fussballspiel den Ball so kicken dass die Flugbahn seitlich abdreht, to throw a curveball, to give it a spin, to give it a bit of „English“; from the French donner de l’effet à la balle

 

ehnder,  adv.,

eher, sooner, rather; dr Ehnder isch dr Gschwinder, der erste kriegt den Lebkuchen, the early bird gets the worm

 

Eiertätsch,  m.,

Omelett, n., Eierkuchen, m., omelet; nowadays more often called Umelette, f.; from French omelette, f.

 

eigelig,  adj.,

eigenartig, peculiar; öppis eigeligs, etwas Eigenartiges, something odd

 

eiget,  adj.,

eigen, own; sis eigete Huus, sein eigenes Haus, his own house; sis Eigete, n., sein Eigentum, n., his own

 

eim,  pron.,

einem, one; es tuet eim guet, es tut einem gut, it feels good

 

einewäg,  adv.,

sowieso, jedenfalls, anyway, willy-nilly;

 

   Worum söu ig bim Schbaziere

   nit dr Horizont schtudiere?

   Schön sigs jo ou änet de Hääg,

   und do bin ig yo einewäg.

 

   "Warum soll ich nicht beim Gehen"

   - sprach er - "in die Ferne sehen?

   Schön ist es auch anderswo,

   und hier bin ich sowieso".

 

   Why should I not, while walking here,

   look at some views that are not near?

   Enjoy the distant scenes, I say,

   for here I hang out anyway.

 

said Mr. Pief, - as you know,

Hierbei aber stolpert er

in den Teich und sieht nichts mehr); vergl. Glungge, q.v.;

 

En français? Voilà:

 

   Je voudrais, quand je me promène,

   voir autre chose que ma domaine.

   C'est beau là-bas vers Besançon!

   Chez moi je suis de toute façon.

 

(apologies to Wilhelm Busch, Plisch und Plum, final chapter)

 

also welewäg; s'isch welewäg uf eis usecho, es war so oder so dasselbe, it was the same either way

 

einisch,  adv.,

einmal, once; but in the sense of the Latin quondam, it can be in the past or in the future;

in the past: einstmals, ehemals, at one time, formerly; s'isch einisch a Prinzässin gsi, es war einmal ..., once upon a time...;

in the future: einmal, dereinst, in days to come; was git das einisch? was wird das werden? what will become of it?

vergl. zwöinisch, drünisch, und viernisch, (no further), twice, thrice, four times; no einisch, nochmals, once more; ufeinisch, auf einmal, all of a sudden

 

Eint,  m.,

der Eine, das Eine, one of them, someone, something; as the inscription on an old chalet in Kandersteg says: Mancher acht's, dr Eint veracht's, was macht's?, some like it, some don't, who cares; vergl. also the expression s'Eint oder s'Andere, das Eine oder das Andere, one thing or the other

 

eis,  num.adj.,

eins, one

 

Eisse,  f.,

Abszeß, m., Karbunkel m., abscess, carbuncle; vergl. Eiter, m.

 

Emmi, f.,

Emma

 

empfoh, v.t.,

empfangen, to receive (someone); see also foh

​

emu,  adv.,

jedenfalls, at any rate; i ha emu gmeint das sig wohr, ich glaubte jedenfalls es wäre wahr, to me it seemed true; auch ömu, ämu; vergl. German einmal

 

erlicke,  v.t.,

herausfinden, entdecken, kapieren, to find out, to discover, to figure out, to get it; sChind het erlickt wie me sGatter ufmacht, das Kind hat entdeckt wie man das Gatter öffnet, the child discovered how to open the gate

 

Eschtrich,  m.,

Dachgeschoß, n., loft, attic; German Estrich means stone floor, patio; another Swiss word for attic is Winde, f.,

 

esoo,  adv.,

auf diese Art, derart, in the same way, so; esoo chunts use, soweit kommt es, that's what happens; i bi esoo müed, ich bin derart müde, I am so tired; esoo öppis Dumms!, so etwas Dummes, something as stupid as that!

 

Etui,  n.,

Bleistiftbehälter, Schreibzeugtäschchen, kleiner Behälter, pencil box, small case (for spectacles, etc.); French étui, m.

 

ëubögle, v.i.,

sich vordrängen, jemanden beiseite drängeln, to elbow your way, to jostle someone aside; also ellbögle

F

F

Fabrikler,  m.,

Fabrikarbeiter, m., factory worker

 

Fägfüür, n.,

Fegefeuer, n., purgatory; the place where catholics go once dead

 

fähle,  v.i.,

fehlen, to be absent; also fig. däm fäuts, der ist bekloppt, he is nuts; das fäut mr grad no, das fehlte gerade noch, that's the last thing I need

 

Fähli,  n.,

Fell, n., skin, hide, pelt, fur; es Chüngelifähli, n., ein Kaninchenfell, n., a rabbit pelt

 

Fahneschwinge, v.t.,

die Schweizer Art des quirlschwingen,mit einer Schweizerfahne; the Swiss version of baton twirling, accomplished with a Swiss flag

 

färn,  adj.,

im letzten Jahr, vor einem Jahr, last year, a year ago; vorfärn, im vorletzten Jahr, two years ago; färndrige Schnee, alte Geschichten; the snows of yesteryear; vergl. German fern

 

fasch,  adv.,

fast, almost; faschgar, adv., beinahe, nearly

 

Fasnachts-Chüechli,  n. sing. and pl.,

see Chnöiblätze

 

Fassdugeli,  n., sing. and pl.

Daube, f., barrel-stave; used in simpler days as skis for beginners

 

Fäuge, f., pl.

Felgen, f., pl., felloes, rims; uf de Fäuge sii, todmüde sein, erschöpft sein, to be exhausted, to be knackered, to run on empty

 

Fazolettli,  n.,

Taschentuch, n., handkerchief; vergl. Italian fazzoletto

 

fei,  adv.,

ziemlich, ordentlich, fairly, pretty (coll.); fei echli Gäut, recht ordentlich Geld, a pretty penny

 

feiss,  adj.,

feist, fett, obese, fat; a feissi Sou, ein fettes Schwein, a fat pig; 'magere'

 

feisse,  v.i.,

zunehmen, Gewicht zulegen, to put on weight, to gain weight, to get stouter; hesch gfeisset? hast du zugenommen? did you gain weight?; it tends to underline the piggy aspect of the matter, as does ticke, q.v., otherwise you would say hesch zuegnoh?; for the contrary see magere

 

fergge,  v.t.,

holen, zuführen, to fetch, to convey; implies some physical effort; ufefergge, v.t., emporschleppen, to drag upward; Ferggerei, f., Vorbereitungsraum, m., staging area; Fergger, m., Vorbereiter, m., Überführer, m., conveyer

 

Fideelisuppe,  f.,

Consommé Célestine, eine Suppenbrühe mit feiner Teigwaren Einlage; a broth with thin noodles; vergl. Italian Fedelini

 

figureetle,  v.t.,

ausarbeiten, erfinden, erraten, to figure out, to tinker; also usfigureetle; see also usfiguriere,

vergl. French fignoler

 

fiischter,  adj.,

finster, dunkel, dark, dim, gloomy, murky, grim; s'isch scho fiischter dusse, es ist schon dunkel draußen, it's already dark out; also feischter; Fiischteri, f., Dunkelheit, f., Finsternis, f., darkness; if it's an eclipse, the Swiss term would be Finschternis, f.; fiischtere, dunkel werden, sich verfinstern, to become dark, to lour

 

Fingerbeeri, n., sing. and pl.,

Fingerspitze, f., fingertip

 

Finke,  m., sing. and pl.

Hausschuh, m., slipper

 

Finöggeli, n.,

zartes Mädchen, Zärtling, m.; delicate girl, milksop

 

flattiere,  v.i.,

schmeicheln, to flatter; see also chümele, and

chüderle

 

Fleischchäs, m.,

Leberkäse, m., a type of meatloaf

 

Flirz,  m.,

Augensand, m., sand (in the eyes)

 

Flohnerläbe,  n.,

Faulenzerleben, n., Müßiggang, m., life of Riley; mir hei es Flohnerläbe, wir haben es leicht, we have it easy; also v.i. flohne, faulenzen, to be idle; vergl. French flâner

 

Fluumer,  m.,

Staubwedel, m., dust-mop; fluume, v.t., abstauben, to dust; vergl. German Flaum, m.

 

foh,  v.t.,

fangen, to catch; i foh, du fohsch, är foht, mir föh, dir föht, si föh; aafoh, v.t., anfangen, to begin, to start; iifoh, v.t., einfangen, to catch, to round up; abfoh, v.t., abfangen, to catch, to intercept; uffoh, v.t., auffangen, to catch, to gather; empfoh, v.t., empfangen, to receive

 

föidal, adj.,

feudal – aber im Sinne von vornehm, erstklassig, protzig, in the sense of posh, grand, first class

 

föif,  num.adj.,

fünf, five; föifi loh grad sii, es nicht zu genau nehmen, to close one eye, or perhaps both

 

Föifliber,  m.,

Fünffrankenstück, n., five-franc coin; sometimes also called a Höier, because the image on one side seems to be of a person dressed for haying; see also Höier; see also grampoole

 

föppele, v.t.,

foppen, to tease

 

förig,  prep.,

in the question 'was förig', welcherlei, was für welche, of what kind; also was förigi; not to be confused with vörig (where the ö is slightly longer), q.v.

 

Fotzelschnitte,  f.,

im Ei gebackene Brotschnitten, a type of French toast

 

Foti,  f.,

Photo, f., photo

 

fouge,  v.i.,

gehorchen, to obey; vergl. German folgen, to follow, Folge leisten, to comply with; mir hei müesse fouge i dr Schueu, wir mußten gehorchen in der Schule, we had to obey at school

 

Fridu, m.,

Alfred, Fred, Freddy

 

Frisuur,  f.,

Haartracht, f., hair-do; vergl. French friser, frisure

 

Fritig,  m.,

Freitag, Friday; also Friti

 

Frögli,  m.,

unermüdlicher Fragesteller, m., undefatigable question poser; often a child

 

Fröideli,  n.

kleine Freude, f., n., Gefallen, m., small pleasure, favour; öpperem es Fröideli mache, jemandem eine kleine Freude bereiten, to please somebody

 

frömdele,  v.i.,

fremdschämen, fremdeln, to be shy towards strangers; said of children who are unaccustomed to strangers

​

Frömdi,  f.,

Fremde, f., foreign country, place away from home

 

frome,  v.t.,

essen, to eat

 

früech,  adj.,

früh, early; früechi Öpfu, frühe Äpfel, early apples

 

früecher,  adj.,

früher, einst, in former times, long ago, at one time; frücher aube, in vergangenen Zeiten, einstmals, in times past, at one time, way back when; see also aube; see also einisch; früecherig, adj., aus vergangenen Zeiten, from days gone by

 

Füdli,  n., (vulg.)

Hinter, m.(vulg.), bum, toosh, heini; (a less vulg. term is Gsäss, n., Gesäß, bottom)

 

füdliblutt, adj., (vulg.)

splitternakt, stark naked

 

Füdlibürger,  m.,

Spießbürger, m., Spießer, m., local yokel, m., pettifogger, narrow-minded person, bourgeois

​

fuere,  v.t.,

füttern (animals), to feed; hesch dChüe gfueret? hast du die Kühe gefüttert, did you feed the cows?; actually, we would have said hesch ineggäh? did you put fodder in the manger?; not to be confused with German füttern, v.t., to line (with a lining), to pad, to stuff (a pillow), Swiss füetere; vergl. also German futtern, v.i. (to eat heartily); Futter, n., and Fütterung, f., also have double meanings, feed, feeding, lining

 

Fuessete,  f.,

Fußende, n., des Bettes, foot of bed

​

Fuessbäueler, m.,

Fussballspieler, m., soccer player; Chorbbäueler, m., Korbballspieler, m., basketball player

 

Füfzgi, n.,

fünfzig Rappen Münze, fifty-cent coin

 

füfzgi, num.adj.,

fünfzig, fifty; är iasch füfzgi, er ist fünfzig, he is fifty

 

Fuhre,  f.,

Furche, f., furrow; the u is very open, almost o; gradi Fuhre, gerade Furchen, straight furrows; (the German Fuhre, f., is a cart-load)

 

fürchoo,  v.i.,

davonkommen, überleben, to escape, to survive; the pronunciation is almost förchoo; see also derfoochoo

 

füre,  adv., pref.,

vorwärts, forward(s), to the front; chum füre! komm hervor! come out!; also separable pref., fürecho, hervorkommen, to emerge, fürehole, hervorholen, to fetch, füreluege, hervorblicken, to peep, fürezoubere, hervorzaubern, to conjure up; fürenäh, hervornehmen, to bring out

 

füregheie,  v.t.,

nach vorne werfen, to cast up front; Höi vüregheie, Heu einwerfen (in die Krippe), to bring up hay (from the stack to the manger, which is important, if you are a cow); see gheie

 

füregüggele,  v.i.,

hervorschauen, to appear; d'Tulpe güggele scho vüre, die Tulpen zeigen sich schon, the tulips are coming up already; vergl. German gucken; see guusse

 

füreluege,  v.i.,

hervorblicken, to appear, to show itself

 

füribond,  adj.,

wutentbrannt, furious; vergl. French furibond

 

Fürobe,  m.,

Feierabend, m., closing time, leisure time after work; mer mache Fürobe, wir machen Schluß, we're knocking off

 

fürschi,  adv.,

vorwärts, forwards; see also hindertschi

 

furtgheie,  v.t.,

wegwerfen, to throw away; synonym of wäggheie; see gheie

 

furtschiesse,  v.t.,

wegwerfen, to throw away; schiessisch das aues furt? wirfst du das alles weg? are you throwing all this away? see also schiesse

 

futsch,  adj., coll.,

kaputt, ruined, screwed up; vergl. Fr. foutu

 

futtere,  v.i.,

toben, wettern, to rage, to fulminate; vergl. French foutre

 

fuxe,  v.t.,

ärgern, to vex; es het mi gfuxet, das i ne verpasst ha, es ist ärgerlich, daß ich ihn verpaßt habe, it vexed me to have missed him; vergl. German fuchsen, feixen

G

G

gä,  v.t.,

geben, to give; i gibe, du gisch, är git, mir gä, dir gät, si gä; p.p. ggä; subj. i gäbti (gub, gubti), du gäbtisch (gubsch), är gäbti (gub), mir gäbte (gubte), dir gäbtit (gubtit), si gäbte (gubte); gimer, gib mir, give me (sometimes "gimme" in coll. Engl.); gibem, gib ihm, give him; gibis, gib uns, give us; gibne, gib ihnen, give them; and in Gretzenbach there is a Gimmermehstrasse, in case you need to know, a fine example of Schwizerhochdütsch

 

gääch,  adj.,

jäh (in the sense of steil), steep, precipitous; rarely used in the fig. sense of schroff, brusque; e gäächi Haude, f., eine steile Halde, a steep slope

 

gaagele,  v.i.,

wackeln, to rock, to pivot, to wobble; Tischfussball spielen, Tischkicker spielen, to play foosball (table soccer); see also Töggelichaschte

 

gääu,  adj.,

gelb, yellow; also gääl; s'gääle Wägeli, the paddy wagon (die grüne Minna) for taking you to the loony-bin (die Klapsmühle), when you are finished reading this here Digschonäri; not to be confused with "der grüne Heinrich", which is what they call a police van in Austria; as compared to Smokey, which is CB talk for RCMP traffic cop; these are the colours of our time, don't you see; gäggeligääu, the colour of caca-d'oie, I'm afraid

 

gäbig,  adj.,

praktisch, handy; es gäbigs Schüfeli, ein praktisches Schäufelchen, a handy little shovel

 

Gaggelari,  m.,

Schwätzer, m., babbler; vergl. Italian chiacchierare

 

Gaggo,  m.,

Kakao, m., cocoa; heiße Schokolade, hot chocolate; fig. and coll. eine müde Sache, a boring situation, a drag; Schorsch Gaggo, m., coll., derjenige, dem die undankbaren Aufgaben überlassen werden, the one who is left holding the bag; im Gaggo, coll., im letzten Winkel, out in nowhere

 

Galöri,  m.,

Tölpel, m., yokel; vergl. French gouailleur, or balourd, if you want to

​

Gämf,  s.,

Genf, Geneva; in French Genève, Italian Ginevra, Spanish Ginebra, Latin Genava; Gämfersee, m., Genfersee, Lake of Geneva, French le lac Léman

 

Gampfiross,  n.,

Schaukelpferd, n., rocking-horse; see also gigampfe

 

gäng,  adv.,

Bernese (Bärndütsch) immer, always; dasch gäng dr glich, das gleicht ihm, that's just like him

 

gänggele,  v.i.,

kleine, unnütze Einkäufe machen, sich beschenken, to spend one's pin-money; i ha no chli gänggelet, ich hab noch ein paar Sächelchen gekauft, I bought a few little things

 

ganggle,  v.i.,

gaukeln, to trick, to fool; Ganggli, m., a fool; see also göiggle

 

Gänterli,  n.,

Kammer, f., Schrank, m., cupboard, pantry

 

Garette,  f.,

Schubkarren, m., wheelbarrow, handcart; vergl. French charrette, f.; see also Schtoossbähre

 

Gartehüsli,  n.,

Gartenlaube, f., gazebo

 

gartne,  v.i.,

im Garten arbeiten, gärtnern, to work in the garden, to garden; gosch go gartne? gehst du gärtnern? are you going to work in the garden? est-ce que tu vas jardiner?; the French and the Swiss  can say this in a natural way, and it shows in the food; actually, the Italians carry it off too, fare del giardinaggio, but it sounds more like a chore

 

gatlig, adj.,

schicklich, angemessen, bequem gelegen, convenient, appropriate, decent; see also ungatlig

 

Gattig,  f.,

Art, f. und Weise, f., manner, kind; also fig. s'het a ke Gattig, es hat keine Art und Weise, it is ill-mannered; vergl. German Gattung, f.; allergattig, adj., jeder Art, of all sorts; also audergattig, q.v.; see also zwöiergattig

 

gäu,  int.,

gelt, nicht wahr, isn't that so; auch gäll; gäu du chunsch zum Znacht? du kommst zum Nachtessen, gelt? You will come for dinner, won't you?; Jä gäll, so geit's, c'est la vie; gäuiter? (polite form), don't you think so?; as French n'est-ce pas

 

Gäzi,  n.,

Kelle, f., ladle; vergl. German Gebse, f., which is also a large tub, Gelte, f.

 

geifere,  v.i.,

eifern, sich ereifern, schimpfen, toben, to rant, to inveigh, to argue nastily; see also göifere

​

Geisle, f.,

Peitsche, f., whip; the German Geisel f. means hostage

 

Geisseblüemli,  n.,

Buschwindröschen, n., wood anemone, (anemone nemorosa)

 

geitsche,  v.i.,

kreischen, hecheln, to shriek, to criticize (in an irritating and loud way)

 

Gemschi,  n.,

Gemse, f., chamois, a goat-like animal capable of climbing sheer cliffs and leaping through the air with the greatest of ease

 

Gertu,  m.,

kleines Beil, n., hatchet; vergl. German Gerte, f., switch, cane, rod, which is what you cut with a Gertu

 

Getäfer,  n.,

see Täfer

 

gfahre,  v.t.,

zurechtkommen, to handle; eim nid möge gfahre, jemandem nicht Meister werden, to be unable to hold your own against someone

 

gfröit, adj.,

erfreulich, gelungen, erbaulich, pleasing, well-done, worthy; e gfröiti Sach, eine gut gelungene Sache, ein willkommenes Resultat, a pleasing endeavour, a hit, a well-executed task

 

Gfrörlig,  m.,

wer immer kalt hat, somebody who is always cold; also Gfrörni, m., vergl. German frieren

 

gfürchig,  adj.

schreckhaft, erschreckend, dreadtful, scary

 

gheie,  v.i., v.t.,

v.i.: fallen, to fall; as for example inegheie, reinfallen, to be tricked, or umgheie, umfallen, to stumble;

v.t.: werfen, to throw; as for example furtgheie, wegwerfen, to throw away, or usegheie, 'rauswerfen, to expel; or: hesch's Glas umgheit?, did you spill your drink?, ufgheie, zerfallen, to fall apart (of relationships)

 

The word has many meanings in a number of combinations, see also Small Arrays II in the appendix; curiously, the putative Indo-European ghe- is the root of the English verb go.

 

Gheie,  n.,

Aufheben, n., Klamauk, m., Gewese, n., fuss, hullabaloo; es grosses Gheie mache, viel Aufhebens machen, to make a big fuss, to make a big to-do; es Gheie ha, eine Liebesbeziehung haben, to have an amorous affair

 

ghöre, v.t.,

hören, to hear, to listen; pp. ghört, gehört, heard; ghörsch nüüt? hörst du nichts? Are you not listening?

 

Ghüder,  m.,

Abfall, m., garbage; Ghüderchübu, Mülleimer, m., garbage bin

 

ghüslet,  adj.,

kariert, fremdartig, chequered, strange; a ghüsleti Jagge,  eine karierte Jacke, a chequered jacket; ghüslet rede, in einer fremden Sprache reden, to talk in a foreign language

 

Giescht,  f.,

Wasserstaub, m., spray; as in the vicinity of a waterfall; see also Biecht

 

Gieu, m., Bursche, m., Kerl, m., guy; pl. Giele

 

gigampfe,  v.i.,

schaukeln, to rock, to seesaw

 

Gigampfi,  n.,

Schaukelbank, f., seesaw, teeter-totter; also Rittigampfi; vergl. perhaps Fr. gond (hinge, pivot), or Italian ganghero; see also Gampfiross

 

gigele,  v.i.,

kichern, lachen, to giggle

 

Giige, 

f., Geige, f., violin; giige, v.i., geigen, to play the violin; giigele, v.t., to play less seriously; Bassgiige, f., Baßgeige, f., double-bass; see also Mugiige

 

gingge,  v.t.,

einen Fußtritt geben, treten, ausschlagen (Pferd, Kuh), to kick, to lash out (with foot or hoof)

 

Gipfeli,  n.,

Semmel, f., Kipf, m., croissant, crescent roll; see also Nussgipfu

 

gire,  v.i.,

quietschen, to squeak, to creak; see gixe

 

gitig,  adj.,

geizig, knauserig, avaricious, stingy, scrimpy;  the noun is Giz, m., Geiz, m., avarice; there is also a verb, gite, geizen, in the sense of being stingy, rather than being greedy; greed is really more like Habgier, f., than Geiz, though the relationship is close. The roots seem to reach into the depth of the human condition. Habgier (Habsucht) is the mania to amass it. Geiz is the mania not to hand it over; see also huslig, which expresses an acceptable level of both; gite, v.i., geizen, to be stingy;

 

Gitlig,  m.,

Geizhals, m., tightwad, cheapskate

 

Gitnäpper,  m.,

Geizhals, m., miser; see also Knäpperi

 

Gitzi,  n.,

Zicklein, n., kid; offspring of Geiss, Ziege

 

gix,  int.,

kieks! an exclamation accompanied by a little poke in the ribs, mostly in play with kids

 

gixe,  v.i.,

knirschen, knarren, to squeak, to screech

 

Gjät,  n.,

Unkraut, n., weed, weeds; vergl. German jäten

 

Gjufu,  n.,

Gehetze, n., a mad rush; Gjufu should be qualified with an appropriate oath, such as es huere Gjufu, eine unchristliche Hast, screwball haste, or as indicated by the degree of exasperation; also a Juflerei, f.; see also Juflete

 

Glafer,  n.,

Geschwätz, n., Klatsch, m., idle talk, gossip, bafflegab,balderdash, babble, guff

 

glatt,  adj.,

lustig, unterhaltsam, amüsant, fun, amusing, entertaining, droll; s'isch a glattenObe gsi, es war ein vergnüglicher Abend, it was a fun evening; souglatt, or söiglatt, erzlustig, hilarious

 

gleitig,  adv., adj.,(Bernese)

flink, rasch, quickly, speedily; gleitig loufe, to walk quickly; vergl. German gleiten, v.i.; similar to tifig and weidlig, q.v.

 

glesig,  adj.,

gläsern, made of glass, glassy; s'Aschenbrödel het glesigi Schue agleit, Aschenbrödel zog gläserne Schuhe an, Cinderella put on glass slippers

 

Glesli, n.,

Gläschen, n., little glass; es Glesli Wii, ein Gläschen Wein, a small glass of wine; also a jigger, ein Schnapsglas, n., a shot glass

 

Glettise,  n.,

Glätteeisen, n., iron, smoothing iron (to iron textiles)

 

glichlig,  adv.,

gleichermassen, in like manner, likewise; sGlichlige, n., dasselbe, the same; also gliich, adj., gleich, equal, alike

 

glii,  adv.,

bald, soon; i chume glii wider, ich komm gleich wieder, back in a jiffy; das isch glii gmacht, das ist schnell getan, that's soon done; vergl. German gleich

 

Glismets, n.,

Gestricktes, n., Strickware, f., knitware, knitted goods; öppis Glismets, etwas Gestricktes, something knitted

 

Gloggeglüt, n.,

Glockengeläute, n., the ringing of churchbells; a Glogge is a bell, eine Glocke; Chueglogge, f., Kuhglocke, f., cowbell; Glöggeli, n., Glöckchen, n., little bell

 

Gloon,  m.,

Hanswurst, m., clown; pl. Glöön

 

gloub,  adv.,

wahrscheinlich, probably; sisch gloub wohr, es könnte wahr sein, it may be true; vergl. German glauben, which is rarely used adverbially

 

Gluggere,  f.,

Henne, f., hen; vergl. German Glucke, f., a (sitting) hen; a Gluggere is a mother hen, either sitting or with chicks; vergl. also English to cluck

 

Glungge,  f.,

Pfütze, f., Lache, f.,Tümpel, m., puddle, pot-hole; jetz louf nit dür d'Glungge, ghörsch! jetzt geh nicht durch die Pfützen, hörst du! don't step in the puddles, ya hear!

 

Glünggi,  m.,

Tölpel, m., oaf; that would be the one who steps into the Glungge, see above; pl. would be Glünggine; no connection to American slang clunky, apart from a similar lack of nimbleness; the Italians might say un huomo qualunque

 

glunglig,  adj.,

drollig, absonderlich, funny, peculiar; also glunge, glungnig; e Glunglige, (m., man), es Glungligs, (n., woman or child); ein absonderlicher Kauz, a funny chap; vergl. German gelungen

 

Glürliwasser,  n.,

Brausewasser, sparkling drink, a bubbly, carbonated, non-alcoholic drink of any kind, pop; also Blöterliwasser, q.v.

 

Gluscht,  f.,

Eßlust, f., Lust, f., appetite, craving, desire; hesch ke gluscht? möchtest du nicht? aren't you tempted?; gluschtig, appetitlich, appetizing; vergl. German Lust, f., Gelüst, n.

 

glüssele,  v.i.,

lauern, abpassen, to lie in wait for, to lurk; also abglüssele, abpassen, to lurk for

 

Gluxi,  m.,

Schluckauf, m., hiccup; i ha dr Gluxi, ich habe Schluckauf, I have the hiccups; also Higgsi; vergl. German glucksen

 

gmiggerig,  adj.,

karg, gering, armselig, mau, scant, paltry, measley; es gmiggerigs Löhnli, ein armseliges Löhnchen, small pay

 

gmögig, adj.,

liebenswürdig, angenehm, likable

 

gmunggelig,  adj.,

klein, armselig, small, meagre; gmunggeligi Härdöpfeli, kleine Kartoffelchen, meagre potatoes; vergl. Latin homunculus

 

Gnagi,  n.,

Schweinshaxe, f., Eisbein, pig's knuckles, pork hock; vergl. German nagen, v.t.

 

Gnoosch,  n.,

Durcheinander, n., clutter, disorder; es Gnoosch, ein Wirrwarr, a jumble; see also noosche

 

gnue, adj.,

genug, enough, sufficient

 

go reiche,  v.t.,

holen, holen gehen, to fetch; gang mers go reiche, hol' es mir, go get it for me; Bernese; vergl. German reichen

 

Godi,  m.,

Gottfried, Godfrey, Geoffrey

 

göffle,  v.i.,

klaffen, offen stehen, von Schuhen: an der Oberlinie seitlich vom Fuß abstehen, to gape, (of shoes: to fit poorly along the topline)

 

goh,  v.i., also impersonal verb

gehen, to go; i goh, du gohsch, är goht, mir göh (göi, gönd), dir göht (göit, gönd), si göh (gönd); p.p. ggange; subj. I giengti (gieng), du giengtisch (giengsch), är giengti (gieng), mir giengte (gienge), dir giengtit (gienget), si giengte (gienge); es goht, es geht, it is possible, not bad (as a reply); gosch go poschte? gehst du einkaufen? are you going shopping?; gosch go schloofe? gehst du schlafen? are you going to bed? mir göh z'Fuess, wir gehen zu Fuß, we'll walk; i goh go luege, ich geh mal sehen, I am going to see

 

Gohn,  m.,

eine grosse Kelle an einem langen Stiel, a large dipper on a long handle; pl. Göhn; used for taking water out of a pond, or for similar purposes; vergl. Old English gawn (jug), wence gallon

​

göifere,  v.i.,

geifern, sabbern (von Kleinkindern), to dribble (of infants); Göiferlatz, m., bib, see Rabättli, Ässmänteli; see also söifere; Göifer, m., Sabber, m.

 

göiggle,  v.i.,

gaukeln, v.i., to gambol; mit em Büsi göiggle, mit der Katze spielen, to play with the cat; see also ganggle

 

göisse,  v.i.,

ausrufen, to scream or yell with joy or surprise; i bi so verchlüpft i ha grad ggöisset, ich erschrak so, daß ich aufschrie, I was so startled I cried out loud; vergl. rejoice, jauchzen

 

Gomfi,  f.,

Konfitüre, f., jam; Orangschegomfi, f., Marmelade, f., marmalade; also name of famous cat who dwelled at 83 King St. E., and formerly at 97 King St. E.

 

Goof,  m.,

Gör, n., Göre, f., Junge, m., brat, kid; Goove, pl.; kommt vorwiegend zur Anwendung wenn das Betragen ungenügend ist, used mostly when their behaviour is on the unruly side

 

Gooli,  m.,

Torwart, m., goal-keeper, goalie

 

Göpf,  m.,

Gottfried, see also Godi

 

gopfridschtutz,  int., moderate oath,

Himmel und Hölle! hell's bells!; from the name Gottfried Stutz, a fine gentleman, no doubt, who had much in common with his German counterpart Mensch Meier; also Gopfridli! which is more tentative

 

Göppu, m.,

Göpel, m., capstan, horse-gin, winch; fig. jalopy, Klapperkiste, f.,; in particular a beat up bike, ein etwas karamboliertes Fahrrad, n.; vergl. German Koppel, f., and Kupplung, f.

 

görpsle, v.i.,

rülpsen, aufstoßen, Bäuerchen machen, to burp, to belch; vorwiegend von Kleinkind, mostly of a baby; Görpsli, n., Bäuerchen, n., Aufstossen, n., burp, eructation

 

Gosche, f., (vulg.)

große Schnauze, f., big mouth; also a grossi Gosche; same meaning as French gueule, f., vergl. Austrian Goschen, f.

 

Gotte, f., s. and pl.,

Patin, f., godmother

 

Götti, m.,

Pate, m., godfather; pl. Göttine

 

Göttibatze, m.,

Patengeld, n., a gift of money from a godparent

 

goume,  v.t.

hüten, sorgen, to babysit, to care for, to look after; especially with respect to children; in the old days, a Ladegoumer, m., was somebody who looked after the store, ein Ladenhüter, in the original sense

​

Gox,  m.,

Zylinder, m., top-hat

 

graagge,  v.i.,

kriechen, to creep, to crawl; graaggele, kribbeln, krabbeln, to crawl, (in a prickly way); Grääggu, m., Schwächling, m., weakling

 

graggere, v.i.,

rackern, schuften, to toil, to drudge, to slave; sganz Läbe lang graggere, zeitlebens schuften, to work all your life like an idiot, to scratch together a living

 

grampe,  v.i.,

früher das Packen des Schotterbettes unter den Eisenbahnschwellen, of old the packing of the gravel under railroad ties; it was mostly done by Italians, by hand, with pick-axes and it may be a way of saying chrampfe, see Chrampf

 

grampoole,  v.i.,

lärmen, Radau machen, to create a row, or a hullabaloo; vergl. German karambolieren, French carambolage, from the game of billiards, carom, to collide; it sometimes happens after carousing; Föifliber, q.v., (5 Franc coins) were also called Grampouschibe, for the noise one of them makes when spun in a Becki (Becken, n., bowl), (one of those smart Swiss games)

​

gramsele,  v.i.

kribbeln, prickeln, summen, to tickle, to itch, to tingle, to buzz; es gramselet wie imene Ameisihuufe, es kribbelt wie auf einem Ameisenhaufen, it buzzes like an anthill

 

gränne,  v.i.,

weinen, to weep, Gränni, m., jemand, der der Gewohnheit des Jammerns heimgefallen ist, one who does it frequently, a complainer; one may gränne from sorrow or joy, or out of the sudden clash of the two, as it comes from one of those strange places in the soul where things unexpectedly meet from opposite directions

​

Grätti, m.,

alter Mann, old fogey, geezer; (probably from the stance of old men walking); vergl. German Grätsche, f., straddle

 

grede, v.t.,

ausrichten, straighten; Negu grede, Nägel gerade machen, to straighten out nails

 

grediuse,  adv.,

geradeheraus, point-blank, bluntly; i ha de grediuse gseit was i ddänkt ha, ich habe mich unverblümt ausgedrückt, I said straight out what I thought; also zgrediuse

 

Grien,  n.,

Kies, m., gravel; griene, v.t., kieseln, to spread gravel; muesch haut die Ihfahrt griene, süsch gits Glungge, du mußt die Einfahrt mit Kies bedecken, sonst gibt es Pfützen, you have to gravel the drive, otherwise you get potholes

 

Grienggeli,  n.,

erbärmliche Gestalt, f., kümmerliches Wesen, n., wisp of a person, runt, wretch, stunted thing, undersized creature; also Gränggeli;  vergl. French grignoter?

 

Grind,  m.,

Kopf, m., (pejorative, vulg.), head; was machsch ou für ne Grind? was machst du auch für eine Birne? why are you making such a face?; also Gring, m., as in ‚hou däm Ching eis ufe Gring, hau dem Gör eins aufs Gehör, hit your kiddo good and often, otherwise it will not soften

 

Gritt,  f.,

Margarethe, Grete, Margaret; the diminutive is Grittli, auch Gritti; Engl. also Maggie, Peggy, Daisy

​

Grittibänz,  m.,

Lebkuchenmännchen, n., gingerbreadman; pl. Grittibänze; made neither from Lebkuchen nor from gingerbread, but from a white, leavened dough. Customary around the time of Santa Claus (December 6). Gritti derives from the spreadlegged stance, vergl. German reiten (Swiss ritte), and Bänz is a short person (Benjamin)

 

gruchse,  v.i.,

ächzen, to groan; vergl. it. grugnire

 

Gruebe, f.,

Schutthalde, f., Kehrrichtablage, f., dump, garbage pit, midden

 

Grüebli,  n., sing. and pl.

Grübchen, n., dimple; same pl.; as in a smiling face,

 

grüentschelig,  adj.,

grünlich, greenisch; usually a somewhat unhealthy colour in the direction of verdigris

 

grüezi,  int.,

Ich grüsse Sie, greetings! hi!; also grüezimitenand, if several are addressed, Grüss Euch alle, hi everybody!; Bernese polite form grüessech, guten Tag, good day

 

Grümpu, m.,

Gerümpel, Unrat, m., rubbish, detritus; Grümplete, f., Unordnung, f., Durcheinander, n., mess

 

grüselig,  adv.,

sehr, very; also grüsli, grüslig, grüseli; chum mir wei go Chrieseli günne, s het amenort gar grüseli veu, a song of old; vergl. German grausig, awful, which can be used similarly, as in awfully rich

 

Grüsu, m.,

Widerwärtiger Mensch, repulsive character

 

gruusig,  adj.,

grausig, grässlich, schmutzig, horrible, horrid, lurid, gruesome, hideous, sordid

 

gschäbig,  adj.,

schäbig, gemein, shabby, shameless

 

gschaffig,  adj.,

arbeitsam, emsig, fleissig, hardworking, industrious, diligent; es Gschaffigs, n., eine arbeitsame Frau, a hardworking woman

 

gschägget,  adj.,

gescheckt, uneinheitlich, piebald, also motley; a gschäggeti Chue, eine gescheckte Kuh, a piebald cow (sometimes called a Schwizerschägg); also tschägget; vergl. American checkered

 

gschämig,  adj.,

schäbig, schmählich, peinlich, shabby, measly, shameful, embarrassing, small-minded

 

Gschichtli, n.,

kleine Erzählung, f., little story; es Gschichtli verzeue, etwas Erfundenes erzählen, to tell a story

 

Gschleipf,  n.,

eine langwierige Sache, a drag; vergl. German schleppen; also fig. a relationship, eine Affäre; also an untidy get-up, eine unordentliche Ausstaffierung,

 

gschliferig,  adj.,

schlüpfrig, glitschig, slippery

 

Gschmöis,  n.,

Wirrwarr, m., Durcheinander, n., jumble, mess; es Gschmöis, a useless mess; not synonymous with the German Geschmause, n., but probably related

 

gschmuech,  adj.,

verschmachtet, übel, unwohl, mulmig, queasy, dizzy, unwell; mir ischs gschmuech worde, mir wurde übel, I felt queasy

 

gschnäderfrääsig,  adj.,

wählerisch (beim Essen); picky, choosy, fussy (with food)

 

gschnätzlet,  adj.,

minced, zerhackt, klein gehackt; Gschnätzlets n., gehacktes Fleisch, minced meat; Zürigschnätzlets, ein damit zubereitetes Gericht, a Zurich specialty; vergl. German schnitzeln, v.t.

 

gschnäu,  adv.,

schnell, rasch, quickly; i mues no gschnäu uf Poscht, ich muss noch rasch zur Post, I have to run to the Post Office; vergl. German schnell

 

Gschnörr,  n.,

Geplapper, n., Klatsch, m., tittle-tattle, twaddle, idle chatter, guff; see also schnöre

 

Gschpängscht,  n.,

Gespenst, n., ghost; s'tunkt eim grad gschpängschtig, es scheint gespenstig, meseems there are ghosts; pl. Gschpängschter

 

Gschpänli,  n.,

Gespan, m., chum; especially of children

 

Gschpass,  m.,

Spaß, m., Lustigkeit, F., Vergnügen, n., Schabernack, m., fun, amusement, merry antic, merriment

 

gschpasse,  v.i.,

spaßen, sich belustigen, to jest, to make fun, to have fun

 

gschpässig,  adj.,

eigenartig, unusual; dasch e gschpässige Chnüüs, q.v., ein eigenartiger Kerl, an odd chap

 

gschprängt, p.p., v.i.,

übereilt, over-eager, hasty, rushed; nume nid gschprängt, not so fast, hold your horses

 

gschpüre,  v.t.,

spüren, fühlen, to feel, to sense; Gschpüri, n., Gefühl, n., Feinsinn, m., feeling, flair; the ü is very open, almost ö

 

Gschpusi,  n.,

Schatz, m., Liebchen, n., sweetheart; it's almost more Austrian, but it'll do in Swiss just as well

 

Gschtabi,  m.,

eine ungelenkige Person, an awkward person; someone who lacks physical agility; pl. would be Gschtabine; see also Äckegschtabi

 

gschtablig,  adj.,

steif (vor Kälte), ungelenkig, linkisch, numb (with cold), stiff, gawky; gschtabligi Finger, steife Finger, fingers numb with cold; also gschtabelig; vergl. German Stab, m., staff, stick, rod

 

Gschtäutli,  n.,

originally a type of one-piece underwear, what the French call une combinaison; now more often an ironic term for outfit, garment, get-up, Bekleidung, f., Gewand, n., Aufmachung, f; vergl. German Gestalt, f.

​

Gschtellaaschi,  n.,

es Gschtellaaschi, eine Unordnung, f., ein unordentlicher Haufen von Sachen, disorder, a pile of junk, a heap of stuff; vergl. German Gestell, n.

 

gschtüberet,  adj.,

leicht meschugge, bescheuert, doof, auf den Kopf gefallen, slightly nuts, wacko, stupid; bisch gschtüberet? Are you nuts?

 

gschtungget, v.i., p.p.,

vollgepfercht, jampacked; also gschtungget vou; see also schtungge

 

Gschtürm,  n., (Gestürm, in Hochswiss)

Wirrwarr, m., Verwirrung, f., Streiterei, f., commotion, confusion, hassle, rumpus, dispute, hurly-burly; see also Schtürmi

 

gschutzig,  adv., adj.,

ungestüm, übereilt, hasty, hastily, rash, rashly, impetuous, impetusously

 

Gschweuti,  f. pl.,

Schalenkartoffeln, weichgekochte Kartoffeln, boiled potatoes; also Gschwellti; gschweuti Härdöpfu; Härdöpfu schweue, Kartoffeln sieden, to boil potatoes; vergl. German schwelen

 

Gschwüschterti,  n.pl.,

Geschwister, pl., brother(s) and sister(s), siblings

 

gseh,  v.t.,

sehen, to see; gsesch? siehst du?, do you see?; gsehsch wieni das meine? siehst du wie ich das meine? do you see how I mean it?

 

gsi,  p.p.,

gewesen, been; i bi nit deheime gsi, ich war nicht zu Hause, I wasn't home; bisch du scho einisch dört gsi? warst du schon mal? have you ever been there?; i bi gsi go schaffe, ich ging zur Arbeit, I went to work; see also sii

 

Gsüchti,  f.,

jede Art von Gelenk- oder Muskelschmerz, aching joints or muscels; i ha Gsüchti, ich habe Gelenkschmerzen, my joints are hurting

 

Gsüff,  n.,

Rachenputzer, m., plonk; a non-descript beverage, a cheap wine

​

gsüffig,  adj.,

gut zu trinken, very drinkable

 

güdere,  v.t.,

verschütten, pantschen, (also panschen), to spill, to splash; hesch ggüderet? hast du gepantscht? did you make a mess? (with a liquid); vergl. French goutter

 

guene,  v.i.,

gucken, gaffen, Maulaffen feilhalten, to gape, to rubberneck, to have a look, to gawk,

 

Guete,  m.,

in the expression "e Guete"; guten Appetit!, Mahlzeit!, bon appétit!

 

Guetzli,  n., s. and pl.

Plätzchen, n., cookie(s)

 

Gufe,  f.,

Stecknadel, f., pin; (in Greek, I am told, góphos means pin, or tooth); Gufechüssi, n., Nadelkissen, n., pin-cushion

 

gufere,  v.i.,

stochern, to pick (one's teeth), to rake, or to stoke (the fire), to prick (as with a needle)

 

Gugeliouge,  n.pl.,

Kugelaugen, n.pl., big round eyes; vergl. English to goggle, goggles

 

gugge,  v.i., v.t.,

schauen, sehen, nachsehen, to look, to look up, to see; muesch gugge, du mußt dich umsehen, you have to look for it; Guggisberg is a hill with a view (near Berne) (bi Bärn); vergl. German gucken (dial.), it is almost a combination of gucken and staunen; see also guusse

 

Guggemusig,  f.,

Fasnachtsmusik, f., Fasnachtsmusikkapelle, f., carnival music band; specifically an off-key band at the carnival of Basel

 

Gugger,  m.,

Kuckuck, m., cuckoo; also as exclamation, was zum Gugger machsch ou du? was Himmels machst du? what on earth are you doing?

 

Guggiere,  f.,

Dachfenster, n., dormer window, mansard window; (in French le vasistas); vergl. also gugge

Güggu,  m.,

Hahn, m., rooster; vergl. German Gockel

 

Guggumere,  f.,

Gurke, f., cucumber; slang; otherwise Gurke, as in German; vergl. Latin cucumis

 

Guguhopf,  m.,

Napfkuchen, m., a kind of cake; also Gugelhupf, Gugelhopf; in the Alsace Kugelhopf

 

guguus,  s., int.,

Guck-Guck-Spiel, n., peek-a-boo; guguus mache, to play peek-a-boo, jouer cache-cache; gugge, guene,  vüregüggele, guusse, all derive from Auge, n., eye

 

gumele,  v.t.,

radieren, to erase; also usgumele, v.t., ausradieren, to erase; vergl. German Radiergummi, m.

 

gumpe,  v.i.,

hüpfen, to jump, to caper; gümpele, also gümperle, hopsen, to skip; umegumpe, herumhopsen, to skip around; a Gump, m., ein Sprung, m., a jump; seiligumpe, v.i., seilhüpfen, to skip rope

 

Gumpiseili, n.,

Springseil, n., skipping-rope; seiligumpe, v.i., seilhüpfen, to skip rope

 

günne,  v.t., v.i.,

gewinnen, ernten, pflücken, to win, to harvest, to pick; particularly of tree-fruit; Chriesi günne, Kirschen pflücken, to pick cherries; pp. ggunne

 

Gunträri,  n.,

Gegenteil, n., contrary; auch Gunteräri; dä mues immer s'Gunträri behoupte, er will immer das Gegenteil wissen, he always contradicts; accent on the u; vergl. French contraire, m.

 

guntschle,  v.t., v.i.,

planschen, schwappen, to splash, to swash; to play with water (and spill some); also describes the swashing of liquid in a partly filled container; probably mainly onomatopoeic

​

Gupf,  m.,

Koppe, f., Kuppe f., rundlicher Hügel, knoll, hilltop, round hill;          

 

Wibi, wäbi, wupf,

z’Bade hets a Gupf,

ssitzet drei Mareie druf.

 

Di eint spint Side,

di ander macht Chride,

und di dritt isch dschtägenabegheit.

 

which is a nursery rhyme for knee hopping, better known in the English version:

 

Clippety, clappety, clop,

in Bolton, way up at the top,

three Marys have set up a shop.

 

Number one is spinning silk,

number two is fetching milk,

and number three fell and tumbled downstairs.

 

When you come to the last line, you open your knees and let the little one fall through. Remember to catchem. Vergl. German Kopf, m.

 

Gürbsi,  n.,

Kerngehäuse n. eines Apfels, apple-core; vergl. German Griebs, m., and Gröbs, m; see also Bützgi

 

Guschti,  n.,

1. Kalb, n., junges Rind, n.

2. Gustav, August (the names); (the month of

   August is Ougschte)

 

Güsel, m.,

Kleinholz, n., zusammengewischtes Geäste oder Stroh, n., scrap, swept-up branches or straw; also Güsu, m.

 

gusle,  v.t.,

stochern, aufstacheln, reizen, to incite, to goad, to stir up; im Ameisihuufe gusle, im Ameisenhaufen stochern, to disturb the ant-hill

 

Gutsch,  m.,

Schuß, m., swig, dash; e Gutsch Wii git dr Soosse Chuscht, ein Tropfen Wein würzt die Tunke,  a dash of wine seasons the sauce; see also Platsch. m.; gutschle, v.i., schwappen, to splash; vergl. Italian goccia, French goutte

 

Gütterli,  n.,

Fläschchen, n., vial; es Gütterli Balsam, a vial of balsam; also Guttere, eine Flasche, a bottle; vergl. French goutte

 

Guu,  m.,

Geschmack, m., taste; from French goût; dia Zahnpaschta het e Guu wia Hubba Bubba, diese Zahnpaste schmeckt wie Hubba Bubba, this toothpaste tastes like Hubba Bubba; see also Chuscht, which is, however, all for food, while Guu can be more general

 

güügge,  v.i.,

pfeifen, heulen (Sirene), to whistle, to wail (Siren, Alarm); i mues go schaffe, si güügge scho, ich muß zur Arbeit, sie pfeifen schon, it's the siren, I have to go to work; e grossi Güügge (f.) ha, groß angeben, to brag, to have a big mouth

 

guusse,  v.i.,

gucken, to peek; see also gugge, güggele; see vüregüggele

 

Güx,  n.,

ein kleines Gläschen Schnaps, a shot of liquor

 

gvätterle,  v.i.,

spielen (mit Spielzeug), to play (with toys); Gvätterlizüüg, n., Spielzeug, n., toy, toys; gvätterle is also used in a derisive sense for very light working

 

Gvätterlizüüg, n., fig.,

kärgliches Werkzeug, armselige Ware, skimpy tools, poor stuff; vergl. German Gevatter, m., whence perhaps originally the sense of playing house

 

Gwafför,  m.,

Barbier, m., Friseur, m., barber; vergl. French coiffeur

 

Gwafföse,  f.,

Friseuse, f., hairdresser; vergl. French coiffeuse

 

gwaggle,  v.i.,

wackeln, to wobble, to be loose, to wag

 

gwagglig, adj.

wackelig, wacklig, loose, wonky; e gwagglige Zahn, ein wackliger Zahn, a loose tooth;  see also lödele

 

Gwaggli, m.,

Tölpel, m., yokel; jemand der eine Schraube locker hat; one who is not quite there, physically or mentally

 

Gwonet, f.,

Gewohnheit, f., habit; e schlächti Gwonet, eine schlechte Gewohnheit, a bad habit

 

Gwunder,  m.,

Neugier, f., curiosity; gwundrig, adj., neugierig, curious

 

gwünne, v.t.

gewinnen, to win; p.p. ggunne, Gwünn, m., Gewinn, m., winnings, profit

H

H

haa,  v.t., v.aux.,

haben, to have; i ha, du hesch, är het, mir hei, dir heit, si hei; p.p. gha; subj. i hätt, du hättsch, är hätt, mir hätte, dir hättet, si hätte; hättsch du? hättest du?

 

Haaghuuri, n.,

Scheuche, f.,scare-crow; see also Poschterli; see also huure

 

häb chläb,  expression,

provisorisch, unsolide, jerry-rigged, patched together; from the admonitions häb! hold!, and chläb! adhere!

 

Habegger, m.,

Ziehhebel, m., Winde, f., winch, come-along; also Waldteufel, m.

 

habere,  v.t., v.i., (coll.)

essen, to eat (one can, of course, also say ässe, to eat); Haber, m., Hafer, m., oats, is, as everybody knows, the food of horses and Swiss, whereof Birchermüesli, Haberflocke, and Habersuppe, and Äbberischturm, q.v., (though it's use in cookies is a foreign thing); habere is thus a generic term meaning to eat, also to feed the horses which is done by means of a Habersack, m., tied to the horse's head, (so the horse can keep going while eating); vergl. Englisch haversack (Brotbeutel, Provianttasche, containing the Marschverpflegung, the ration)

 

Habermarch,  n.,

Oranges Habichtskraut, (hieracium aurantiacum), und Wiesen-Habichtskraut (hieracium pratense, gelb, yellow), hawkweed

 

hächle,  v.i.,

klatschen, schwatzen, hecheln, to gossip, to criticize; hecheln is lit. the breaking and combing of the dried flax in preparation to spinning it; it is a boring chore passing more quickly with a bit of village gossip; it produces Chuder, whence Chuderwäutsch (q.v.), verhächle, verklatschen, to gossip about someone, to slander; see also chüderle; Hächle, f., Hechel, f., Heckle, f., originally a flax-comb, now also a grater, Reibeisen, n., Raffel, f., used to grate food; if the grating of fodder is done by machine it is by a Häckerlimaschine, f.; the English verb heckling described the same process of separating the fibers of flax, before it was used to describe the interrupting of a speaker

Häfi,  n.,

Nachtgeschirr, n., chamber-pot, potty; also Nachthafe, m.

 

Häftli,  n.,

Heftel, n., hook; as in Häftli und Öili, hook and eye; ufpasse wiene Häftlimacher, mit größter Sorgfalt vorgehen, to pay the utmost attention

 

Hamme,  f.,

Bernese for geräucherter Schinken, m., smoked or cured ham, prosciutto; (the German Hammel, m., is, however, mutton, or a male sheep, a wether)

 

Hämpfeli,  n.,

Handvoll f., handful; es Hämpfeli Haberflocke, eine Handvoll Haferflocken, a handful of oats

 

Hampflete, f.,

grosse Handvoll f., eine Menge f.; a large handful, a heap; also Hampfele, f.

 

händle,  v.i.,

streiten, to quarrel; vergl. German Händelsucht, f. (tendency to quarrel)

 

handörgele,  v.i.,

Ziehharmonica spielen, to play the accordion; Handorgele, f., Ziehharmonika, f., accordion; if it is small it may be called Schwizerörgeli, n.

 

hänke,  v.t.,

hängen, henken, to hang, to hang up; see also ufhänke, zämehänke

 

Hänklig,  m.,

Henkel, m., loop (on clothes), hanger; see also Ufhänklig; also Hänku

 

Hanneli,  n.,

Johanna; also Hanni

 

Hanthebi,  f.,

Handhabe, f., Griff, m., Heft, n., handle, haft; schad dass dä Chürbis kei Hanthebi het, schade, daß der Kürbis keinen Griff hat, too bad the pumpkin has no handle; also Hanthäbi; pl. Hanthebine; also Anthebi; vergl. German Handhabe, f.

 

Häntsche,  m., pl. and sing.

Handschuh, m., glove; leg d'Häntschena, zieh die Handschuhe an, put your gloves on

 

Harasse,  f.,

rechteckige Lattenkiste, f., oblong crate made of

spaced wooden slats (about bushel size); e Harasse

Öpfu, eine Kiste Äpfel, a crate of apples; also Harassli, n. Dim.; vergl. French harasse, f.

 

Härd,  m.,

Erde, f., soil

 

Härdöpfu,  m., pl. and sing.

Kartoffel, f., potato; Härdöpfuschtock, m., Kartoffelpüree, n., Kartoffelstampf, m., mashed potatoes; Härdöpfutätschli, f., potatoe patties, Kartoffelpuffer, m., potatoe pancakes;  fries are now called ‘pommes’ in CH, pronunciation literal (‘pommas’). In the old days, we called them pommes frites, like the French.

Härdöpfeli, m.pl., are also zeros, i.e. nulls, fig.

 

häre, adv.

her, hither, see also dohäre, wohäre

 

härebängle, v.t.,

hinschmeissen, to fling down

 

häreblettere,  v.t., slang

hinblättern, v.t.(slang), hinlegen, to count out money, to spend indiscriminately

 

häregäh, v.t.,

übergeben, geben, to render, to cede

 

häregheie,  v.t.,

hinwerfen, to cast , to throw; see gheie

 

häregoh,  v.i.,

hingehen, to go there; wo gosch häre? wo gehst du hin? where are you going?

 

häreha, v.i.,

hinhalten, to subject oneself, to submit (to a treatment)

 

häreluege, v.i.,

hinsehen, to look

 

häremache, v.t.,

hinmachen, to cause a mess

 

häremüesse, v.t.,

vollbringen, to get it done

 

häreschiesse, v.t.,

hinschmeissen, to fling down

​

häreschmättere, v.t.,

hinschmettern, to cast down

 

häreschtoh, v.i.,

hinstehen, strammstehen, to stand up, to fess up, to face the music

 

härgäh, v.t.,

erbrechen, to throw up

 

härnäh, v.i.,

annehmen, to accept; belasten, unter Druck setzen, to burden, to stress; das nimmt eim häre, das belastet einen, this is stressful

 

hässig,  adj.,

mürrisch, schlecht gelaunt, gereizt, reizbar, verdrießlich, surly, disgruntled, irritable, short-tempered, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, in a huff; get the idea, gopfridschtutz? (q.v.); vergl. German gehässig, adj.

 

haub,  adj.,

halb, half; haubi zwöi (13:30h oder 1:30h); es haubs Broot und e haubi Wurscht und e haube Liter Bier, ein halbes Brot und eine halbe Wurst und ein halber Liter Bier; half a bread and half a sausage and half a liter of beer

 

haubbatzig,  adj.,

minderwertig, flüchtig, shoddy, careless; e haubbatzigi Arbet, eine ungenaue Arbeit, a careless job; lit. worth half a Batze, q.v., which is 5 cents, or a nickel, oder es Föifi

 

haubi,  num. adj.

halb Uhr, half past (or half to); haubi zwöi, ein Uhr dreissig, half past one; s'isch haubi, es ist halb Uhr, it is half past (or half to); see haub

 

Häumi, m.,

Wilhelm, William

 

haut,  adv., part.,

halt, eben, in my opinion, I'm afraid, I think, to be sure; das isch haut eso, so ist es leider, that's how it is, I'm afraid; muesch haut luege wotloufsch, du mußt achtgeben wo du gehst, you have to watch your step, you know; s'isch haut scho schwirig, es ist ja schon schwierig, it's difficult, to be sure

 

he?  adv., question, exclamation,

wie bitte? pardon? excuse me?; considered impolite and to be replaced by 'wie bitte?' or Entschuldigung? or pardon?

 

hee, int.

Ausruf für Protest oder Vorsicht, exclamation of protest or of caution,

 

hebe,  v.t., v.r.,

halten, sich festhalten, to hold, to hold on; hebdi!, halt dich fest!, hold on!; e Hebi, f., eine Handhabe, f., a handle, a hold, a grip; see also Hanthebi

 

Hedi,  f.,

Hedwig (a female first name); as in are you ready, Hedi?

 

Heerd,  m.,

Herd, m., cook stove; also called Füürplatte, f.; not to be confused with Härd, see above

 

Heftli,  n.,

Zeitschrift, f., magazine; vergl. German Heft, n., a stapled booklet; a Heft is also an excercise booklet used in school

 

hegle,  v.i.,

ärgern, v.t, reuen, v.i.,  peinigen, v.t., to irk, to vex, to annoy, to torment;  es heglet mi das i nid dra tänkt ha, es ärgert mich, dass ich nicht daran dachte, it irks me that I didn't think of it; vergl. Hegu, m.

 

Hegu,  m.,

Messer, n., knife; also Hegel; ein grobes Messer, a coarse all-purpose knife

 

hei,  adv.,

heim, heimwärts, home, homeward; mer göh hei, wir gehen nach Hause, we are going home

 

heiligebeck,  int., mild oath,

meiner Treu! du meine Güte! holy cow! holy moley! Gee Willikers!; also heiterebeck, which is a degree colder

 

Heimetli,  n.,

Bauernhof, m., mit etwas Land, a small farm; es Heimet, n., ein Bauenrnhof, m., a farm; vergl. German Heimat, f., home, native land

 

heimlifeiss,  adj.,

täuschend, deceptive; also noun, Schlaumeier, m., fox; having the means, but not letting on

 

Heiri,  m.,

Heinrich, Henry, Harry; Henry VIII is, at times, called Harry VIII, for instance by Samuel Pepys, in his diary

 

Heiti,  f.,

Heidelbeeren, f., Blaubeeren, f., blueberries; whinberries they called them in the elder days

 

Gib dine Chindere Heitibrei,

bis si di nötigi Breiti hei.

 

Heidelbeeren im Kompott

macht den Nachwuchs rund und flott.

 

Feed your kids blueberry jelly,

till they have a nice round belly.

 

Heiweh,  n.,

Heimweh, n., homesickness; ein Kummer der Schweizer in fernen Landen (i dr Frömdi, q.v.), an affliction of Swiss living away; in the old days, when the rich Swiss sold the poor ones to foreign armies, it was so prevalent that the French had a word for it: hemvé, m.

 

Helge,  m.,

Abbild, n., Bild, n., Photo, f., picture, likeness; also Heuge; vergl. German Heiligenbild, n., saint's image

 

Hemli,  n.,

Hemd, n., shirt; Hemlichrage, Hemdkragen, m., shirt collar; Hemlischteu, m., Hemdenschoß, m., shirt-tail

 

henusode,  phrase, int.,

so ist es nun einmal, so sei's, wie dem auch sei, nun wohlan, so be it, however that may be, so what; jestingly also hesonusode; the accent is on the u; the term expresses a certain mental detachment or resignation; vergl. for instance Papageno in the Magic Flute: "Nun wohlan, es bleibt dabei" and he could have said henusode

 

Herregäägger,  m.,

Eichelhäher, m., jay, blue jay; so named because they yell at you; also Häzle, f.,

 

het,  (v., see halten in the verb table)

hält, holds; es het, es hält, it holds, it sticks;

(see also haben in the verb table: es het öppis, es ist was dran, it sounds true)

 

heuche,  v.t.,

this is heuche, not höiche; verspotten, herausfordern, reizen, sich über jemanden lustig machen, to goad, to provoke, to make fun of someone; vergl. German hecheln

 

Hick,  m.,

Schnitt, m., grober Schnitt, Schnittwunde f., cut, rough cut, gash; which is something you do with a Hegu, q.v.

 

hindedra,  adv.,

dahinter, behind; hindedra hets no meh Schtoub, dahinter hat es noch mehr Staub, there is more dust behind it

 

hindedri,  adv.,

hintennach, hintendrein, hinterher, behind, after; hindedri zottle, hinterher zotteln, to dawdle behind; also pred. adj., zurück, im Rückstand, behind; mir si hindedri, wir sind im Rückstand, we are behind

 

hindedriigheie,  v.i.,

zurückfallen, to fall behind; also v.t. etwas hinten hinein werfen, to throw something in the back; see gheie

 

hindedüre,  adv.,

hintenherum, hintendurch, the back way, in the rear

 

hindere,  adv.,

zurück, back, backward(s), behind, in the rear; also separable pref., hinderegheie, zurückwerfen, to pitch back, hindere schteue, zurückstellen, to put back; hinderelitze, v.t., umkrempeln, to tuck back; the same word and pronunciation also has the different meaning of hindern, to impede, to obstruct, to hamper

 

hinderfürschi,  adv.,

rückwärts, verkehrt, backwards, wrong; also zhingerfürschi, also zhingerför, q.v.

 

hindertschi,  adv.,

rückwärts, backwards; also hinderschi; also hindertsi, see also fürschi

 

hinech,  adv.,

heute abend, tonight; was isch hinech am Färnseh? was gibts heute abend am Fernseh? what's on TV tonight; also hinecht; derives from 'heute Nacht'

 

hingerför,  adv.,

zurück, backward, backwards; wenn i hingerför chönnt, wenn ich neu beginnen könnte, if I could start over; see also z'hingerför

 

hintersinne,  v.r.,

von Sinnen kommen, den Verstand verlieren, in Depression verfallen, to go out of one's mind, to sink into depression; hintersinnig, melancholisch, deprimiert, gloomy, crazy; si het sech hintersinnet, sie kam von Sinnen, she lost her mind; consequently she was then z'hingerför, q.v.

 

Hirni, n.,

Gehirn, n., brain

 

hiub,  adj.,

vom Winde geschützt, beschirmt, protected from wind, in the lee, sheltered; es hiubs Plätzli, ein windstiller Platz, a sheltered place; also hilb

 

höch,  adj.,

hoch, high, tall; höchi Bärge, hohe Berge, tall mountains; höch obe, hoch oben, high up; höch ha, betrunken sein, berauscht sein, to be drunk, to be high; Höchi, f., Höhe, height; i dr Höchi, in den Bergen, high up in the mountains; höcher, höher, higher

 

Höck,  m.,

Häufchen, n., kleine Gruppe, f., Nest, n., mound, small group, nest; a Höck Blueme, ein Grüppchen Blumen, a nest of flowers

 

Hoger,  m.,

Hügel, m., hill; pl. Höger; hogeruf, adj., hogerab, adj., bergauf, bergab; up the hill, down the hill (but downhill, as in skiing, would be Abfahrt, f., as in German); högerig, adj., hügelig, hilly; Höger is also slang for franc (Swiss franc); hesch zwee Höger? do you have two bucks? haste zwei Makrelen?

 

Högerli, n.,

kleiner Hügel, small hill

 

hoi,  int.,

hallo!, hi!; an informal greeting

 

Höibüni,  f.,

Heuboden, m., hay loft

 

Höibürzli,  n.,

Purzelbaum, m., somersault; preferably done in the hay (Heu, n.); es Höibürzli mache, einen Purzelbaum schlagen, to turn a somersault; Bürzel m., is the rear-end of a bird

 

Höier,  m., slang

5 Franken Münze, 5 franc coin; used to be so called because it bears an image of what appears to be an alpine hay gatherer (Heuer); in Québec, a one-dollar coin is sometimes called un huard (a loonie), and I want to assure you that there is not the slightest connection. Once upon a time, coins were minted in Schwäbisch Hall, where there be mountains of silver, and they came to be called Häller Pfennig, and later Heller, m.; see also Föifliber,

 

Höigümper,  m., sing. and pl.

Heuschrecke, f., grasshopper; vergl. gumpe, to jump, and Heu, n., hay

 

Höiptlig, m.,

Hauptmann, m., captain; see also Houpme

 

höische,  v.t.,

heischen, to beg, to ask for; är het mr Gäut ghöische, er bat mich um Geld, he asked me for money

 

Hooggeschtäcke,  m.,

Gehstock, m., Spazierstock, m., walking cane; är het mitem Hooggeschtäcke gwunke, er winkte mit dem Gehstock, he waved his cane; vergl. English hook, stick

 

Hööggli,  n.,

Häkchen, n., small hook; hööggle, v.t., häkeln, to crochet

 

hoope,  v.i.,

rufen, schreien, to yell, to shout, to holler

 

Hooraff, m.,

alter Militär Tornister mit Felldeckel, old-fashioned military back-pack with fur flap; auch spasshalber für 'Coiffeur' oder 'Coiffeuse', also used jocularly for 'barber', or 'hairdresser'; auch verächtlich im Sinne von Idiot, also disdainfully in the sense of idiot; lit. Haar-Affe, hairy monkey

 

hopere,  v.i.,

holpern, rütteln, shake, rattle, jolt; hoperig, adj., holprig, bumpy, es hoperet, es rüttelt

 

hopperla,  int.,

hopsasa, ups-a-daisy; also in the sense of hoppla!, steady!

 

höre,  v.i.,

aufhören, to stop; die chöi nüm höre, die können nicht mehr aufhören, they can't stop; also ufhöre, v.i., aufhören, to stop, to cease

 

Hörnli,  n. pl.,

Makkaroni, n.pl., macaroni; a type of pasta

 

hornusse,  v.i.,

das Spielen eines Berner Schlagspieles, the playing of a Bernese field game, kind of a combination of golf and baseball, whereby a puck is hit astonishing distances across fields; Hornusset, n., the occasion when the game is played; vergl. Hornussi, n., German Hornisse, f. (hornet)

 

Hoschtert, f.,

Obstgarten, orchard

 

Hoselupf,  m.,

Wurf, m., heave-ho; eine gelegentliche Runde schweizerischen Ringenkampfes, an occasional round of Swiss-style wrestling; from the old custom of getting a grip on the rolled up hem of the wrestling breeches; see also lüpfe

 

Houder,  m.,

Holunder, elder (Sambucus Canadensis); also Holder; Houderblüetetee, Holunderblütentee, a tea made from elder blossoms

 

Houe,  f.,

Haue, f., hoe, mattock; Houeli, n., a small version thereof; houe, hauen, to hit; houadr Chatz dr Schwanz ab, houere nid dr ganz ab, lonere nones Schtückli schtoh, dassi cha a Kiubi goh, a thoughtless Swiss ditty

 

Houpme, m.,

Hauptmann, m., captain, see also Höiptlig

 

Hudigääggeler, m.,

ein Stück schweizerischer Ländlermusik, a piece of Swiss folk music, honky-tonk

 

Hudilump,  m.,

Lumpensammler, m., ragpicker; a profession worth reviving, as one can make the finest papers from old rags; a Lumpensammler, incidentally, is the last train or tram at night, a Lump, m., is a scoundrel, and a Hudilump is sometimes a euphemism for a really ragged Lump

 

hudle,  v.i.,

stark regnen und stürmen, to rain cats and dogs; es Huduwätter, n., stürmisches Schlechtwetter, rotten weather; Hudle, m.pl., is Hudeln, m.pl., Lumpen, f.pl., rags; (in Swabian hudle is jufle, q.v.)

 

Hüentschi,  n., sing. and pl.

Hühnchen, n., small chicken; also a scatterbrain, Wirrkopf, m.

 

Hugi, m., Hugo, Hugh

 

hündele, v.i.,

den Hund dressieren, to work the dog, to train the dog

 

Hung,  m.,

Bernese for Honig, m., honey; the g is pronounced; so sorry, not a term of endearment; if you do not pronounce the g, it's Bernese for Hund, m., dog; and yes, it is certainly used contumeliously, tumme Hung, Söihung, fule Hung, Dräckhung, and many other worthy variations

 

Hüpple,  f.,

in the expression öppis i dHüpple näh, etwas in Angriff nehmen, etwas in Ordnung bringen, to tackle something, to straighten something out

 

Hurlibueb,  m.,

Kreisel, m., spinning top; see also Bodesurri; vergl. Engl. to hurl

 

Hurschi,  n.,

see Huschi

 

hurtig, adv.,

behende, rasch, quickly, speedily, in a jiffy

 

husaschte,  v.i.,

rauh oder zerstörerisch arbeiten, in Unordnung bringen, lärmen; to botch, to trash, to work or behave roughly and noisily; vergl. German hausen, ästen (to lop the branches off a tree)

 

Huschi,  n.,

Faselgrete, m., Wirrkopf, m., unordentliches Weib, scatterbrain, muddle-head, blowzy female; also said of someone who is sartorially challenged; dim. Huscheli, n.; see also verhürsche; vergl. German husch, huschelig, huscheln

 

Hüsli, n.,

Häus-chen, n., little house; es Hüsli Schoggi, ein bißchen Schokolade (which is less than ein Riegel); a small bite of candy; Hüslischnägg, m., Gehäuseschnecke, f., shell snail; see also Schnäggehüsli;

(Hüsligass, a lane of small houses in Schönenwerd, properly named Quartierstrasse, where my grandparents lived until they acquired the farm in Gretzenbach in 1907)

 

huslig,  adj.,

sparsam, genügsam, thrifty, frugal; är isch e Huslige, er ist sparsam, he is thrifty; also ghuslig; see also huuse, v.i.;  vergl. German Haus, n.

 

Hüslischnägg,  m.,

Gehäuseschnecke, f., shell snail; the German Schnecke can mean both snail or slug, but Hüslischnägge are the ones with a Hüsli on their back; if you turn it around and say Schnäggehüsli, it is just the empty dwelling, Schneckenhaus, n., snail-shell

 

Hutte,  f.,

Rückenkorb, m., Tragkorb, m., Kiepe, f., pannier, (French would be panier, m.), a large basket fitted with straps, for carrying in backpack manner; Huttli, n., a smaller version thereof; vergl. French hotte, f., and hotter, v.t., to carry things (such as grapes) in a hotte

 

Hutzli,  n.,

Hutzelmännchen, n., goblin; also drone, hag; hutzlig, adj., runzlig, wizened

 

hüüchle,  v.i.,

heucheln, vorgeben, to feign, to pose, to affect; Hüüchlerei, f., Heuchelei, hypocrisy, cant

 

hüüle,  v.i.,

heulen, wehklagen, to cry, to wail; used to describe the activity with the thought that other reactions might be more constructive

​

hüür,  adv.,

im jetzigen Jahr, this year; hüürig, adj., von diesem Jahr, of this year; vergl. Austrian heurig, adj.; Hüürige, m., derjenige von diesem Jahr, this year's; vergl. Austrian Heurige(r), m.

 

Huurbohne,  f.,

Buschbohnen, f. pl., bush beans; vergl. huure

 

huure,  v.i.,

kauern, to squat, to crouch; see also Haaghuuri

​

huuse,  v.i.,

sparsam umgehen, sich einschränken, to economize; see also huslig

​

Hüutschele,  f., sing. and pl.

Schale, f., Hülse, f., skin; also Höutschele; Zibele-Hüutschele, f., Zwiebel-Schale, f., onion-skin;  (used to dye Easter eggs); Chefe-Hüutschele (q.v.) are quite tasty (chüschtig, q.v.), while the Hüutschele of Schpanischi Nüssli (q.v.) are not; also used as v.t., hüutschele, schälen, to shell, and as v.r., sich hüutsche, sich häuten, to shed skin, to cast the slough; see also Schindti; vergl. German Haut

I

I

i,  pers. pron.,

ich, I; pronounced with a very open i, almost e; also ig

 

ichegheie,  v.i., v.t.,

reinfallen, to be tricked; hinein werfen, to throw in; this is the Bernese version of inegheie, see below; see also gheie

 

Idehli,  n.,

eine winzig kleine Idee (in all senses), ein Hauch, ein winzig kleines Bisschen, a smidgen, a tiny bit; es Idehli nach rächts, ein klein wenig nach rechts, a smidgen to the right, as for instance when you are framing a house, and you would like it  perpendicular

 

iibeize,  v.t.,

einbeizen, to pickel; Chriesi iibeize, Kirschen ins Fass legen, to ferment cherries (to make Kirsch)

 

iicheere,  v.i.,

einkehren, in ein Gasthaus gehen, in eine Wirtschaft gehen, to stop at an inn, to stop at a pub

 

iihänke, v.i..

einhängen, einrastern, to engage; si hei iighänkt, sie gingen eingehängt, they went arm in arm

 

iluege,  v.i.,

das Nachsehen haben, to be left holding the bag, to be the dummy; from the routine of the person doing the seeking in the game hide-and-seek, where you have to have to shield your eyes with your arm while the others hide

 

iiränke, v.i.,

nachgeben, beistimmen, to yield, to agree, to give way to common sense

 

Iisch,  n.,

Eis, n., ice; iischglatt, eisglatt, slippery as ice; but you say di Iis-heilige, die Eisheiligen, Pankraz, Servaz, Bonifaz, Mai 12th to 14th; and Sophie, (die Kalte Sophie, Mai 15th). Better wait with the planting of tender crops, except maybe peas, until after Sophie. In Toronto, wait until Victoria Day (first Monday preceding May 25)

 

iitue,  v.t.,

zumachen, to fasten, to button; chöntsch du mir dChnöpf iitue? könntest du mir die Knöpfe zumachen? could you button me up?; the opposite is uftue, aufmachen, to unfasten, German auftun

imene,  prep.,

in einem, in a; imene Schachteli, n., in einer Schachtel, in a box

 

ine,  adv., separable prefix

hinein, in, into; goosch uf Aarau ine? gehst du nach Aarau? are you going to Aarau?; chömet ine, kommt herein, please come in

 

inegheie,  v.i., v.t.

v.I reinfallen, to be fooled; v.t. hineinwerfen, to toss in; i bi inegheit, ich wurde überlistet, I was fooled; see gheie

 

inehocke, v.i.,

nachsitzen, to get detention, to be kept after school

 

inere,  prep.,

in einer, in a; inere Guttere, f., in einer Flasche, in a bottle; inere Wuet, f., im Zorn, in anger

 

ineschlüfe,  v.t.,

hineinschlüpfen, to slide in

 

innedra,  adj., adv.

innen, inwendig, im Innern, inside, on the inside of; innedra hets es warms Fueter, auf der Innenseite ist ein warmes Futter, inside there is a warm lining

 

ineschtäche, v.i.,

einstechen, to insert (a knitting needle); see lisme

 

innert,  adv., prep.,

innerhalb, within; innert emene Johr, innerhalb eines Jahres ( innerhalb zwei Jahren, so when you cannot hear the Genitiv, it takes Dativ), within a year

 

ischtandschteue,  v.t.,

instandsetzen (which to the Swiss is instandstellen), to repair, to fix; heitr das Velo ischtandgschteut? habt ihr das Fahrrad repariert? did you fix the bike?

​

Isebahn, f.,

Eisenbahn, f., railroad; Isebähnler, m., jemand der für die SBB/CFF/FFS arbeitet; someone who works for the Swiss railroad

 

item,  int.,

wie dem auch sei, immerhin, anyway; item, d'Chue isch ou es Chaub vo wiitem, wie dem auch sei, in der Nacht sind alle Katzen schwarz, anyway, it doesn't matter; serves to change the subject

J

J

jää,  adv.,

wohl, ja, aber, well, but, no doubt, (little doubt); jää das cha scho si, es ist ja durchaus möglich, it is, of course possible; jää gäll, so geits, so geht es eben, such is life; jää nei, kaum,  hardly; jää so, ach so, you don't say, jää meinsch? glaubst du? you really think so?; the pronunciation is long (if it is short it is Baselditsch for ja)

 

Jäggli,  f.,

Jacke, f., Strickweste, f., jacket, cardigan; also Jagge, f.,

 

Jammeri, m.

Jammerlappen, m., Wehklager, m., Heulsuse, f., sissy, complainer; jommere, v.i., jammern, to whine, to lament, to yammer

 

Jäner, m.,

Januar, January

 

jeminee, int.,

herrje!, lawks!, good grief! lawks-a-mussy!; also oh jeminee!

​

jesses!, int.,

ein Ausruf der (unangenehmen) Überraschung, des Entsetzens, der Missbilligung; an exclamation of (unpleasant) surprise, of fright, of disapproval; jesses nei, bestimmt nicht, certainly not; jesses maria! um Gottes Willen, Great Scott!

 

jo, adv.,

ja, yes; jo nei, eigentlich nicht, not really, well, no; jo bigoscht! kaum zu glauben! yes indeed!

 

Joggeli m.,

Jakob, Jacob; also Joggi; fig. also Dummerchen, a mildly silly person

​

jöhre!, int.,

ein Ausruf der Überraschung, der Bewunderung, des Mitgefühls; an exclamation of surprise, of admiration, of empathy; jöhre nei, hoffentlich nicht, one hopes not; jöhre Gottes, um Himmels Willen, leider, for heaven’s sake, unfortunately; jöhre! wie niedlich! how cute!

 

Jucherte,  f.,

Juchart, f., ein Flächenmaß, 36 Aren (q.v.) Feld oder 28 Aren Rebberg; a surface measure, 3600 square meters of field or 2800 sq. m. of vignard, a little less than an acre; originally the size of a field a man could plough in one day; called iugerum

(pl. iugera) in Roman times, when it was about .625 of an acre

 

Juchzger,  m.,

Jauchzer, m., shout of joy; which is the opposite of a Süfzger, q.v.

 

jufle,  v.i.,

eilen, rasen, rasch und ungenau arbeiten, to work fast and carelessly, to rush, to scramble;

 

Juflete, f.,

Übereilung, f., Hastigkeit, f., Gehetze, n., over-haste, hastiness, scramble, mad rush;

see also Gjufu, n. (auf schwäbisch: hudle, in Swabian)

juhui!  int.,

juchhe, hurrah, woo hoo!; also juhee; in jest also hudihui; a Juchzer, m., ein Jauchzer; a shout of joy; juchzge, v.i., jauchzen, to shout with joy; juchzge und jupetere, jauchzen und johlen, to yip and yap

 

Jumpfere,  f.,

Jungfer, f., spinster

 

Juno,  m.,

Juni, June; an old way to distinguish it from Juli

 

jupetere,  v.i.,

jauchzen, ausrufen (im Übermut), gröhlen, to yip and yap; see also juhui

 

jutze,  v.i.,

jodeln, jauchzen, to yodel; also jutzge

K

K

Kaff,  n., slang

abgelegene Ortschaft, remote village

 

Kafi,  m.,

Kaffee, m., coffee; es Kafi, n., eine Tasse Kaffee, a cup of coffee

 

Kappäueli,  n.,

Kapelle, f., small chapel

 

Kaput,  m.,

Wintermantel, m., (im Militär), greatcoat (military); vergl. German Kapuze, though a Kaput doesn't have one, French capote; (kaputt, adj., ruined, is kabut in Swiss)

 

Kapuzinerli,  n.,

Brunnenkresse, f., Nasturtium (nasturtium officinale); a Kapuziner is a capuchin monk; the name of the plant comes from the hoodlike shape of the seed

 

Kari,  m.,

Karl, Charles, Chuck

 

karisiere,  v.i.,

flirten, to flirt; vergl. French caresser

 

Kärli, m.,

Kerl, m., chap; a luschtige Kärli, a funny chap

 

Kässeli, n.,

Sparschwein, n., Piggybank

 

ke,  pron., adj.,

kein, no, none, not any; keis (also kes), keines (n. or f.); kei, kene, kein (m.); keni, keine (pl.); ke Mönsch (also kei Mönsch), kein Mensch, no one

one;dasch ke Sach; das ist kein Problem, that's no problem; keis vo beedne, keines von beiden, neither; uf ke Fau, keinesfalls, on no condition; kei blasse Dunscht, keine Ahnung, not the foggiest idea

 

Kläri,  f.,

Klara, Clair; also Klärli

 

Klus,  f.,

Klamm, m., Spalte, f., chasm, gorge; a passage between mountains or cliffs

 

Knäpperi,  m.,

Geizhals, m., miser; see also Gitnäpper

 

knäpperig, adj.,

geizig, knauserig, miserly, stingy

 

Knippe, f.,

Schustermesser, n., Ledermesser, n., cobbler's knife, leatherknife; vergl. German Kneif, m., or Austrian Kneipe, f., or Engl. knife, for that matter

 

Köbi,  m.,

Jakob; Jacob; siehe auch Joggeli

 

Köferli, n.,

Koffer, m., Köfferchen, n., suitcase, small suitcase; a large suitcase is a Kofere, f.

 

Komedi, f.,

accent on o: Komödie, f., swank; accent on e: Aufhebens, n., Getue, n., fuss (about nothing)

 

Köutsch,  m.,

Gingan, m., gingham, ein kariert bedruckter Stoff, a checkered linen fabric; often used in red and white, or perhaps in blue and white, as tablecloth in country inns

 

kurlig,  adj.,

eigenartig, amusing, strange; vergl. German kurios

L

L

Läbchueche,  m.,

Lebkuchen, m., gingerbread, literally "lasting cake", a honeyed and flavoured bread, popular at country fairs and around Santa Claus time; pl. Läbchüeche; Basler Läckerli, see Läckerli, and Biberli belong to a related family of baked sweets, but are not really from my own past; nor are Brunsli, which are brownies from Basel; I am just referring to  these in case the offer is limited, but the need is great

 

Läbhaag,  m.,

Hecke, f., Grünhecke, Baumhecke, hedge; the sense is that of a living hedge as opposed to a man-made fence, such as a Gartehaag; vergl. German Hag, m.

 

läbig,  adj., pred.,

lebendig, lebend, live, alive

 

Läbtig,  f.,

Lebtage, m.pl., lifetime; mi Läbtig lang, meiner Lebtage, all my life; mi Läbtig nie, nie in meinem Leben, never in my life

 

Läckerli,  n.,

ein Plätzchen, a kind of cookie; specifically Basler Läckerli, "little licks" from Basel, which are spiced honey cookies; vergl. German schlecken, v.t.

 

lädele,  v.i.,

einkaufen gehen, Schaufenster ansehen, to shop, to do the shops; in the sense of shopping for fun without necessarily buying anything; mir göh chli go lädele, wir gehen den Geschäften entlang, we are going for a tour of the shops; vergl. German Laden, m. (shop)

 

Lädeli,  n.,

kleines Einzelhandelsgeschäft, n., small shop, cornerstore; see also lädele

 

lafere,  v.i.,

schwätzen, palavern, plaudern, to gossip, to chat; Laferi, m., Schwätzer, m., Plappermaul, n., chatterbox, blabbermouth; es Glafer, n., ein dummes Gerede, idle talk; vergl. German Laffe, m.

 

Laffli,  n.,

Schulterstück n. (meist geräuchert), smoked blade; also called Schüfeli, q.v.; vergl. German Laffe, f., which is related to Löffel, m., spoon

​

Lagugere,  f.,

Laterne, f., lantern; Stall-Laterne, f., stable lantern

 

lamaaschig,  adj., adv.,

träge, langsam, sluggisch; dasch e lamaaschigi Sach, das ist eine müde Sache, this is a bore; tüet nit so lamaaschig, macht vorwärts, get going; Lamaaschi, m., Saumseliger, m., Faulpelz, m., laggard, sluggard, slowcoach

 

lampe, see lolampe

 

länge,  v.i.,

langen, ausreichen, to be enough, to suffice; längts? genügt es? is it enough? es het glängt, es reichte aus, it was enough

 

länge, v.t.,

längen, lengthen, to stretch; a Bode länge, to touch the floor, den Boden berühren

 

Längizit,  f.,

Heimweh, n., home-sickness; Längizit ha, Heiweh ha, sich nach der Heimat sehnen, to be home-sick; also Längiziti

 

Lappi,  m.,

Narr, m., fool, simpleton; vergl. German läppisch

 

larifari,  adj.,

liederlich, unbekümmert, slovenly, happy-go-lucky; es Larifari, n., eine Schlamperei, a mess, a muddle; a Larifari, m., ein Taugenichts, a ne'er-do-well; vergl. Italian lasciare fare, French laisser faire

 

läts,  adj.,

falsch, verkehrt, wrong; es isch läts usecho, es ist falsch geraten, it came out wrong; di lätsi Site, the reverse side (when knitting); dr läts Wäg ume, verkehrt, the wrong way 'round; also dr Läts, der Falsche, the wrong one; vergl. German links

 

Lätsch,  m.,

Schleife f., Schlaufe, f., Masche, f., bow (of ribbons), bow-tie; fig. the opposite of a smiley face, sometimes known as a zwänzgabachti Schnöre, a twenty past eight mouth; worum machsch esone Lätsch? hesch dr Nuggi verlore? why so sad, have you lost your pacifier?

 

Lätt,  m.,

Lehm, m., clay; vergl. German Letten, m., (potter's clay)

Läue,  f.,

Zunge (eines Tieres), f., tongue  (of an animal):

vergl. German lallen, v.i.

 

Laui,  f.,

Lawine, f., avalanche; pl. Lauene

 

Legi,  f.,

Schicht, f., Lage, f., layer; a Legi Äbbeeri, und denn a Legi gschwungni Nidle, eine Schicht Erdbeeren und eine Schicht Schlagrahm, a layer of strawberries, then a layer of whipped cream, etc.

 

Liibli,  n.,

Leibchen, n., Unterhemd, n., undershirt, T-shirt

 

liislig,  adv.,

leise, softly; mach liislig! leise! shush!

 

lind,  adj.,

gar, milde, cooked, mild; si dHärdöpfu lind? sind die Kartoffeln gar? are the potatoes cooked?; es linds Lüftli, ein milder Wind, a soft breeze

 

lire,  v.t.,

winden, to wind; ablire, v.t., loswickeln, to unwind; abelire, v.t., aufzählen, to reel off; uflire, v.t., aufwickeln, to wind on a reel, to coil up; drumumelire, umwickeln, to wind something around someting; verlire, v.t., verwickeln, to tangle; vergl. German Leier, f., and leiern

 

Liseli,  n.,

Elisabeth, Elise, Lise

 

lisme,  v.t.,

stricken, to knit; (here is how: ineschtäche, umeschloh, ufezie und abeloh); was lismisch? was strickst du? what are you knitting? Lismer, m., Strickjacke, f., knitted cardigan

 

Lismete, f.,

Strickzeug, n., the knitting

 

lo,  v.t., v.aux.,

lassen, to leave, to let; i lo, du losch, är lot, mir lö (löi), dir löt, si lö; p.p. glo; subj. i löij, du löijsch, är löij, mir löje, dir löijit, si löije; as v.aux. lo mache, machen lassen, to have done, also to let proceed; lo sii, bleiben lassen, to leave alone; lo mi lo sii, laß mich in Ruhe, leave me in peace; lo gfaue, sich gefallen lassen, to put up with; är löij lo danke, er lasse danken, he sends his thanks; lo goh, loslassen, to let go; loh lo goh! laß los! let go!

Löchersibli,  n.,

Durchschlag, m., Sieb, n., colander

 

lödele,  v.i.,

wackeln, to be loose, to wobble; also lödle; die Hanthebi lödelet, dieser Griff ist lose, this handle is loose; see also gwaggle

 

logoh,  v.t.,

loslassen, locker lassen, to let go; lo logoh! laß los! let go!; är het logoh, er hat losgelassen, he let go

 

Löi,  m.,

Löwe, lion; pl. Löie; Löiemüli, n., Löwenmaul, n., snapdragon

 

löie,  v.i.,

rasten, ausruhen, to rest, to take a break; jetz mues i echli löie, bevor mr witergöh, jetzt muß ich mich ein wenig ausruhen, bevor wir weitergehen, I have to rest a bit, before we go on; also uslöie

 

Löiemüüli,  n.,

Löwenmaul, n., (Antirrhinum), snapdragon

 

Löifterli,  n.,

Schiebegatter, n., sliding hatch, sliding door

 

Loki,  f.,

Lokomotive, f., locomotive; Dampfloki, steam engine; pl. Lokine

 

lolampe,  v.t.,

hängenlassen, to droop, to let your head hang; dr Chopf lolampe, den Kopf hängenlassen, to hang one's head

 

löle,  v.i.,

Possen treiben, den Narr machen, to fool about, to act like a clown

 

Löli,  m.,

Trottel, m., Guckindieluft, m., sillyburger, git, jerk, yahoo; Lölibuebezüg, n., Unsinn, m., Narrheit, f., Narretei, f., nonsense, foolishness, tomfoolery; also Löu, m., dr Löu mache, sich närrisch betragen, to fool around

 

Löntschtäsche,  f.,

Imbißtasche, f., a lunch bag, worn on the hip by a strap across the other shoulder, from before the time when every Haaghuuri had a rucksack; vergl. Engl. lunch

 

Loschii,  n.,

Wohnung, f., apartment, flat; from French logis; Wohnung is also Wonig in Swiss, which has no connection to wonig (als ich), see wo, and no connection to wonnig, which is the same in German and means delightful, though one could say d'Wonig wonig ha isch wonnig (weme wett, wenn man wollte, if one wanted)

 

lose,  v.i.,

hören, lauschen, horchen; losemol, hör mal, listen; jetz losemol, nun hör mal hin, now listen here; ablose, v.i., lauschen, to eavesdrop; zuelose, v.i., zuhören, to listen; many Swiss address each other with "losemol", whence the erroneous impression abroad that this is the most popular first name; also losemou

 

Löu,  m.,

see Löli

 

Loubfläcke,  m.,

Sommersproßen, f., freckles

 

Ludi,  m.,

Ludwig; also Lui

 

luege,  v.i.,

gucken, schauen, kieken, to look, to peep; lueg emol, sieh mal hin, look here; abeluege, hinunterschauen, to look down; ufeluege, hinaufsehen, to look up; also v.t. aaluege, lueg mi nid so aa, sieh mich nicht so an, don't look at me like that; abluege, absehen, nachahmen, kopieren, to copy; äneluege, hinsehen, to watch; useluege, fig. Gewinn bringen,  to show a profit, s'het nüüt usegluegt, es lag nichts drin, it wasn't profitable; nocheluege, v.t., nachsehen, to look up; go luege, hingehen um zu sehen, to go and see; öpperem luege, auf jemanden achtgeben, to look after someone; there is a German verb lugen, to look out, (rarely used); see also entries under the various prefixes, abluege, iiluege, nocheluege, überluege, umeluege, umenandluege, zueluege, etc.; and vergl. guene

 

lufte,  v.i.,

winden, v.i., to blow; es luftet, es windet, it is windy; Luft, in Bernese, is Wind

 

lugg,  adj.,

lose, locker, loose, slack; luggloh, v.t., to let go, to ease off, to relent, loslassen, aufgeben, verzichten

 

Lugi,  f.,

Lüge, f., lie, untruth; also at times one who tells one; dasch e Lugi, das is eine Lüge, that's a lie

 

lüpfe,  v.i.,

sich übergeben wollen, to heave; es het mi glüpft, ich hatte Brechreiz, I gagged

 

lüpfe,  v.t.,

heben, to heave, to lift; sich überlüpfe, v.r., sich zuviel zumuten, to take on too much; Hoselupf, m. (q.v.), Ringkampf, m., heave-ho, wrestling match

 

lüpfig, adj.,

munter, anregend, uplifting, cheerful; to make you want to dance; often said of music

 

lurge,  v.i.,

lallen, to babble

 

lut,  adv., adj.,

laut, loud, aloud; lut rede, laut sprechen, to talk in a loud voice; e luti Schtimm, eine laute Stimme, a loud voice;

 

lut,  prep.,

laut, according to; lut Befäu, laut Befehl, m., as per orders

 

Lüt, pl.,

Leute, pl.,people, persons; dLüt hei sech ufgregt, die Leute haben sich aufgeregt, people were irritated

 

luter,  adv., (used as indecl. adj.)

lauter, nichts als, nothing but, downright, pure and simple; luter chliini Outo, nichts als kleine Autos, nothing but small cars; luter Wasser, lauter Wasser, nothing but water; also used as adj. with the meaning of lauter: luters Wasser, lauteres Wasser, pure Water; s'luter Wasser briegge, untröstlich weinen, to weep despondently

 

Lüti,  n., at times f.

Klingel, f., Schelle, f., door-bell, bicycle-bell; also a family name; sLütis Lüti lütet, Lüti's Klingel läutet, the door-bell of the Lüti's is ringing; hesch kes Lüti a dim Velo? hat dein Fahrrad keine Klingel? don't you have a bell on your bicycle?; vergl. German läuten, v.t., v.i.

M

M

Ma, m.,

Mann, m., man; pl. Manne, Männer, men;

familiar names and titles may follow the same pattern: Buuma (Baumann), Grossma (Grossmann), Amme (Ammann), Houpme (Hauptmann); for German names the German version is customary: Gerhard Hauptmann, Clara Schumann

 

Määndig,  m.,

Montag, Monday; also Määndi

 

Madli,  f.,

Schwaden, m., swath of mowed grass; ein Schwaden m., gemähtes Gras; also Made, f.

 

magere,  v.i.,

abmagern,  to lose weight, to waste away; vergl. German mager; for the opposite see feisse;

 

Wos Puurli vo sinere Ängland-Reis isch heichoo hei sis gfrogt wiesem gange sig, so mitem Änglisch und so, und mit dene frömde Lüt. Guet, heter gseit, die si ganz fründlech. Scho uf dr Fähre isch dr Kondüktör zuemerchoo und het mi eso aagluegt und gfrogt "Have you a ticket?" und i ha de sofort gseit "Yo nei, eigetlech ehnder gmageret."

 

Mailänderli,  n. pl.,

eine Art Plätzchen, a type of cookie; perhaps from Milan, (butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and flour, and glazed with eggyolk and sugar, more or less; about as elementary as you can get in cookie land

 

Malletschlössli,  n.,

Vorhängeschloß, n., padlock; vergl. French mallette,f.

 

Malör,  n.,

Unglück, n., mishap; vergl. French malheur

 

Manco,  n.,

Fehlbetrag, Manko, shortage; also fig. dä het echli es Manco, der ist nicht voll da, he is not quite there, vergl. Italian manco;

 

mänge,  adj., pron.,

mancher, many a one; mänge gloubti es gieng nid, mancher glaubte es unmöglich, many a one would think it impossible; auch mängi (pl. or f.), mängs (n.)

​

mängisch,  adj., adv.,

öfter, often, frequently; i ha mängisch müesse nochesitze, wöu i mängisch nit ha ufpasst, ich mußte öfter nachsitzen, weil ich nicht aufpaßte, I often had to stay behind, because I didn't pay attention; wie mängisch, wie oft, how often

 

Manöggeli,  n.,

Männchen, n., Spielfigur, f., manikin, figurine

 

Manschester,  m.,

Kordstoff, m., corduroy

 

märggele, v.i.,

Marken sammeln, to collect stamps

 

Margritli,  n.,

Maßliebchen, n., daisy, Bellis perennis

 

Märit,  m.,

Markt, m., market; hüt gö mir z'Märit, heut gehn wir auf den Markt, today we go to market; es wott es Froueli z'Märit goh, which is from an old song; also Märet

 

Märli,  n., sing. And pl.,

Märchen, n., fairy-tale; Märli verzeue, q.v., Märchen erzählen, to narrate fairy-tales

 

märte,  v.i.,

feilschen, to bargain, to haggle; vergl. German markten

 

Maschineli,  n.,

Vorrichtung, f., Apparat, m., Dingsda, n., contraption; zum Beispiel eine Vorrichtung welche einem Behinderten das Gehen erleichtert, for example a contraption that helps a handicapped to walk; also a small mechanical device

 

matsch,  adj., coll.

erschöpft, exhausted, worn out, tired to death, fagged; bisch matsch?, bist du erschöpft? are you exhausted?

 

Matte,  f.,

Wiese, f., meadow

 

Matteschümeli,  n.,

Wiesenschaumkraut, n., cuckoo-flower, cardamine pratensis

​

mäuche,  v.t.,

melchen, to milk

 

Mäuchtere,  f.,

Melchter, f., Milchkübel, m., milk-bucket; more redundantly also Miuchmäuchtere; one of the swisser words; sometimes fitted with a nipple on the lower front for giving milk to young calves, in which case it is a Chauberchübu, m., verbo swississimo, ein Kübel zum Tränken der Kälber, a bucket for giving milk to calves

 

me,  indef. pron.,

man, one, they; me seit, man sagt, it is said; me weis nie, man kann nicht wissen, you never know

 

meer,  pers.pron.,

wir, we; sometimes also short: mer, mr

 

Mehbessere,  m.pl.,

die höheren Kreise, m.pl., die Oberschichten, f.pl., the upper crust, the upper ten thousand; lit. those who are more better, sardonically speaking

 

mei-mei!  int.,

nicht doch!, no-no!; baby talk; usually accompanied by a wagging of one's finger, mit dem Finger drohen; these little interjections are fascinating and somebody who has nothing better to do should try to get to the bottom of them

 

Meie,  m.,

Blumenstrauß, m., bunch of flowers; dBrut het e schöne Meie übercho, die Braut erhielt einen schönen Strauß, the bride received a lovely bouquet; vergl. Mai, the month of May

 

Meieriisli,  n.,

Maiglöckchen, n., lily of the valley, convallaria majalis

 

meisele,  v.i.,

häppchenweise essen, langsam und ohne Lust essen, to pick one's food; the expression is "wie ein Spatz essen", but the Swiss word refers to the bird Meise (tit mouse)

 

Meiteli,  n.,

kleines Mädchen, baby girl

 

Meitschi,  n.,

Mädchen, n., girl; es Meitschi und e Bueb, a girl and a boy; also Meitli; vergl. English maiden, German Mädel

 

Metzg,  f.,

Metzgerei, f., butcher's shop; gosch i'd Metzg? gehst du zur Metzgerei, are you going to the butcher's?; Metzgete, f., Schlachttag, m., slaughtering day on the farm, and the ensuing feast

 

Miesch,  n.,

Moos, n., moss; vermieschet, v.t., mit Moos durchwachsen, overgrown with moss

 

Miggu,  m.,

Emil

 

mingere,  v.i.,

sich vermindern, to decrease, to grow less; said mostly of countable things; dBeeri hei gmingeret, es hat weniger Beeren, there are fewer berries; mingerig, adj., weniger, lesser, fewer

 

mira,

adv.

meinetwegen (von mir aus), for all I care; jo mira, nun so sei es, see if I care; see also wägemir

 

mischle,  v.t.,

mischen, to mix, to shuffle (cards); Charte mischle, Karten mischen, to shuffle a deck of cards

 

Mischlete,  f.,

Mischmasch, m., hodge-podge, hotchpotch

 

misexi,  int.,

sage und schreibe, tatsächlich, in der Tat, by Good!, indeed, really; jo misexi, wirklich, really; I ha misexi fasch müessenabhocke vor Schreck, ich hab mich vor Schrecken fast hinsetzen müssen, I was so startled I had to sit down; somewhat ironic, it expresses Verblüffung, perplexity, and some doubt at the reality of the situation

 

Mitteli,  n.,

Mittel, n., Arznei f., medicine, medicament, drug, remedy; gäges autwärde gits kes Mitteli, dem Altern ist kein Kraut gewachsen; there is no cure for old age

 

Miuchmäuchterli,  n.,

Milcheimer, m., Milchmelchter, n., milk bucket; see also mäuche and Mäuchtere

 

Möckli,  n., sing. and pl.

Stücklein, n., small piece, morsel; also Mocke, m., Stück, n., Bruchstück, n., chunk

 

Mödeli, n.,

es Mödeli Anke, eine Stange Butter, a stiock of butter; also in the sense of a minor bad habit, eine Unart, f., was isch ou das fürnes Mödeli? What new tick is this?

 

möge,  v.t., v.i., v. aux.,

mögen, want, may; i mag (i ma), du magsch (du masch), är mag (är ma), mir möge, dir möget, si möge; p.p. möge; subj. i möcht (I would), i mögt (I could); i ma nümme, ich mag nicht mehr, I can't anymore; i mags nid verliide, ich kann es nicht ertragen, I can't stand it; magsch no? magst du noch (kannst du noch)?, do you want to go on?

 

Montur,  f.,

Aufmachung, f., Putz, m., Staat, m., Ausstaffierung, f., Uniform, f., get-up, outfit, uniform; vergl. Fr. monture, f.

 

möögge,  v.i.,

brüllen, to howl; vergl. French meugler and mugir, to low (of cow), to moo

 

Moralisch,  m.,

Melancholie, f., Niedergeschlagenheit, f., depression; dr Moralisch ha, bedrückt sein, to feel depressed

 

morn,  adv.,

morgen, tomorrow; morn am Morge, morgen früh, tomorrow morning; übermorn, übermorgen, the day after tomorrow; morndrig, adj., von morgen, tomorrow's; i dr morndrige Uusgab, in der Ausgabe von morgen, in tomorrow's edition; verl. German gestrig

 

möschig,  adj.,

aus Messing (messingen), of brass (brazen); fig. not golden; es möschigs Ührli, eine billige Uhr, a cheap watch; vergl. also French moche (shoddy, ugly, lousy)

 

moschte,  v.i.,

pressen, pferchen, to press, to squeeze, to pack closely; vergl. German Most, m., cider; lit. to press fruit to make cider; fig. to jam things or people together; jetz höret uuf moschte, es het ke Platz meh, stop pushing, there is no more space

 

Mose,  m.,

Flecken, m., Quetschung, f., stain, bruise; Grasmöse, Grasflecken, m., grass-stains; blaui Möse, blaue Flecken, blue bruises; also Müüssi, n.; vergl. French ecchymose, f.

 

motte, v.i.,

schwelen, to smoulder, to burn without a flame; Mottfüür, n., schwelendes Feuer, smouldering fire; see also Mupfüür

mou,  adv.,

mal, times; zwöimou, zweimal, twice; chumm emou, komm mal her, come here

 

mou,  conj.,

doch! yes!; mou! das isch eso, doch, dem ist so! yes! that is so; mo-mou (contraducting a negative) yes! aber sicher!

 

Moudi,  m.,

Kater, m., tom-cat; probably onomatopoeic, (it would be cute if it were French); see also Röiu

 

Mouggere,  f.,

ein brummiges Gesicht, a sad face; e Mouggere mache, schmollen, to pout, to sulk; see also Zwänzgabachtischnörre; vergl. French faire une moue

 

mudere,  v.i., v.r.,

mausern, to moult

 

Müesli,  n.,

Mus, n., a gruel and fruit mixture; vergl. Birchermüesli, the recipe of Dr. Bircher; Muesli is a well-known Swissism in English, sans Umlaut; soak some large oats in water overnight, if you like with a few raisins or dried blueberries in it, and in the morning add some Nidle, q.v., and a grated apple and/or fresh berries, the juice of a lemon, and perhaps honey, sugar, grated nuts; stir and serve

 

müesse,  v.i.aux.,

müssen, to be obliged to, to have, must; i mues, du muesch, är mues, mir müesse (also mir müend), dir müesset (also dir müend), si müesse; p.p. müesse; i ha müesse go schaffe, ich mußte zur Arbeit, I had to go to work

 

Muetergottes-chäferli, n.,

Marienkäfer, m., lady-bird, ladybug; also Muetergottes-chäberli

 

Müeterli, n.,

Schraubenmutter, f., screwnut

 

Mueti, n.,

Mutter, f., mother

 

Müeti,  n.,

Großmutter, Mütterchen, grandmother, mummy; a bit older than Mueti or Muetter

​

Mugge, f., s. and pl.

Mücke, f., s., Mücken, f., pl., mosquito, midge

 

Mugiige,  f.,

Mundharmonika, f., harmonica; accent on the u; mugiigele, to play the harmonica

 

Mümpfeli,  n.,

Mundvoll, m., mouthful, titbit, tidbit; es Mümpfeli Beeri, ein Happen Beeren, a mouthful of berries; es Bettmümpfeli, n., a sweet at bedtime; see also Versuecherli, which is about the same size; vergl. German mampfen, Engl. to munch

 

mune,  v.t.,

etwas erzwingen, um etwas ringen, to obtain something by force, to force something, to wrestle with something; see also vermune

 

Muni,  m.,

Stier, m., bull

 

Müntschi,  n.,

Kuß, m., kiss, smacker; the Bernese version of Schmützli, q.v.; vergl. German Mund; good sample of onomatopœia, much better than Hand/Häntsche

 

Münz,  n.,

Kleingeld, n., small change; hesch Münz? hast du Kleingeld? du you have change?; vergl. German Münze, f. (coin); a coin would be a Münze, f., in Schwizerdütsch; (vergl. also Swiss  Münzetee, m., German Minzentee, mint tea)

 

munzig,  adj.,

winzig, tiny

 

Mupf, m.,

Stubs, m., push, shove; see also Schupf

 

müpfe,  v.t.,

schubsen, stubsen, einen Rippenstoß geben, to nudge, to dig in the ribs; also to shove someone playfully; vergl. English to move

​

Mupfüür,  n.,

schwelendes Feuer, garbage fire; a contraction of Muttfüür; a fire of more smoke than flame, such as a fire made with garden refuse; see also Mutte, and motte; vergl. French motte, f., clod of earth

 

Murmeli,  n.,

Murmeltier, n., marmot, wood-chuck

 

Muschgetnuss,  f.,

Muskat, m., nutmeg, mace; Muschgetnussraffle, f., Muskatreibe, f., nutmeg-grater

 

Müschterli,  n.,

Kostprobe, f., Musterbeispiel, n., a taste, a sample, an example; see also Versuecherli

 

Musig,  f.,

Musik, f., music; accent on the u, in German the accent is on the i.

 

Mutsch,  m.,

Stoß, m., push; mutsche, stoßen, to push, to nudge

 

Mutschli,  n.,

Klumpen, m., chunk; also fig. something or somebody compact and plump; etwas oder jemand kurzes und festes; also a small round bun, ein Brötchen, n.

 

Mutte,  f.,

Erdklumpen, m., Scholle, f., clod (of sod), tussock; vergl. French motte

 

Mutz,  m.,

Bär, m., bear; mutz, mutzig, adj., kurzgeschoren, close-cropped, short-haired (as a Teddy-bear)

 

Muu, n.,

Mund, m., mouth; pl. Müler; vergl. German Maul., n.

 

muule,  v.i.,

murren, widerreden, widersprechen, sich nicht fügen wollen, to grumble, to gainsay, to quarrel; hör uf muule! widersprich nicht! stop arguing! not synonymous with the German maulen; see also umegää

 

Müüssi, n.,

see Mose

N

N

näbenand,  adv.,

nebeneinander, side by side, close together, or as they say in Canada 'side by each'; also näbenenand, and näbenenander

 

Näbu, m.,

Nebel, m., fog; Näbuloch, n., a complementary name for the Nideramt

 

Nachthafe,  m.,

Nachtgeschirr, n., chamber-pot; see also Häfi

 

Nachthuuri,  n.,

Eule, f., owl; fig.  eine ungepflegte Person, a dishevelled person

 

nächethär, adv.

nachher, afterwards, also nächethäre, also nächer

 

nächti,  adv.,

gestern abend, yesterday evening; vornächti, adv., vorgestern abend, the evening before yesterday

 

Nägeli,  n.,

Nelke, f., Gewürznelke, f., carnation, dianthus, clove; Schteinägeli, n., Bartnelke, f., Sweet William, dianthus barbatus

 

Näggi,  n.,

bleibender körperlicher oder geistiger Schaden, a permanent physical or mental injury; es Näggi ha, behindert sein, to have a disability; also a facial tic, ein Gesichtszucken, n.; also in the sense of having a monkey on your back, to have a permanent problem

 

näh,  v.t.,

nehmen, to take; see conjugation table

 

näie,  v.t., v.i.,

nähen, to sew, to stitch; Näimaschine, f., Nähmaschine, sewing machine; Näiere, f., Näherin, f., seamstress

​

nang,  indecl. pron.,

einander, one another; nang d'Hand gäh, sich die Hände reichen, to hold hands; häufet nang, helft einander, help one another; näbenang, nebeneinander, side by side; mitenang, miteinander, together; dürenang, durcheinander, pell-mell; binang, (also binenang), beeinander, together; hingerenang, hintereinander, behind each other; nachenang, nacheinander, after each other; vonenang, voneinander, apart from each other; also enang, enand; löht enang losii, laßet einander in Frieden, leave each other alone

 

Näpi,  name

Bonaparte, Napoleon (1769-1821); he who walked right over us, and thereby changed things; the one they meant when they said Pfiifelampenöu! (vive l'Empereur!); vergl. also Engl. nap (Napoleon) in card games

 

Näschthöck,  m.,

Nesthäkchen, youngest of the brood, baby of the family

 

Naselumpe,  m.,

Taschentuch, n., handkerchief; see also Fazolettli

 

Nastüechli,  n.,

Taschentuch, n., handkerchief

 

Negeli,  n.,

kleiner Nagel, m., small nail; if larger, it is Nagu, m.; and if it's Nägeli, it's a carnation, q.v.

 

nei,  adv.,

nein, no; aber nei! nicht doch! no, indeed! nenei, adv., bestimmt nicht, certainly not; jo nei, eigentlich nicht, actually not

 

Nenny,  n.,

Großmutter, f., grandma; sometimes also mother; vergl. English nanny

 

nid,  adv.,

nicht, not; i weises nid, ich weiß es nicht, I don't know it; gar nid, durchaus nicht, by no means, not at all, not in the least; nid emou, nicht einmal, not even; nid wohr? nicht wahr? isn't it? also pronounced nit, for emphasis: I wott nit

 

Nidle,  f.,

Sahne f., cream; gschwungni  Nidle, Schlagsahne, f. Schlagrahm, m., whipped cream; Nidle schwinge, Sahne schlagen, to whip cream

 

nidsi,  adv.,

abwärts, downward, downwards; nidsi loufe macht eim ou müed, abwärts gehen macht auch müde, walking downhill is also tiring; opposite of absi, q.v.

 

niemee,  adv.,

nie wieder, never again, nunca mas; see also nümme

 

niemer,  pron.,

niemand, nobody; also niemert, s'het's niemer ghört, keiner hat es gehört, no one heard it, which is what my great-grandfather said when he forgot to ring the churchbells in Erlinsbach, (Schpöiz, q.v.)

 

niene,  adv.,

nirgends, nowhere, anywhere; s'het niene keni, es hat nirgends welche, there aren't any anywhere

 

no,  adv.,

noch, still, yet; no hüt, noch heute, this very day; no nie, noch nie, never before; noni, noch nicht, not yet; nomou, nochmals, once more; no öppis? noch etwas? anything else?; was wotsch no meh? (also was wottisch no?), was möchtest du noch? what more do you want?

 

nobis,  adv.,

nein, no; a definite Bernese no in the spirit of nothin' doin', keineswegs

 

noche,  adj., pref., prep.,

in the expression s'isch noche, es ist an der Zeit, it is time; s'wär öppe wider noche, dass zum Gwafför giengsch, du solltest mal wieder zum Friseur, it's about time for you to go to the barber;

also used as prefix with many verbs and some nouns, in the sense of the German nach; chunsch noche? kriegst du das mit? do you get it?; mach's noche! mach du's! you try it!; one could also say machs nah, which is what they guy who built the Berner Münster said;

as a prep. it is pronounced nach, as in German); nach zwänzg Minute, nach 20 Minuten, after (in) 20 minutes; nach Bärn, Richtung Bern, to Berne

​

nochechoo,  v.i.,

begreifen, mitbekommen, to get it, to stay on message

 

nochegä, v.i.,

zugestehen, gewähren, nachgeben, einwilligen, to yield, to give in, to consent, to acquiesce; also in the sense of lindern, to abate, dr Schmärz het nocheggäh, die Schmerzen haben sich gelindert, the pain abated

 

nocheloh, v.i.,

nachlassen, to give up, to flag, to decline; är het nochegloh, er kommt von Kräften, he is declining

​

nocheluege,  v.t.,

nachsehen, to look up; muesch es im Lexikon nocheluege, du mußt es im Lexikon nachschlagen, look it up in the encyclopedia; see also luege

​

nochemache, v.t.,

nachmachen, nachahmen, to copy, to imitate, to mimic

 

nohdisnoh,  adv.,

nach und nach, little by little, gradually

 

nöime,  adv.,

irgendwo, somewhere; mir si nöimenanders häre, wir gingen anderswo hin, we went somewhere else

 

nonemou, adv.

nochmals, abermals, once again, once more; see also under no

 

noni, contr., adv.

noch nicht, not yet; see also under no

 

noosche,  v.i.

stöbern, wühlen, fummeln, durcheinanderbringen, to rummage, to fumble, to mix up; inere Schublade noosche, in einer Schublade nach etwas suchen, to fumble for something in a drawer; see also Gnoosch

 

Nöötli, n.,

geringwertige Banknote, f., low-denomination bill, Föifernöötli, n., 5-Frank bill., n., abwertigerweise auch Hunderter-Nöötli, n., also, depreciatorily, 100 Frank Note

 

Noudi,  m.,

Arnold

​

Nöugg,  m.,

Narr, m., fool; vergl. French narguer, v.t.; Nöuggerei, f., Narrenspiel, n., japery

 

nöugge,  v.t.,

zum Narren halten, zum Besten halten, täuschen, verspotten, to trick, to fool, to taunt, to make a fool of, to jape

 

nuele, v.i.,

wühlen, herumstöbern, durchsuchen, to rummage

 

Nuggi,  m.,

Schnuller, m., Lutscher, m., Pacifier, soother (Canadien English); pl. Nuggine; also: dä het dr Nuggi usegschpöit, er hat das Zeitliche gesegnet, he kicked the bucket; nuggele, nuckeln, to suck

 

nume,  adv. part.,

nur, only; machit nume, laßt euch nicht stören, don't let us disturb you; nume hüt, nur heute, only today; nume no, nur noch, only; göht numenafe, geht schon, go already

 

nümme,  adv.,

nicht mehr, nimmermehr, no more

 

Nummero,  n.,

Nummer, f., number; also Nummere, f.; vergl. Italian numero; es Telefon Nummero, eine Telephon Nummer, a phone number

 

nürze,  vi.,

greinen, quengeln, motzen, to whine, to moan; reminds you of someone continually asking for the nurse

 

nüschele,  v.i.,

nuscheln, undeutlich sprechen, näseln, to slur one's words, to speak through the nose, to mumble; a Nüscheli, m., jemand, der näselt, one who speaks with a nasal twang

 

Nussgipfu,  m.,

mit Nussteig gefülltes Gebäck in Form eines Croissants; a pastry in crescent shape, filled with a nut-based mass; try it, you'll like it; see also Gipfeli

 

Nüssler,  m.,

Feldsalat, m., (Valerianella locusta), a type of field lettuce, lamb’s lettuce; Nüsslisalat, a salad made thereof; Fr. mâche, f., also doucette, raipouce, Rapunzel

nüüt,  indef. pron.,

nichts, nothing; dasch nüüt für me, das geht mir nicht, that's not for me; für nüüt und wider nüüt, für nichts und wieder nichts, for no earthly reason; nüüt für unguet, Verzeihung!, don't take it amiss; es macht nüüt, es macht nichts, never mind; dasch de nümme nüüt! das ist bemerkenswert! that's really something!

 

Nüüteli, n.,

in the expression ‚es goldigs Nüüteli‘, ein goldenes Nichts, a golden nothing

 

nüütelig, adj.,

wertlos, schal, dürftig, worthless, cheap, flimsy

O

O

öb,  conj.,

ob, if, whether; öb's wohr sig, ob es wahr sei, if it be true

 

Obe,  m.,

Abend, m., evening; pl. Öbe; zObe, in the evening; see also Zobe; not related to obe (adv.) which has a short o and means oben, above, overhead

 

obedri, adv.,

oben hinein, into the top; (the German adv. obendrein means over and above, in addition)

 

obedüre, adv., sep. pref.,

oben entlang, auf der oberen Seite, along the top, over

 

obenabe,  adv., sep. pref.,

von oben nach unten, von oben herab, from high to low, from up above; also a variation of the Swiss card game Jass

 

obenine,  adv.,

obenhinein, in der Höhe, over us, in higher reagions; obenine het's gschneit, in higher elevations it snowed

 

obsi,  adv.,

aufwärts, upward, upwards

 

Obsifrisuur,  f.,

eine nach oben gerichtete Frisur; a hair-do built upwards, as our mothers liked it in the twenties and thirties

 

Occasion,  f.,

Gelegenheit, f., Gebrauchtartikel, secondhand object; anOccasion, ein Gebrauchtartikel, m., a secondhand item; pl. Occasione

 

Ohregrübler,  m.,

Ohrwurm, m., earwig

 

Öili,  n.,

Öse, f., eyelet; vergl. French oeillet; Häftli und Öili, Haken, m. und Ösen, f.pl., hook and eye

 

öis,  pers. pron.,

see üs

 

Oktoberli,  n. pl.,

Herbstastern, f., Michaelmas-daisies; aster amellus, etc.

​

Ooschterglogge, f.,

Narzisse, f., daffodil; lit. “Easter bell”

​

öppe,  adv., emotive part.

ungefähr, etwa, irgend, gelegentlich, approximately, occasionally; het öppenöpper öppis wöue? wollte etwa jemand was? did perchance anybody want anything?; me mues haut öppe go luege, man muß halt von Zeit zu Zeit nachsehen, one has to keep an eye on it from time to time; öppe zwänzg, ungefähr zwanzig, about twenty

 

öppedie,  adv.,

gelegentlich, von Zeit zu Zeit, at times, occasionally; är isch öppedie verbicho, er kam gelegentlich vorbei, he came by from time to time

 

öppeneinisch,  adv.,

gelegentlich, von Zeit zu Zeit, at times, occasionally; muesch öppeneinisch Öu wächsle, from time to time you have to do an oil change

 

öpper,  indef. pron.,

jemand, somebody; bi öpperem vorbigoh, jemanden besuchen, to go see somebody

 

öppis,  indef. pron.,

etwas, something; wotsch öppis? möchtest du was? do you want something

 

Orangsche,  f.,

Apfelsine, f., Orange, f., orange

 

orangschig,  adj.,

orangenfarbig, orange; anorangschige Pulover, m., eine orangene (orange-coloured) Strickjacke, f., an orange sweater; the German word for orange is Apfelsine, f., since oranges are not indigenous to Germany, but it is gradually being replaced by Orange, f., as is the case for Pampelmuse/Grapefruit

 

ordlig,  adj.,

ordentlich, orderly, proper; sig ordlig! benimm dich! behave!; related to the expression heb Ornig, q.v.; a mildly repressive word at the beginning, but with great potential for a more intrusiv Swissness; adv., really, properly; ziemlich; es isch ordli (or ordlig, or ordeli) heiss hüt, ziemlich heiss heute, it's rather hot today

 

Ornig,  f.,

Ordnung, f., order; Ornig mache, to clean up; heb Ornig! benimm dich! behave!; see also ordlig

​

Otti, m.,

Otto

 

ou,  adv.,

auch, also, too; chunsch ou? kommst du auch mit? are you coming along as well?; ou das no, auch das noch, and now this too; du ou! du auch! same to you!; ig ou nid, ich auch nicht, neither am I; worum de ou? warum denn auch? what for?

 

Ougschte,  m.,

August

 

Outöli,  n.,

kleines Auto, small car; es munzigs Outöli, ein ganz kleines Auto, a very small car

P

P

pfupfe,  v.i.,

dumpf detonieren, to make a puffing, thumping sound; Pfupf, m., Bums, m., thump; vergl. German puffen, whence some more vulgar meanings

 

pfurre,  v.i.,

ziellos umherhasten; to fart around, to scurry; Pfurri, m., he who so comports himself; see also aapfurre

 

Pfuus,  m.,

Elektrischer Strom, m., electrical current; the term is used mainly by electricians (other people say Schtroom)

 

Pfuuscht,  f.,

Faust, f., fist; further east also Fuuscht; Pfuuscht mache, die Faust machen, to make a fist; pfuuschte, v.i., fig. wettern, toben to curse, to hit the table with the fist); also fuuschte

 

pfuuse,  v.i., coll.

schlafen, to sleep; slang, otherwise schloofe; vergl. Italian far le fusa, to purr

 

Pfuusibacke,  f.,

Pausbacken, f., chubby cheeks (as on a cherub), blowzy cheeks; vergl. German pusten

 

Pinggu, m.,

Lümmel, m., lout, prick; Pinggeli, n.,dim.

 

Pinte, f.,

Schenke, f., tavern; if it is a small place, it may be a Pintli, n.

 

Pintli,  n.,

Kännchen, n., small can; Ööupintli, n., oil can; vergl. English pint

 

Pischama,  n.,

Schlafanzug, m., pajamas, (sometimes pyjamas); accent can be on the i or the first a

 

Pitöterli,  n.,

Feuerzeug, n., lighter; from French peut-être

 

plampe,  v.i.,

baumeln, bammeln, herabhängen, to dangle, to hang, to sway; hin und här plampe, to swing back and forth

​

Plämpu,  m.,

Pendel, n. or m., pendulum; but a Pendeluhr, pendulum-clock, is a Pandüle, from French pendule, f.

 

plange,  v.i.,

ungeduldig erwarten, ersehnen, to long for, to await impatiently; uf öpper plange, jemanden mit Sehnsucht erwarten, to long for someone

 

plantsche,  v.i.,

planschen, to splash

 

pläre,  v.i.,

weinen, to weep, to blubber; evokes a little more pity than brüele, q.v.; vergl. French pleurer, German plärren (rare)

 

Platsch,  m.,

Schuß (Wasser), m., splash (of water); in German used as an interjection: platsch!, splash!; in Swiss a noun describing a dash of spilled liquid, or the sound of it happening; see also Gutsch

 

platschvou, adj.,

bis zum Rande voll, full to the brim; platschvoll

 

Plättli,  n., s. and pl.,

Fliese f., Kachel, f., tile, paving stone, m.; Plättlibode, m., Fliesenfußboden, m., tiled floor

 

plegere,  v.i.,

faulenzen, fläzen, sich ausstrecken, to lounge, to loll, to loaf

 

Remember the fabulous poem by August Kopish:

 

Wie war zu Köln es doch vordem

Mit Heinzelmännchen so bequem!

Denn, war man faul, man legte sich

Hin auf die Bank und pflegte sich.

 

(How neat it was in days of yore

When elves looked after every chore!

If you felt lazy any day

You went to bed and dreamt away)

 

That’s plegere.

vergl. German Lager, n., lägerig, bettlägerig

 

Plouderi, m.,

Plauderer, m., Schwätzer, m., Plaudertasche f., chatterbox, blab

 

Pnö,  m.,

Reifen, m., tire, elsewhere tyre; from French pneu, m.

 

Pöili,  m.,

Paul

 

Pomerli,  n.,

eine dicke, kurze Person, f., a stout, short person (endearingly); vergl. French pomme

 

pöpperle,  v.i.,

pochen, to knock; but gently, as on a window rather than on a door; also böpperle

 

Portmonee,  n.,

Geldbeutel, m. wallet; from French Porte-monnaie, m.

 

Poschettli,  n.,

Taschentuch, n., pocket handkerchief; vergl. French pochette

 

poschte,  v.i.,

Einkäufe machen, to shop (groceries); gosch go poschte? gehst du einkaufen? are you going shopping?

 

Pöschteler,  m.,

Briefträger, m., Postbote, m., postman, mailman; isch dr Pöschteler scho choo? war der Briefträger schon hier? has the mailman been here?

 

Poschterli,  n.,

Vogelscheuche, f., Popanz, m., scarecrow; perhaps because one posts it in fields; see also Haaghuuri

 

potztuusig!, int.

ei der Tausend! wow!

 

Pöueli,  n.,

Pille, f., pill

 

prägle,  v.i.,

prasseln, crackle, to patter, to rattle, as of hail against a window, or the sound produced by spilling a bucket of nuts on the kitchen floor; v.t., braten (in einer Pfanne), to fry (in a skillet)

 

Präglete, f.,

ein Haufen, m., eine Menge, f., a great number of, a lot; a ganzi Präglete, ein Haufen, jede Menge, a whole heap, lots; see also Schwetti, which is similar but wetter

 

Pralinee,  n.,

Praline, f., chocolates; accent on the a (in German on the i); e Schachtle Pralinee, eine Schachtel Pralinen, a box of chocolates; vergl. French praline, f. (silent e)

 

preiche,  v.t.,

treffen, to strike, to hit; het's di preicht? hat es dich getroffen, did you get hit?; mir heis guet preicht, wir hatten Glück, we were lucky; vergl. German Bereich, m.; Preichi, f., Treffsicherheit, f., accuracy of aim; Preichi ha, Treffsicherheit haben, to have good aim; hesch ke Preichi? kannst du das Ziel nicht treffen? can't you hit the target?

 

prichte, v.t.,

erzählen, berichten, mitteilen, to recount, to tell (a story); Prichti, m., Schwätzer, m., talker; see also Plouderi; also brichte

 

Pur,  m.,

Bauer, m., farmer; Purli, n., kleiner Bauer, small farmer; also Bauer in a deck of cards

 

purlimunter,  adj.,

putzmunter, quicklebendig, chipper, lively, wide awake, vivacious

 

Purscht,  m.,

Bursche, m., youth, fellow; in age between e Bueb and a Maa

 

Putsch,  m.,

Puff, m., Knuff, m., Stoß, m., cuff, push, shove; putsche, v.t., stoßen, to shove; eim a Putsch gäh, jemanden knuffen, to cuff someone; vergl. German Putsch, which means, however, coup or uprising

 

putze,  v.t.,

putzen, to clean; also fig. är het em eis putzt, er hat ihn verkloppt, he hit him; wenn dä Droht aalängsch de putzt's dr eis, wenn du diesen Draht berührst, kriegst du einen Schlag, if you touch this wire you will get a shock; und wennd Päch hesch, de putzt's di grad, und wenn du Pech hast, bist du tot, and if you are unlucky, you're dead; also in the sense of to win, gewinnen: hesch putzt? hast du gewonnen? did you win? (fig. did you clean up)

 

Putzete, f.,

Reinigung, f., Reinemachen, n., cleaning; Früeligsputzete, f., Frühlingreinigung, f., jährliche Reinigung, Spring cleaning

 

püüsse, v.t.,

flitzen, schnellen, schnippen, to flick; vergl. French pousser; zum Beispiel das Schnippen der Spielmarken beim Flohspiel, for instance the flicking of the chips in the children’s game Tiddledy Winks

Q

Q

Quittebäschtli,  n. pl.,

see Chüttenebäschtli

R

R

Rääbe,  f.,

Steckrübe,f., Bodenkohlrabi, m., weiße Rübe, turnip, rape; also used for rutabaga (yellow turnip)

 

Rabättli,  n.,

Geiferlätzchen, n., bib; see also Ässmänteli; also Rabatte, f., Blumenbeet, n., Zierbeet, n., flower-bed, flower-border

 

rabauzig,  adj.,

unbändig, lärmig, unruly, noisy; e rabauzigi Bandi, eine lärmige Bande, a noisy gang; vergl. German Rabatz, m., rabantern, v.i.

 

Räbeliechtli,  n. pl.,

Laternen aus ausgehöhlten Rüben, lanterns made from hollowed turnips; Räbeliechtliumzug, m., Lichter-Umzug von Rübenlaternen, a cortège of turnip-lanterns

 

räble,  v.i.,

lärmen, to romp, to make a racket (when you shouldn't); hör uf räble! sei bloß still! stop this racket!

 

Räbu,  m.,

abgemagerte Person, unterentwickeltes Wesen, skinny person, underdeveloped animal or plant; Räbeli, n., armes Wesen, n., wretch; verräble, v.i., darben, erliegen, to succumb, to famish

 

Räf,  n.,

Reff, n., Traggestell, n., frame for carrying loads on the back; vergl. Engl. raft; also used to describe an overly aggressive and irritating person, a shrew, ein Zankteufel, m.

 

rägele,  v.i.,

nieseln, leicht regnen, to drizzle, to rain lightly and steadily; rägne, v.i., regnen, to rain; Räge, m., Regen, m., rain; Rägeschirm, m., Schirm, m., umbrella

 

Raglete,  f.,

ein Haufen, m., eine Menge, f., a lot, a heap; die hei e ganzi Raglete Chind, sie haben eine ganze Reihe Kinder, they have a whole gang of kids

 

rämple,  v.i.,

sich beklagen, reklamieren, to complain, to object; see also aarämple, v.t.; vergl. German rempeln, which is, however, more physical (to jostle, to shove

 

Rande,  f.,

Rübe, f., Bete, f., beetroot; this is the edible red beet (Beta vulgaris)

 

rangge,  v.i.,

sich hin- und herbewegen, sich winden, unruhig sein, to squirm, to wriggle, to fidget; hör uuf rangge! bleib still! sit still!; a Ranggi, m., ein Zappelfritz, m., one who cannot sit still, a fidget

 

rangschiere,  v.t.,

rangieren, to shunt, to switch, (as in Rangierbahnhof, switching yard, marshalling yard); from French ranger, to arrange, but the French call it trier, as in gare de triage; see also usrangschiere

 

ränke,  v.t.,

steuern, to steer; vergl. German Rank, m.; dr Rank finde, eine Lösung finden, to find a way

 

Rappe,  m.,

Centime, m., Schweizer Pfennig, m., Swiss cent; also a black horse, German Rappen, m.; a white horse would be Schimmu, m., German Schimmel, m., (if dappled = Öpfuschimmu, Apfelschimmel)

 

räre,  v.i.,

das R rollen (in der Kehle), to roll one's R (gutturally); considered desirable in German, but somewhat odd in Swiss

 

räss,  adj.,

scharf gewürzt, pikant, hot (spicy), piquant; fig. scharf, caustic; vergl. German dialect resch

 

rätsche, v.i., v.t.,

petzen, verpetzen, verraten, to rat, to snitch, to tell tales; also verrätsche, q.v.

 

recke,  v.i.,

in combinations such as icherecke, hineinreichen, to reach in; uferecke, hochreichen, to reach up; from German reichen, v.t.

 

Redli,  n.,

Rädchen, n., Rad, n., small wheel, wheel; dä het es Redli ab, dem fehlt eine Schraube, he is not quite there; one can also say Rad, pl. Reder; (pl. of Redli is Redli); vergl. German Rädchen, n. s. and pl., and Rad, n., pl. Räder

​

refüsiere, v.t.,

ablehnen, zurückweisen, verweigern, nicht akzeptieren, to refuse, to not accept; Briefe oder Pakete zurückweisen; to refuse to accept mail; vergl. French refuser

 

Regänt,  m.,

jemand der gerne befiehlt, bully; vergl. German Regent

 

reifle, v.t.,

den Reif schlagen, mit dem Reifen spielen, radeln, v.i., to trundle or drive a hoop, to play with a hoop; fig. uf Aarau reifle, rasch nach Aarau gehen, to make a quick trip to Aarau

 

reise,  v.i.,

steuern, to steer; also in the usual German sense of reisen, to travel

 

Rhüme,  m.,

Schnupfen, m., a cold (in the medical sense); vergl. French rhume, m.

 

rible,  v.t.,

schrubben, scheuern, to scour, to scrub

 

ribse,  v.t.,

scheuern, schaben, kratzen, to chafe, to grate, to abrade; vergl. German reiben, which is, however, a less irritating action

 

Ribu,  m.,

Dutt, m., Chignon, m., coil of hair, French roll (of hair), bun (of hair); perhaps from French rebours

 

ring,  adj.,

mühelos, easy; mitem Kompiuter isch's ringer, mit dem Computer ist es leichter, it's easier with the computer; sgoht ring vo dr Hand, die Arbeit geht leicht von der Hand, the work progresses easily; perhaps from gering, trifling

 

ringhörig,  adj.,

hellhörig, poorly soundproofed; ringhörigi Wänd und Böde, walls and floors that let noise pass; a ringhörigi Wonig, eine schlecht abgedichtete Wohnung, a poorly soundproofed apartment; (hellhörig also means alert, as in hellwach)

 

Rittigampfi,  n.,

Wippe, f., Schaukelpferd, n., see-saw, rocking-horse

 

Rittiseili,  n.,

Seilschaukel, f., Gautsche, f., swing

 

Rittwägeli, n.,

zweirädriger, einsitziger Einspänner, sulky (a two-wheeled carriage, one horse, one rider)

 

Röbi,  m.,

Robert

 

rode,  v.t.,

1. rühren, umrühren, to stir; vergl. French

   roder

2. roden, to root out, to clear a wood to

   make it arable

 

Röiu,  m.,

Kater, m., tom-cat; see also Moudi

 

röndle,  v.t.,

worfeln, to winnow, die Spreu vom Weizen scheiden, to separate the wheat from the chaff; it is done on a Röndle, f. (after threshing), Worfel, f., a big boxy machine on which you turn a crank which turns a big fan and rattles a set of graded sieves underneath, as a result of which things sort themselves out quite nicely, thank you, but you do get buffeted with dust; I think they call it Raundel, f., in the Schwarzwald, and if you can prove it you get honourable mentionl

 

Roof,  m.,

Schorf, m., scab (of wound)

​

Rootbrüschtli, n.,

Rotkehlchen, n., a familiar bird, (erithacus rubecula), sometimes called european robin; but much smaller than the American robin (turdus migratorius);  (there is a Rotbrüstchen, in German, but it is a south american Kolibri)

 

Rootchrutt,  n.,

Rotkohl, m., red cabbage; also Rootchabis, m.

 

rösch,  adj.,

gar geröstet, well roasted

 

Röschti,  f.,

Röstkartoffeln, f., Bratkartoffeln nach Schweizer Art, hash browns;

 

How to make:

Use coarsly grated raw or boiled potatoes (if raw, dry the grated potatoes by wringing them out in a dishtowel) salt them, and fry them in a generous tad of Anke (q.v.) at low heat, covered with an upside down plate, no stirring, about 30 minutes. When done, flip onto the plate that you used as cover, in one fell swoop, and serve using a spoon upside down to cut out the portions, while muttering "sisch nume Röschti"; don't tell anybody about the garlic.

​

Rösi,  n.,

Rosa; Rosie (the Riveter), Roz

​

Ross,  n.,

Pferd, n., horse; s'Ross aaspanne, das Pferd anschirren, to hitch the horse; the German Pferd is not much used in Swiss, except in the word Schtäckepfärd, n., Steckenpferd, hobby-horse, hobby; Rössligschirr, n., Pferdegeschirr, n., harness, equipage; a Pfärd, n., in Swiss, is a pommel-horse, the vaulting-horse thing with two handles, where gymnasts toil

 

Rösslischpüu,  n.,

Karussell, n., merry-go-round; also said of the brass in the army, because of all the golden trimming and braiding, see möschig, or of the upper management of a corporation; (in the old days, a Rösslischpüu was sometimes also called a Rittschueu, eine Reitschule)

 

rötuur,  n.,

in the expression Rötuurbiliee, eine Fahrkarte hin und zurück, a return trip ticket; vergl. French un billet aller et retour; rötuur, adv., zurück, coming back; das chunt aus rötuur, das kommt alles wieder, it will all come back (to be fixed); Rötuure, f. pl., the things that were returned

 

Röueli,  n.,

Rolle, f., roller, spool, roll; röuele, v.i., v.t., rollen, to roll; see also Rugeli, and rugele

 

rubelig,  adj.,

geriffelt, rippled, corrugated, dimpled; Golfbäueli si rubelig; Golfbälle sind geriffelt

 

rübis und schtübis,  adv.,

radikal, gänzlich, völlig, radically, completely, totally; mit Haut und Haar, mit Stumpf und Stiel,  d'Chüngu hei dr Salaat rübis und schtübis ufgfrässe, die Kaninchen haben den Salat mit Stumpf und Stiel aufgefressen, the rabbits got the lettuce to the last leaf; also mit Chrut und Schteu

 

Rüebli,  n.,

Karotten, f., carrots; Rüebliturte, f., Karotten-Torte, f.,  Karotten Kuchen, carrot cake

 

Ruech,  m.,

Grobian, m., Raufbold, m., ruffian, bully, brawler, hooligan; rueche, v.i., ungestüm handeln, to act violently; see also ruuch; Wildfang, m.

 

rugele,  v.t., v.i.,

rollen, to roll; dervo rugele, weg rollen, to roll away

 

Rugeli,  n.,

see also Röueli, a cylindrical object capable of rolling away; at times said of persons so shaped

 

ruggle, v.t.,

ruckeln, hin und her wackeln

 

Rume, m.,

Ranft, m., Brotkruste, f., crust of bread; see also Brotrauft

 

Rumpf,  m.,

Runzel, f., Falte, f., wrinkle, fold; German Rumpf, m., means trunk, torso

 

rumpusurig,  adj.,

grantig, unwirsch, mürrisch, brummig, grumpy, huffy, cross, irritable, touchy; also rumpelsurig

 

rumpuusse,  v.i.,

sich herumbalgen, to romp, to roughhouse; Rumpuussine, m., those who do it; a playful kind of wrestling; said mainly of children; accent is on the first u; vergl. French pousser

 

Rundumeli,  n., (language for the young)

Kreis, m., circle;

 

Runggle,  f.,

Runkelrübe, f., beet; the kind used for silage

 

rünne,  v.i.,

lecken, Wasser durchlassen, rinnen, to leak

 

rüte, v.t.,

roden, to clear woodland for cultivation

 

ruuch,  adj.,

rauh, grob, derb, rough, rude, coarse

 

Ruuchbroot,  n.,

Schwarzbrot, n., dark bread; vergl. German rauh

 

Ruuschi, f.,

Wehr, n., weir, low dam across a river

S

S

s, def.art.,

das, the; s Wätter, das Wetter, the weather; s Beetli, Elizabeth, s Gouche Marie, Marie, welche bei Gauch arbeitet, Mary who is working at the Gauch's; s'guete Service, das bessere Geschirr, the better china

 

s, pers. Pron.

es, she, it; s chunt cho rägne, es gibt Regen, it will rain; s het sträng, sie hat viel Arbeit, she is working hard

 

saage,  v.t.,

sägen, to saw; houz saage, Holz sägen, to saw wood, also fig. for schnarchen, to snore

 

Saagi, f.,

Säge, f., saw; Sägerei, f., sawmill

 

säb,  dem. pron.,

jenes, selbes, that one; also säub; säb schtimmt, jenes ist wahr, that's true; vergl. German selbig, adj., or selb, adj.; säbzit, adv., damals, at that time

 

sädere,  v.t.,

in the expression lo sädere, fallen lassen, fahren lassen, to drop, to let slip; i ha müesse s'Wäschpi abwehre, drum hani der Fruchtsalat lo sädere, ich mußte den Wespen wehren, darum ließ ich den Fruchtsalat fallen, I had to chase off the wasps, which is why I dropped the fruit-salad

 

säge,  v.t.,

sagen, to say, tell; (säge is sagen, to say, but sage is sägen, to saw); was Dir nit säget! was Ihr nicht sagt! You don't say! sozäge, adj., sozusagen, so to speak, as it were; öpperem wüescht säge, jemanden rügen, to tell someone off, to reprimand someone

 

Sägeze,  f.,

Sense, f., scythe; i mues go d'Sägeze dängele, süsch hout si de nüüt, ich muß die Sense dengeln, sonst haut sie nicht, I have to beat the scythe, otherwise it won't cut; (dängele is dengeln, v.t., to hammer on an anvil; wetze is wetzen, v.t., to whet, to sharpen with a whetstone, Wetzstein, m.)

 

sali,  int.,

Hallo! hi!; familiar greeting; also salü; vergl. French salut!

​

Samichlaus,  m.,

St. Niklaus, m., Santa Claus; pl. Samichlöis; his companion is Schmutzli. It may puzzle you why it is Santa and not Santo, since he has a beard. Fact is, however, that he is neither Italian nor Spanish, but Dutch, where he is Sinterklaas, sint meaning saint, and klaas Nicholas, and the ending a is a phonetic relic of the ending er.

 

Samschtig,  m.,

Samstag, Saturday; also Samschti

 

sandele,  v.i.,

im Sand spielen, to play in the sand; Sandchaschte, m., Sandkasten, sand-box

 

Sänkloch, n.,

Ablauf, m., Dole., stormdrain entry, gully

 

särbele,  v.i.,

verkümmern, to waste away, to languish; also versärbele, dahinsiechen, to waste away; said more often of a plant than of a person

​

sauglatt, adj.,

urkomisch, ausgelassen lustig, hilarious, rollicking funny

 

Schaaggi,  m.,

Jacques, Jack

 

Schabi,  m., coll.

Haarschneider, m., barber

 

Schabziger,  m.,

Glarner Kräuterkäse, m., a spiced cheese from Glaris; really not edible unless mixed with Anke, in the humble opinion of an outsider

 

schaffe,  v.i.,

arbeiten, to work, to toil; go schaffe, zur Arbeit gehen, to go to work; German schaffen would be 'erschaffe' in Swiss (to create); see also gschaffig

 

schäffele,  v.i.,

müßig arbeiten, nicht ernsthaft arbeiten, to slack, to work lazily, to make believe you are working; see also blöterle

 

Schaft,  m.,

Schrank, m., cupboard, closet; Chleiderschaft, m., Kleiderschrank, m., clothes closet; pl. Schäft

 

Schägg,  m.,

Schecke, f., piebald or dappled animal; Schwizerschägg, m., eine gescheckte Kuh, a checkered cow; see also gschägget

 

Schalee,  n.,

Sennhütte, f., chalet

 

Schämeli,  n.,

Schemelchen, n., foot-stool

 

schampar,  adv.,

äußerst, schrecklich, schauderhaft, extremely, awfully; from German schandbar, but with changed meaning; es tuet schampar weh, es mach grauenhaft weh, it hurts terribly

 

Schang,  m.,

Hans, John; vergl. French Jean

 

Schänkeli,  n. sing. and pl.,

süßes Gebäck für Weihnachtszeit und Fastnacht, sweet cookies for Christmas and Mardi Gras. Vergl. German Schenkel, m., thigh

 

How to make:

Whip 100 g butter, 250 g sugar, and 4 eggs, add a shot of Kirsch, 2 tbsp of cream or sour cream, pinch of salt and some lemon zest; mix with 250 to 300 g flour; rest dough to cool over night; roll to finger-size and point like a cigar at both ends; cook floating in medium hot oil (170 C) until golden; not too fast, or they will be brown outside and raw inside, not too slowly or they will be too fat; use a bland oil, vegetable, peanut, not olive; cookies should burst slightly; don't eat them, give them away.

 

schärbele,  v.i.,

klirren, das Geräusch zerbrechenden Glases, to clatter, the sound of breaking glass; auch zur Beschreibung von etwas das in Stücke fällt; used also to describe something that's going to pieces; jetz hets gschärbelet, jetzt ist es geschehen, now it went wrong

 

Schärme,  m.,

Obdach, n., Shelter; am Schärme, im Trockenen, n., out of the rain; vergl. German Schirm, Italian schermo

 

Schatzebohne,  f.,

süßes Kind, sweat pea (fig.); one of the very few freebie Swiss terms of endearment; application normally limited to female infants of less than 10 kg gross weight

 

Schätzeli,  n.,

Schatz, m., sweetheart, love, darling; see also Gschpusi;

 

Es chunnt e Bär.

Wo chunnt er här?

Wo wott er uus?

Is Schätzelis Huus!

 

Schäueli,  n.,

kleine Glocke, kleine Kuhglocke, small bell, small cowbell; schäue, v.t., v.i., to ring a bell; schäuele, v.t., v.i., to ring a small bell; sTelefon schäuet, das Telephon läutet, the phone is ringing; vergl. German Schelle, f., schellen

 

schederle,  v.t.,

in Scheiben schneiden, to slice

 

Schederli,  n.,

kleine Scheibe, f., small slice; es Schederli Wurscht, a small slice of sausage; see also Schnifeli

 

Scheiche,  m., (vulg.)

Bein, n., leg; normally called Bei, n.

 

Scheidwegge,  m.,

Keil, m., wedge; a wedge used to split logs

 

Scheieli,  n.,

Latte, f., Pfahl, m., f., Spindel, f., stake, slat, spindle; Gartehaagscheieli, n., Gartenhaglatte, f., garden fence stake (slat)

 

Scheseli,  n.,

zweisitziger Einspänner, m., mit Verdeck, victoria, gig, two-seater buggy, covered, (as in horse and buggy); vergl. French chaise; there were many names for different types of these conveyances, or drays, such as Rittwägeli (one or two horses), Cabriole(t), Caleeschli (French calèche), Landauerli, Landau, phaeton) and even Gutsche (coach, for weddings and festivals); likewise there were many names for different farm vehicles, such as Leiterwage (for hay, with sides like a ladder), Brüggiwage (with a flat carrying bed, a Brücke, so to speak, between the axles), Bockwage (flatbed wagon with a driver's seat, called a Bocksitz), Bänne, q.v.

 

schibischäbi, int.,

pfui, shame on you; also wertlos, shabby

​

schiesse,  v.t.,

werfen, schmeißen, to throw, to fling; furtschiesse, wegwerfen, to throw away; eim öppis noche-schiesse, jemandem etwas hinterherwerfen, to throw something after somebody; also used in the sense of the German meaning, schießen, to shoot

 

schigge,  v.t.,

kauen, priemen, to chew tobacco; Schigg, m., Priem, m., tobacco plug; vergl. French chique, f.

 

Schii,  m.,

Ski, m., ski; schiifahre, v.i., skilaufen, skifahren, to ski

 

schiints,  adj.,

angeblich, scheinbar, reportedly, apparently; said with a hint of disbelief; es sig schiints i dr Ornig, es sei angeblich in Ordnung, it is supposed to be alright

 

Schileh,  n.,

Weste, f., vest; vergl. French gilet

 

Schindti,  f.,

Haut, f., Rinde, f., Schale. f., skin, peel, rind; Härdöpfuschindti, Kartoffelschale, f., potatoe peel; Wurschtschindti, f., Wursthaut, f., Sausage peel; see also Hüutschele

 

schiniere,  v.t., v.r.,

lästig sein, sich in Verlegenheit bringen, to inconvenience, to embarrass, to bother; schinierts di? stört es dich? does it bother you?; unschiniert, adj., adv., nicht schüchtern, ohne zu zögern, not bashful, brash; vergl. French gêner

 

schiter,  adj., adv.,

armselig, poorly, janky; däm goht's schiter, es geht ihm ärmlich, he is doing poorly; vergl. German schütter (which describes sparse hair)

 

Schiterbiigi, f.,

Scheiterhaufen, pile of chopped wood

 

Schitli,  n.,

Scheit, n., log; Schitli mache, Holz spaleten, to chop wood,

 

schlängge,  v.t.,

schlenkern, to swing, to dangle, to fling, to toss; also v.r., eim schlängge, herumgewirbelt werden, to be taken for a loop; see also Schlänggerlig

 

Schlänggerlig,  m.,

Schimpfname, m., Spitzname, m., beleidigender Übername, m., rude name, insulting nickname, slur; eim a Schlänggerlig aahänke, jemanden beschimpfen, to call someone names; also Schlötterlig, m.; the Viking word for nickname was slengenamm, in Old Norse, presumably used to insult enemies before battle. An English account of the Trojan War written in 1400 mentions "the bolde wordes that he [Aeneas] did sclyng", when wary of his enemy before the battle.  Mud-slinging is related, and when you go from sling and slung to slang, you arrive at a metaphor for language other than the Queen's.

 

schlargge,  v.i.,

sudeln, verschmieren, to daub, to smear; e Schlargg mache, einen Klecks m. machen, to make a blot; es Gschlargg, n., ein Geschmier, n., a mess of scribbling; see also verschlargge

 

schlarpe,  v.i.,

schlurfen, to shuffle; schlärpele; Schlarpe, f., ausgetragener Schuh, m., wornout shoe; Schlarpi, m., Trödelfritz, m., slow-coach, slow-poke; as Barliman Butterbur said "Hi! Nob! Where are you, you woolly-footed slow-coach?" (at the Prancing Pony); vergl. German Schlappen, m. (slipper)

 

schlärpele,  v.i.,

schorren, trödeln, hinterherziehen, to shuffle along, to dawdle, to scrape

 

Schlee,  m.,

Sülze, f., Gelee, n., Gallerte, f., jelly; Chüttene-Schlee, Quitten-Gelee, quince jelly; from French gelée; see also bchaue

 

Schleglete,  f.,

Schlägerei, f., brawl, free-for-all; see also abschloo

 

schleipfe,  v.t.,

schleppen, schleifen, to drag, to shlep; mitschleipfe, v.t., to drag along, mitzerren, mitnehmen; umeschleipfe, v.t., mit sich zerren, to drag around; verschleipfe, v.t., verschleppen, verlieren, to carry off, to spread (disease), to lose track of; zämeschleipfe, v.t., zusammentragen, to heap together; implies toil and lack of necessity; see also Gschleipf

 

Schleipfete, f.

Schlepperei, f., Wirrwarr, m., jumble, dragging; see also Gschleipf

 

schletze,  v.t.,

zuschlagen (Türe), zuschmeißen, to slam (door); d'Türe schletze, die Türe zuknallen, to slam the door; also zueschletze

 

schlittle,  v.i.,

Schlitten fahren, rodeln, to sledge, to sleigh; go schlittle, schlittenfahren gehen, to go for a sledge (or sleigh) ride; lo schlittle, durchlassen, to ignore, to let run it's course

 

schloo,  v.t.,

also schlo, schlagen, to strike, to hit; e Nagu iischlo, einen Nagel einhämmern, to drive a nail; uusschlo, v.i., ausschlagen, to kick; sRoss het uusgschlage, das Pferd schlug aus, the horse kicked; i schloo, du schloosch, är schloot, mir schlöö, dir schlööt, si schlöö; pp. gschlage; see also abschlo

 

Schlotteri,  m.,

Schlotter, m., tremors; dr Schlotteri ha, to tremble, to have the heebie-jeebies, from cold, or fear, or old age; a Schlotteri, m., jemand der wackelt, somebody who is unsteady; see also Zitteri

 

schlüfe,  v.t.,

schlüpfen, to slip, to slide

 

Schlüferli,  n. sing. and pl.,

süßes Gebäck für die Weihnachtszeit und Fastnacht, sweet baked cookies for Christmas and Mardi Gras; vergl. German Schlaufe, f., or Schleife, f., loop, bow

 

How to make:

Beat 2 eggs in 100 g sugar, add 80 g melted butter, a shot of Kirsch, and some lemon zest, mix with 300 g flour, a pinch of salt, and a puff of cinnamon; roll to 5 mm, cut in 3x10 cm strips, slit in middle and pull one end through; bake at 190 C until golden.

 

Schlufi,  m.,

Taugenichts, m., ne'er-do-well; pl. Schlufine

 

Schmätterlig,  m.,

Schmetterling, m., butterfly; see also Pfiffouter, and Summervogu

 

Schminee,  n.,

(offener) Kamin, m., fireplace; vergl. French cheminée

​

schmöcke,  v.i.,

duften, to smell sweet; das schmöckt wie Meieriisli, das duftet wie Maiglöckchen, it smells like lily of the valley

 

schmöcke,  v.t.,

riechen, to smell; i schmöckene Hamme, ich rieche Geräuchertes, I am smelling ham

 

schmürzele,  v.i.,

brenzeln, schwelen, to smell of burning, to smoulder; brenzeln is bränzele in Swiss; schmürzele describes perhaps a more acrid fume of vaguer origin, for instance of something being heated by friction and about to ignite; was schmürzelet do? was schwelt so? what's burning? vergl. German schmoren

 

schmuse, v.i., knutschen, sich abküssen, to pet

 

Schmützli,  n.,

Kuß, m., kiss, smack, smackaroo; vergl. German Schmatz, m.; see also Müntschi

 

Schnäbi, n., kleiner Penis, m., willie

 

schnädere,  v.i.,

schnattern, cackle, quack, gabble; fig. also to chatter, and sometimes (coll.) to eat, see also gschnäderfrääsig

 

Schnäfu,  m.,

see Schnifeli

 

Schnägg,  m.,

Schnecke, f., snail; also Hüslischnägg, m., q.v., to indicate that it is one with a shell; Schnäggehüsli, n., Schneckenhaus, n., snail-shell; im Schnäggetämpo, n., im Schneckentempo, at a snail’s pace; see also schnoogge; in pastry terms, a Schnägg is a kind of Danish, ein Gebäck in Richtung Nussgipfel, but galaxied in the form of a volute, rather than rolled; in other culinary respects, an escargot is an escargot, and you would not call that a Schnägg, except perhaps a Wiibärgschnägg, eine Weinbergschnecke, an edible snail, if you must; see also schoogge; see also Hüsli.

In terms of housing, a dire and neglected location may be called a Schnäggeloch, n., whence the ditty:

​

Der Hans im Schnäggeloch

het aues was er wott

und was er het, das wotternit

und was er wott, das hetternit

der Hans im Schnäggeloch

het aues was er wott.

​

Schneeblueme,  f.,

Frostkristalle (am Fenster) n., snow crystals; vergl. French des fleurs de givre

 

Schneeschnützi,  f.,

Schneepflug, m., snow-plough; schneeschnütze, v.t., den Schnee pflügen, to plough the snow

 

Schneewächte,  f.,

Schneewehe, f., snowdrift

 

Schnifeli,  n.,

Abschnitt, m., Scheibe, f., small slice, scrap, shred; es Schnifeli Chueche, a small slice of cake; Schnifu, also Schnäfu, m., ein grösserer Abschnitt, a heftier slice; see also Schederli; Schnipfel, m.,  Schnippel, m., or n., and Schnipsel, n., are known in German dialect

 

Schnitzerli,  n.,

Schälmesser, n., small kitchen knife, paring knife

 

Schnitz und drunder, f., pl.,

ein Kompott aus Äpfeln, Kartoffeln, und Speck (oder Schinken), a stew made with apples, potatoes, and bacon (or ham)

 

schnoogge,  v.i.,

kriechen, to crawl; vergl. German Schnecke, f., Swiss Schnägg m. q.v.; in Basel, however, a Schnoogge is a gnat, vergl. German Schnake, f., which to me would be a Mugge, vergl. German Mücke, f., not to be confused with German Mucke, f., which is a whim, except that, in order to make it rhyme, they also say "mit Geduld und Spucke fängt man eine Mucke," which means "softly, softly, catchee monkey." Want to know more?

 

schnöre,  v.i.,

schwatzen, klatschen, salbadern, daherreden, to gossip, to kvetch, to prattle, to prate

​

Schnörri,  m.,

Plappermaul, n., Plaudertasche, f., Schwätzer, m., Plapperliese, f., blabbermouth, chatterbox; vergl. German Schnurre, f., or schnorren, erbetteln, to cadge; also Schnurri, m.; see also Gschnörr

 

Schnouz,  m.,

Schnurrbart, m., moustache; vergl. German Schnauzbart; the diminutive is Schnöizli

 

Schnuder,  m.,

Rotz, m., Schleim, m., snot, mucus;  Schnuderi, m., rotziger Lümmel, m., snotty lout m.

 

schnütze,  v.t.,

sich schneuzen, schneuzen, to blow one's nose, den Schnee pflügen, to plow (or plough) the snow (see Schneeschnützi)

 

scho,  adv.,

schon, already

 

Schoche,  m.,

Garbenhaufen, m., Heuschober, m., Heuhaufen, m., rick; pl. Schöche; schöchle, v.t., Heu aufhäufen, to arrange hay in ricks or stooks; schöchligumpe, you figure it out, it was a healthy pastime before TV; vergl. German Schober, m.

 

Schoggi,  f.,

Schokolade, f., chocolate; a Schoggi a day keeps the doctor away; heissi Schoggi, heißes Schokoladengetränk, hot chocolate; also Schoggelah, f.; should really be made with cocoa-butter; if a vegetable fat is used as a base, it should be called candy, for which the Swiss do not deign to have a word; vergl. French chocolat

 

Schöibe,  f.,

Schürze, f., apron, pinafore, smock; Chuchischöibe, f., Küchenschürze, f., kitchen apron

 

Schopf,  m.,

Schuppen, m.,  Hütte, f., shed, shanty; vergl. French échoppe, f.; in German, the primary meaning of Schopf is shock of hair, top of the head

 

Schoppe,  m.,

augflasche, f., baby-bottle, feeding bottle; in a pub, a Schoppe is half a pint of beer or wine

​

Schorsch,  m.,

Georg, George; vergl. French Georges; Schorsch Gaggo, m.,coll., fig. Verlierer, m., loser, the one who is left holding the bag

 

Schpanischi Nüssli,  f.,

Erdnüßchen, f., peanuts

 

Schpatzig,  f.,

Abstand, m., clearance; vergl. English space

 

Schpäute,  m., sing. and pl.,

großes Scheit, n., split log; vergl. German spalten, v.t.

 

schperze,  v.r.,

sich sperren, to balk at, to resist, to ellbow

 

Schpicher,  m.,

Speicher, m., Stadel, m., granary, garret; a separate wooden storage building near the farm

 

Schpicker,  m.,

Glasmurmel, glass marbel, tolley; alley (latin: alea); used as a lead marble, or set as a target; see Chlürli; vergl. German Knicker, m.; schpicke, v.t., to shoot or to knuckle a marble (in French caler une bille), schnellen, flitzen, werfen

 

schpienzle,  v.t.,

blicken lassen, zeigen, vorzeigen, vorspiegeln, to show, to show off, to flash, to reveal

 

Schpinele,  f.,

Spinne, f., spider

 

schpinne,  v.i.,

irrereden, to talk nonsense, to be meshugge; schpinnsch? spinnst du? fehlt dir was? you crazy?; lit. also spinnen, to spin

 

Schpinnhuppele,  f.,

Spinngewebe, n., Spinnwebe, f., cobweb; also Schpinnnetz; vergl. French houppe, f.

 

Schpitzbuebe,  m. pl.,

Spitzbuben, m.pl., bad boys, rascals; but mainly a term for jam-filled shortbread sandwich cookies, sometimes called Jammy Dodgers, doppelte Plätzchen mit Konfitüren Einlage

 

Schpliin,  m.,

Mucke, f., Schrulle, f., Absonderlichkeit, f., quirk, whimsy, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy; dä het a Schpliin, he is a little cuckoo (bekloppt); from English spleen

 

schpöie,  v.i.,

spucken, to spit

 

Schpöiz,  m.,

Spucke, f., spit; also an epithet for the charming villages of Erlinsbach, be that Ober-, Under-, or Nieder-, and pray tell me where else you could glean such valuable information

 

schporre,  v.t.,

kicken, strampeln, sich wehren; to spar, to kick

 

schprätzle,  v.i.,

brutzeln, zischen, sprühen, to sizzle; dHärdöpfu schprätzle i dr Brotpfanne, the potatoes are sizzling in the skillet

 

Schpriisse,  m.,

Splitter, m., splinter; a Schpriisse iimache, einen Splitter erwischen, to catch a splinter

 

Schpriisseli,  f.pl.,

Anbrennholz, n., kindling; Schpriisseli mache, Anbrennholz spalten, to prepare kindling; also diminutive of Schpriisse, q.v.

 

schpringe,  v.i.,

rennen, to run; mir hei no müesse schpringe, süsch hätte mr dr Zug verpasst, wir mußten rennen, sonst hätten wir den Zug verpaßt, we had to run, or we would have missed the train; also used in the sense of the German springen, v.i. (to leap)

 

Schpröier,  m.,

Spreu, f., chaff; specifically the type of bulky wheat chaff once used to stuff the duvets and pillows of the lower ranks of the Swiss classless society, who were thus compelled to change the stuffing of their lairs at least yearly, while the Mehbessere (q.v.) slept in dank down for decades

 

Schprützchanne,  f.,

Gießkanne, f., watering can

 

Schpunte,  m.,

Schenke, f., tavern; a common pub; vergl. German Spund, m. (bung, spigot)

 

schränze,  v.t.,

zerreißen, to rend, to tear; also verschränze; German Schranz, m., Riß, m., tear

 

schriisse,  v.t.,

zerren, reißen, to pull, to rip; verschriisse, zerreißen, to rip apart

 

Schrööggu,  m.,

armseliges Wesen, n., miserable creature

 

Schtäcke, m.,

Stock, m., stick; see also Hooggeschtäcke

 

Schtäckli, n.,

kleiner Knebel, m., small stick

 

Schtafel,  m.,

Bergwiese, alpine pasture; as for instance in Stafelegg, a meadow across the valley of my village

 

Schtäge,  f.,

Treppe, f., staircase; Schtägetritt, m., step; Schtägegländer, n., Treppengeländer, banister; Schtägehuus, n., Treppenhaus, n., Treppenaufgang, m., staircase, hall, d'Schtägenuuf, die Treppe hoch, up the stairs; d'Schtägenab, die Treppe hinunter, down the stairs;

 

schtägere, v.i.,

klettern, herumklettern, to climb (on something unstable)

 

schtaggele,  v.i.,

stottern, stammeln, to stutter, to stammer; Schtaggeli, m., stutterer; Notker der Stammler heisst auwä dass dä gschtaggelet het, Notker der Stammler means he stuttered

 

schtämpere, v.i.,

sich aufregen, sich ärgern,Umstände machen, to fuss, to make a fuss, to fret, to go on complaining, to blather; Schtämperete, f., Unwirschheit, f., Aufhebens, n., fuss, grumpiness

 

Schtärneföifi,  int. (mild oath),

Donnerwetter, darn it, porca miseria

 

Schteer,  m.,

ein Kubikmeter Brennholz, a cubic meter of fire-wood

 

Schtei,  m. pl.,

Steine, f. pl., stones; auch Geld, n., Franken, m. pl., also money, francs, bucks; das choschteti zwöituusig Schtei, das würde zweitausend Franken kosten, that would cost twothousand bucks; see also Schtütz

 

Schteinägeli,  n.,

Bartnelke, f., Sweet William; diantus barbatus; see also Nägeli

 

Schteischlöidere, f.,

Zwille, f., slingshot

 

schtier,  adj., slang,

pleite, flat broke, skint

​

Schtieregrind, m.,

Querkopf, m., starrköpfiger Mensch, halsstarriger Mensch, bully, stubborn person, obdurate person (lit. bull’s head)

 

Schtierenoug,  n.,

Spiegelei, n., fried egg (sunny side up); lit. bull's-eye; in Canada, an egg fried in the removed centre of a slice of toast is sometimes called a bull's-eye

 

Schtift,  m.,

Lehrling, m., apprentice; Schtifti, f., Lehrzeit, f., apprenticeship

 

schtifusinnig,  adj.,

von Sinnen, überdrüssig, irre, out of one's mind, sick and tired, crazy; as from doing a seemingly endless task

 

Schtinkerli,  n.,

Ringelblume, f., marigold, tagetes

 

Schtöckli,  n.,

Häuschen n. für die ältere Generation, granny-flat; vergl. German Altenteil

 

Schtoffle,  f.,

Stoppeln, f., stubble; what's left on a field after the grain has been mowed; at that time, one can goh ähriläse, Ähren lesen, stoppeln, to glean

 

Schtögeli,  n.,

Schneestapfen, m., snow sticking to the soles of shoes, which impedes walking, particularly for tots lacking the weight to kick them off; vergl. German Stöckel (heel), Stöckelschuhe

Schtopf,  m.,

Fußtritt, m., kick; är het mer e Schtopf gäh (är het mi gschtüpft), er hat mich getreten, he kicked me; schtopfe, v.t., treten, to kick; also Schtupf

 

Schtör,  f.,

in the phrase uf d'Schtör go, im Hause des Kunden arbeiten, to work in the customer's house; of old done by tradespeople, especially tailors, shoemakers, basketweavers, tinkers (Kesselflicker); from German stören, to disturb, as the work was done in the customer's quarters

 

Schtorcheschnabu,  m.,

Ruprechtskraut, n., cranesbill, geranium robertianum

 

Schtorze, m., Stengel, m., stalk, stem; der uneßbare Kern oder Stengel eines Gemüses, the inedible stalk or core of a vegetable; manchmal als abschätzige Bezeichnung der Beine, also used derisively for legs; pl. Schtörze

 

Schtossbähre,  f.,

Schubkarren, m., wheelbarrow; a low-slung laddered variation is a Grasbähre, used to transport grass or hay; Bähre, barrow, and to bear are from the same root; see also Garette

 

schtotzig,  adj.,

steil, steep; a schtotzige Hoger (q.v.), ein steiler Hügel, a steep hill; see also Schtutz

 

schträäze,  v.i.,

gießen (Regen), to pour (of rain); es schträäzet, es regnet eimerweise; it's raining cats and dogs; vergl. French strier

 

Schträu,  m.,

Kamm, m., comb; also Schträhl; schträhle, v.t., kämmen, to comb

 

schträng,  adv.,

oft, often, frequently; as an adjective the meaning is as in German streng, severe

 

schtriele,  v.i.,

bummeln, herumschlendern, schleichen, to stroll about, to loaf about, to slink, to galavant

 

Schtroomer, m.,

Landstreicher, m., vagrant

 

Schtrouchefahrt,  f.,

Fahrt in einem gestohlenen Fahrzeug, Reise ohne Fahrkarte, a trip in a stolen vehicle, a joyride; vergl. German Strolch, m., tramp

 

schtrub,  adj.,

struppig, wüst, scruffy, rough, unkempt, disorderly, ugly; schtrubs Wätter, schlechtes Wetter, rough weather

 

schtübe,  v.i.,

stauben, to generate dust, to raise dust

 

Schtubewage,  m.,

Kinderwagen, m., pram (perambulator); if it is foldable, it is a Schportwage, m., also Schportwägeli, n., Sportwagen, m., stroller

 

schtucke,  v.i.,

feilschen, to bargain; si hei de no lang gschtucket, sie feilschten noch eine gute Weile, they kept on bargaining for some time

 

Schtückli,  n.,

Kleingebäck, n., pastry; a small piece of pâtisserie from the Feinbäcker, who in Swiss is a pâtissier, as in French

 

Schtüdi,  n.,

Christine

 

Schtumpe,  m.,

kleine Zigarre, f., cheroot, small cigar, stogie; the second meaning is as German Stumpen, m., stump

 

schtungge,  v.t.,

zusammenpressen, to compress, to jam together; es Gschtungg, n., ein Gedränge, n., a packed crowd; s'Züüg i Rucksack schtungge, die Sachen in den Rucksack stopfen; to jam things in the backpack; see also gschtungget; see also zämeschtungge

 

schtüpfe,  v.t.,

mit dem Fuß treten, einen Fußtritt geben, to kick; less violent than gingge; vergl. German stupsen (to nudge); Schtupf, m., kick, jolt

 

schtürchle,  v.i.,

stolpern, to stumble, to trip; also schtüupere

​

schturm,  adj.,

shwindlig, übel, benommen, dizzy, queasy, giddy; isch's dr schturm? ist dir schwindlig? are you dizzy?

 

schtürme,  v.i.,

triezen, nörgeln, to pester, to nag, to niggle; see also Gschtürm

 

Schtürmi,  m.,

Umstandskrämer, m., fusspot

 

Schtutz,  m.,

schroffe Steigung, steiler Abhang, m., steep upgrade, or slope; see also schtotzig

​

Schtütz,  m. pl.,

Geld, n., Franken, m., Moneten, f.pl., money, francs, moolla; I ha ke Schtütz, ich bin pleite, I am broke; gimer zwee Schtütz, gib mir zwei Franken, give me two francs; see also Schtei

 

schtüupere,  v.t.,

stolpern, to stumble, to trip; über e Wurzle schtüupere, über eine Wurzel stolpern, to trip on a root

 

Schübeli,  n.,

Büschel, m., tuft; es Schübeli Hoor, ein Büschel Haar, a tuft of hair; also Schübu, as in a schöne Schübu Gäut, eine gute Menge Geld, a heap of money; vergl. German Schub, m.

 

Schüblig,  m.,

große Brühwurst, f., a large sausage, served cooked

 

schuderhaft,  adj.,

sehr, very; also schuurig; schuderhaft luut, grässlich laut, very loud; if you are from elsewhere, you might say schüüli; vergl. German schauderhaft

 

Schuebändeli, n.,

Schnürsenkel, m., shoe-laces; also Schuebändu, m.; the French lacet, m., is also used

 

schuene, v.i.,

zu Fuss gehen, wandern, sich schleppen, marschieren, to walk, to trek, to hike, to march; ufen Ängubarg ufe schuene, auf den Engelberg marschieren, to hike up to the Engelberg; implies that you would rather drive; vergl. Yiddish shlep

Schüfeli,  n.,

geräucherter Schinken (Schulterstück), smoked ham (blade); also called Laffli, q.v.

 

Schüfeli und Bäseli, n.,

Abfallschaufel und Wischer; Kehrschaufel und Besen, Kehrgarnitur; scoop and brush set

 

Schuflete, f.,

eine Schaufel voll, viel, a shovel full, a lot

 

Schümeli,  n.,

Füllen, n., colt, filly; vergl. French jument, f., Stute, f., mare; also possibly from jumelé, paired, since they were paired with a grown horse to learn drawing vehicles

 

Schungge,  m.,

dicker Band, m., Wälzer, m., heavy tome, big fat book; vergl. English chunk

​

schüpfe,  v.t.,

stoßen, schubsen, to push, to shove; är het mi gschüpft, er hat mich gestoßen, he pushed me; see also müpfe

 

Schupf,  m.,

Stoß, m., Schups, m., push, shove, jolt; see also Mupf

 

Schüpp,  m.,

Frauenrock, m., skirt; vergl. French jupe

 

Schurniggeli,  n.,

unreife Kirschen, f., unripe cherries; vergl. English niggle; also Schornigeli

 

schüst,  adj.,

genau, präzis, exact, precise; vergl. French juste

 

schutte,  v.i.

see tschutte

 

Schutti,  f.,

Schutthalde, f., Schuttabladeplatz, m., Kehrichtdeponie, f.; garbage dump; in Swiss it used to be called Gruebe, f.

 

Schüttschtei,  m.,

Ausguß, m., sink

 

Schützeschibe,  f.,

Schießscheibe, f., Zielscheibe, f., target

schüüch,  adj.,

schüchtern, timid, diffident; schüüche, v.i., scheuen, zurückschrecken, to shy, to balk

 

schüüli, adj.,

schrecklich, schauderhaft, sehr, terribly, very

 

Schüür,  f.,

Scheune, f., barn; pl. Schüüre

 

schuurig,  adj.,

schauderhaft, schauerlich, awfully, frightfully; mostly fig., s'isch schuurig heiss, es ist schauderhaft heiß, it is frightfully hot; also schüli, also schaurig, also schuderhaft

 

schwadere,  v.i.,

planschen, spritzen, to splatter, to splash; what the ducks do with their feet

 

schwänke,  v.t.,

spülen, to rinse

 

Schweizi,  f.,

in Butter oder Öl gedünstete gehackte Zwiebeln, geröstete Soße, chopped onions or the like steamed in butter or oil, browned butter, a roasted sauce

 

Schwemmi, f.

Schwemme, f., but used fig. as ‘eine grosse Menge’; a ganzi Schwemmi, jede Menge, a whole lot; see also Schwetti

 

Schwetti,  f.,

Schwemme, f., Haufen, m., glut, heap; a whole lot of something; also in the fig. sense of Fülle, f., Flut, f., flood; mir hei a ganzi Schwetti Beeri im Garte, wir haben haufenweise Beeren im Garten, we have a heap of berries in the garden; a schwettivoll, a "vatful"; see also Schhwemmi

 

schwine, v.i.,

schwinden, to vanish, to melt away; dr Schnee schwinet, der Schnee schmilzt, the snow is melting

 

Schwingbäse,  m.,

Schneebesen, m., whisk

 

schwinge,  v.i.,

Schweizerische Art des Ringens, Swiss style wrestling; Schwingfescht, a wrestling festival; see also Nidle

 

Schwinigs,  n.,

Schweinefleisch, n., pork

 

Schwinswurscht,  f.,

Wurst aus Schweinefleisch, pork sausage; Schwinsbroote, m., Schweinebraten, m., pork roast

 

Schwizerörgeli, n.,

Harmonika, f., harmonica, Handorgele, f.; a Schwizerörgeli is a small harmonica with a button keyboard on either side; see also handörgele

 

Schwizerschägg, m.,

buntscheckige Kuh, a piebald cow; see gschägget; at times used to describe a mish-mash, etwas Zusammengewürfeltes

 

schwöbele,  v.i.,

einen deutschen Akzent haben, to speak with a German accent; Schwob, m., Schwobe, pl., Schwabe, m., Swabian; but used as a genereal (and denigrating) term for Germans

 

Schwumm,  m.,

1. Pilz, m., mushroom; pl. Schwümm; mir gönd   i d'Schwümm, (mir göh go schwümmle) wir gehen Pilze suchen, we   are going for mushrooms; do not confuse with mir gö go schwümme, we are going for a swim

2. Schwamm, m., sponge; pl. Schwämm

 

Seigu,  m., s. and pl.

Sproße, f., rung (of a ladder); also Seigel

 

Seili, n.,

Seil, n., rope; Garbeseili, n., Garbenseil, n., a rope used to tie a sheaf of cerial stalks, so they can be put up in stooks for drying on the field

 

Sepp,  m.,

Joseph; Seppetoni, Tony - son of Sepp

​

Serviette, f.,

In addition to the usual meaning (napkin), the word is used for Aktenmappe f., Aktentasche, f., briefcase, f., attaché case

 

settig,  adj.,

solch, such; auch söttig, senig, sönig; settig schöni Rose gseht me säute, so schöne Rosen sieht man selten, one rarely sees such lovely roses; settigi, solch welche, derartige, such, of such kind

 

Sibesiech,  m., coll. and a bit rough

Held m. (sarcastically), Pfiffikus, m., Mordskerl, m., Tausendsassa, m., Jack-of-all-trades, know-all; one who is better seven ways; see Siech

 

Sichlete,  f.,

Erntefest, n., harvest festival; vergl. German Sichel, f. (sickle)

 

sider,  adv.,

seither, since; s'isch lang sider, lang, lang ist's her, (es schwimmt eine Leiche im Landwehrkanal, in case you were wondering, and poor Rosa deserves better than this stupid ditty), it's been long since

 

Siech,  m., vulg.

Kranker, m., originally one who is incurably ill; vergl. German siech, adj. (sickly, infirm), siechen, v.i. (to waste away), or Siechenhaus, n. (hospital for incurables); now a much overused curse-word,  such as tumme Siech, m., Vollidiot, m., damn fool

 

sii,  v.i., v.aux.,

sein, to be; i bi, du bisch, är isch, mir si, dir sit, si si; p.p. gsi; subj. i sig, du sigsch, är sig, mir sige, dir sigit, si sige

 

sirache,  v.i.,

poltern, donnern und wettern, toben,vehement ausschelten; to rage, to rave, to curse and swear, to give hell to; perhaps a long forgotten reference to Ecclesiasticus, the book of Sirach

 

söfu,  adv.,

soviel, so much; söfu mänge, so viele, so many; söfu sött me chönne erwarte, soviel wäre zu erwarten, one should expect so much; if it is used as a conjunction, it is pronounced more as in German, soviel man weiß

 

Söiblotere,  f., s. and pl.,

Schweinsblase, f., pig's bladder; these were our balloons before there were balloons, and it is our hope that you are not offended, as it is not too long ago that your forebears amused themselves likewise, and often worse

 

Söiblueme,  f.,

Löwenzahn, m., dandelion;taraxacum officinale; see also Weiefäcke

 

söifere,  v.i.,

geifern, sabbern (von Kleinkindern), to drivel (of infants); Söiferlatz, m., Geiferlätzchen, n., bib, see Rabättli, Ässmänteli; see also göifere

 

söile,  v.i.,

im Schmutz spielen, sudeln, to make a mess, to play in the dirt, and to generally act against overall cleanliness; also versöile, v.t., verschmutzen, to soil; soil (ground) has no connection to it, but soil (make dirty) certainly does, as it is related to Latin suculus, little pig, but I digress; the easier connection is to French souiller, and to German Sau, f., pig, via Swiss Söili, n., piglet, whose life-style is à propos, though we like pork and ham; but such are the mysteries of life: we cringe before the quick, but the dead are food. Therein lie the quandaries of philosophy: who are we; why are we here, and what are we supposed to do; why is there good and evil, and suffering, and death; and the ultimate ineffable mystery which is the origin and destiny of our existence. These are questions to the end of time, and "je pense, donc je souille" is of no help, gentle reader; a Söiniggeli, n., is one who gets him or herself versöilet, and a Söiniggu is the

version majuscule of same; a Söibueb, m., is ein Lümmel, a lout; a Söilerei is the action, and a Söilete is the result, and so on; "to sully" is a fair fit.

 

soodeli,  expr., int.,

jetzt ist's so weit, there we go

 

söttig, see settig

 

söue,  v.i., v. aux.

sollen, to have to, must, shall, should; i söu, du söusch, är söu, mir söue, dir söuit(söuet), si söue; p.p. söue; subj. i sett, du setsch, är sett, mir sette , dir settet, si sette; also sött, etc.

 

soumässig,  adj.,

sehr, äußerst, very, extremely; also söimässig; soumässig lut, äußerst laut, extremely loud

 

sövu,  adv.,

soviel, so much; zwöimou sövu, zweimal soviel, twice as much; if used as a conjunction, it would be pronounced sovil, or soveu, soviel; sovil me weiß, soviel man weiß, as far as one knows

 

südere, v.i.,

überlaufen, überkochen, durchsickern, to run over, to boil over, to spill, to leak; vergl. German sieden, v.i., to boil

 

südere,  v.t.,

vergießen, verschütten, durchsickern, to spill, to slop, to seep; Süderi, m., one who spills something

 

Süfzger,  m.,

Seufzer, m., sigh; which is the opposite of a Juchzger, q.v.

 

Summervogu,  m.,

Schmetterling, m., butterfly; see also Pfiffouter, Schmätterlig; it means summer bird; pl. Summervögu

 

Sundig,  m.,

Sonntag, Sunday; also Sundi

 

sundigmörgele, v.i.,

den Sonntagmorgen geniessen, to idle away Sunday morning

 

sünnele, v.i.,

sich sonnen, sonnenbaden, to sunbathe

 

Surchrutt, n.,

Sauerkraut, n., sauerkraut, pickled cabbage; also Surchabis, m.

 

Sürmu,  m.,

Lümmel, m., lout; also Sürmel

 

surniblig,  adj.,

unzufrieden, unfolgsam, ill-humoured, unruly

 

süsch,  adv.,

sonst, else; süsch no öppis? sonst noch was? anything else?; also süscht

 

süttig,  adj.,

siedend, boiling; süttig heiss, boiling hot

 

süüferli,  adv.,

behutsam, sachte, carefully, gently; also süüferlig

 

Süüfferli,  n.,

Rühr-mich-nicht-an, n., touch-me-not, impatiens (a pretty flowering annual for shady locations)

T

T

Tääschi,  n.,

Fleck, m., stain, blot; vergl. French tache

 

Tablar,  n.,

Regal, n., Sims, m., shelf; vergl. Latin tabula (writing board), whence table

 

Taburettli,  n.,

Hocker, m., stool; vergl. French tabouret

 

Tafele,  f.,

Tafel, f., Wandtafel, f., blackboard, slate, tablet, chart, plaque; a Tafele Schoggi, eine Stange Schokolade, a bar of chocolate; not used in the German sense of dinnertable

 

Täfeli,  n.,

Bonbon, m. or n., Pastille, f., sweet (the noun), candy (=American), lozenge, taffy; further East they would say Zäutli, n., or Zältli, which in German dialect is Zeltchen, n.

 

täfer,  adj.,

kerngesund, munter, healthy, in good shape

 

Täfer,  n.,

Täfelung, f., Getäfel, n., panelling, inlay; täfere, v.t., täfeln,  to panel, to wainscot

 

tängg,  adj.,

mürbe, teig, soft, mushy, over-ripe; beschreibt das braune Innere einer überreifen Birne, describes the brown core of an over-ripe pear; vergl. German Teig

 

tannig, adj.,

aus Tannenholz, made of fir; Tannigs, n., Sachen aus Tannenholz, items made of fir

 

täppere,  v. t.,

klopfen, festklopfen, leicht schlagen, to tap, to compact; zämetäppere, v.t., flach klopfen, to beat down; dr Räge het dr Bode zämetäpperet, der Regen hat den Boden festgeklopft, the rain compacted the soil; vergl. also French taper, v.t.

 

Tätsch,  m.,

Klaps, m., smack, slap, also as expletive: patsch!, smack! kablooey!; also pl., Schläge, f., Klapse, m., slaps, whacks, cuffs; Tätsch übercho, Schläge kriegen, to get a beating

 

Tätschmeischter,  m.,

Aufseher, m., Leiter, m., chief, taskmaster

techle,  v.i.,

rennen, to run, to dash; dervotechle, davonrennen, to dash away; also dechle

 

teu,  adj.,

manche, some; used before plural; teu Lüt, manche Leute, some people; teu hei's ggloubt, teu nid, die einen glaubten es, die andern nicht, some believed it, some not; also Teu, m., or Teili, n., Teil, part

 

Thedöri,  m.,

Theodor, Theodore

 

ticke,  v.i.,

zunehmen, to gain weight; when face to face you would more likely say nothing, or perhaps hesch zuegno?, hast du zugenommen? did you gain weight? (from zuenäh, zunehmen); but behind the back, so to speak, you might say dä het de scho ticket!, he sure gained weight; vergl. German dick, adj.; see practical application under ehnder

 

tifig,  adj., adv.

schnell, flink, quick, quickly, licketysplit, quick as a flash; see also gleitig, weidlig; vergl. German deftig

 

Tirggeli,  n.,

ein besonderes Kleingebäck von Zürich, a kind of cookie from Zurich; fig. ein geistiger Schaden, a mental deficiency; dä het es Tirggeli, er hat Dachschaden, he is not playing with a full deck; also er hat einen Schwips, he is drunk

 

tische,  v.i.,

den Tisch decken, to set the table; gang go tische, geh den Tisch decken, go set the table

 

Tobu,  n.,

Hohlweg, m., Schlucht, f., Rinne. f., gorge, ravine, gully; vergl. Austrian Tobel

 

Töff,  m.,

Motorrad, n., motor-cycle; dä goht mit em Töff go poschte, er geht mit dem Motorrad einkaufen, he goes shopping by motorbike; Töffli n., kleines Motorrad, scooter; töfflifahre, v.i., auf einem kleinen Motorrad fahren

 

Toggeli,  n.,

Narr, m., dunce; silly person, dummy; Toggu, (emphasized version); vergl. French toqué, dotty; Italian tocco, toccato, cracked, screwy

 

Töggeli,  n.,

Querholz, n., toggle; sometimes used as diminutive of Toggel; may have interesting connections to toga, and togs, and the verb protect

 

Töggelichaschte, m.,

Tischfussballtisch, m., table football box; see also gaagele

 

Töibi,  f.,

Wut, f., rage, fury; e Töibi ha, wütend sein, to be furious; see also toub

 

töipele,  v.i.,

schmollen, trotzen, to sulk; see also toub

 

Tolgge,  m.,

Klecks, m., blot; especially of ink; also Tougge

 

Tombola,  f.,

Lottospiel, n., Bingo; vergl. Italian tombola

 

Töni,  m.,

Enterich, m., drake

 

Tönü,  n.,

Bekleidungsart, f., Bekleidung, f., Ausstaffung, f., dress, get-up; from French tenue f.; used in particular by the military in such expressions as Kampf-Tönü, Turn-Tönü, Usgangs-Tönü

 

Tööpli,  n.,

Tatze, f., Pfote, f., paw; es Büsi mit wiisse Tööpli, eine Katze mit weißen Pfoten, a pussycat with white paws; also Pföötli, Tätzli; es Chätzli mit wiisse Tätzli, a cat with white paws; Toope, m., Pfote, f., paw; aatööple v.t, betatschen, to paw

 

Totsch,  m.,

Einfaltspinsel, m., Trottel, m., Tropf, m., ninny, nincompoop; the noun is m., but the object is f.

 

Tötschli,  n., s. and pl.

Puffer, m., fritter, patty; as in Härdöpfutätschli, Kartoffelpuffer, potatoe pancakes; vergl. French toucher; also pejoratively, a dimwit

 

toub,  adj.,

1. böse, angry; also toube; bisch toub? bist du böse? are you angry?

2. taub, deaf

3. taub, unfruchtbar, empty (e.g. of a nut)

see also Töibi

 

tourbeschtäche,  v.i.,

Torf (Torfmull, m.) stechen, to cut peat, (peatmoss); symbolic for doing very heavy work; vergl. French tourbe, tourber

 

träf,  adj.,

treffend, pertinent, to the point

 

Traktandum, n.,

Gesprächsgegenstand, m., item for discussion, subject to be discussed; pl. Traktanden

 

Tram,  n.,

Straßenbahn, f., tramway

 

Trämu, m.,

Holzklotz, m., grosses Scheit, n., log

 

trappe,  v.i.,

treten, to tread, to walk; dritrappe, hineintreten, to step into; druftrappe, darauftreten, to step on; a Trappi, m., Tolpatsch, m., a clumsy person, numskull

 

Träsch,  m.,

Apfel- oder Birnenschnaps, a liquor made from the fermented pressings of apples or pears; vergl. German Trester, pl.

 

Trassee,  n.,

die Abstecklinie einer Straße, das Straßenbett, the alignment of a road, the roadbed (railroad or other road); the embankment on which a road is built; vergl. French le tracé

 

Treichle,  f.,

große Kuhglocke, f., large cowbell

 

tribuliere,  v.t.,

bedrängen, mißhandeln, to beset, to harry, to mistreat

 

troch, adj.,

trocken, dry;

 

Tröchni, f.,

Trockenheit, f., Dürre, f., dryness, drought; Tröchnerei, f., Darre, f., oast; fig., m., ein Witzbold, someone with a dry sense of humour

 

Trögli,  n.,

Truhe, f., hope chest; es 'bluemets Trögli, eine blumenbemalte Truhe, a hope-chest with floral decoration

 

troole,  v.i.,

fallen, purzeln, to tumble; är isch i Bach troolet, er fiel in den Bach, he fell in the stream; abetroole, v.i., hinunterfallen; umtroole, v.i., umfallen; vergl. German rollen

 

Troom,  n.,

Faden, m., thread; vergl. German and Austrian Trumm, English thrum, which are terms referring to weaving; vergl. French trame, f., woof, weft

 

Trottinet,  n.,

(Kinder)roller, m., (child's)scooter; vergl. French trottinette

 

Trottwar,  n.,

Gehsteig, m., Bürgersteig, m., sidewalk; vergl. French trottoir

 

troue, v.r.,

Sich troue, sich getrauen, to dare; trousch di? Getraust du dich? Do you have the courage?

 

Trübeli,  n.,

Johannisbeeren, f., currant; also Meertrübeli; the black ones are Cassis, from French, as the liquor; vergl. German Traube

 

Trübu,  m.,

Traube, f., Traubenbeere, f., grape; also fig. in the expression a junge Trübu, ein junger Lümmel, a young punk

 

Truckli,  n.,

kleine Schachtel, f., small box; vergl. German Truhe, f.; wie usem Truckli, wie aus dem Ei gepellt, all done up, new and shiny; Trucke, f., the full-size version of same; also Drucke; a tummi Trucke, f., ein dummes Huhn, a silly goat, vergl. French truqué

 

Trudi,  f.,

Gertrud, Trudie

 

trüeie, v.i.,

zunehmen, v.i., to put on weight; the opposite is magere, q.v.

 

Trumele, f.,

Trommel, f., drum; trumele, v.i., v.t., trommeln, to beat the drum

​

trümlig, adj.,

schwindlig, dizzy, woozy; wend nit ufhörsch zringelum tanze wirds dr no trümlig, wenn du nicht aufhörst zu zwirbeln wird dir schwindlig, if you don't stop spinning around you will get dizzy; also trumelig

 

trumusörig, adj.,

schwindlig, dizzy; as if having been rolled about inside a drum; the more usual word is trümlig, q.v.; vergl. German surren, v.i., to buzz, to whirr

 

Trunkeneeländ, n.,

as in sTrunkeneeländ haa; das (alkoholisch verursachte) heulende Elend haben, to suffer a fit of the blues (due to alcoholic depression); vergl. German Elend, n., misery

 

trüue, v.t.,

drehen, winden, rollen, to turn, to rotate, to swivel, to crank; Tuume trüue, Daumen drehen, to twiddle one's thumbs; slätse Nummero trüue, die falsche Nummer einstellen, to dial the wrong number (on a dial phone of old); im Anke trüue, in der Butter wälzen, oder drehen (a Swiss culinary thing), to turn in butter

 

tschädere, v.i.,

klirren, rattern, to clatter, to rumble; wenn dr Lehrer das vernimmt, de tschäderets, wenn der Lehrer das vernimmt, dann knallts, if the teacher hears about that there will be trouble; also v.t., lo tschädere, fallen lassen, to drop; vergl. to chatter, rattern

 

tschägget, adj.,

see gschägget

 

tschämele, v.i.,

Paten suchen, to go looking for godparents; a chore for new fathers, who will take their Tschämelischtock (the Lookingforgodparentswalkingstick) out of the closet, and make the rounds. In the Emmental you need three godparents per baby (two of the opposite sex); mother's father went looking for twenty-seven all told, you figure it out, and he said he wore out his Tschämelischtock in the process; vergl. French jumeler, to pair

 

Tschäppu, m.,

Mütze, f., cap; vergl. French chapeau

​

tschauppe, v.i.,

stampfen, ziellos herumtreten, to stomp, to trudge, to traipse; e Tschauppi, one who does it; implies clumsiness; tue mr nid ids Bluemebettli tschauppe, tret nicht in meine Blumen, don't step in my flowerbed; dritschauppe, v.i., reintreten, to step into it; abetschauppe, v.t., zertrampeln, to trample

 

tschent, adj., (slang)

fabelhaft, schmuck, fesch, pfundig, nifty, neat, cool, perfect, honkydory; perhaps from Italian cento per cento (100 %)

 

Tschicoree,  f.,

Zichorie, f., chicory (chichorium intybus); a fine wayside flower with short-lived blossoms, in late August and September, of the brightest skyblue;  during the war, when coffee was hard to come by, Tschicoree root was roasted and ground to stretch the real thing (and sometimes used as Ersatz for it). We also used Franck Aroma, from the folks who make Thomy Senf, but I am straying; Chicory has a relative, Cichorium endivia, from which one can cultivate Belgian endive, the expensive blond shoot that makes a fine salad, Ändivie Saloot, m., Endivien Salat, m., endive salad, oh well, I am way off track now

 

tschiengge,  v.i., slang

zu Fuss gehen, to trudge; vergl. German schiegen, v.i., to turn in one's foot (rare)

 

Tschinggeli,  n.,

Herabsetzender schweizerischer Übername für Italienerinnen, derogatory Swiss nickname for Italian women; it isn't horribly bad (by Swiss standards), and it can even be used endearingly; the male version is Tschingg, m., which is a deal harsher; "termine spregativo che deriva dall'esclamazione "cinque!" del gioco della morra pronunciato in bergamasco"

 

tschiritrüm, adj.

Schwindlig, durcheinander, dizzy, mixed up, loopy; perhaps from It. cirro and Swiss trümlig zzy

 

Tscholi,  m.,

Tolpatsch, m., Dummkopf, m., a simpleton, a clumsy person; vergl. Italian slang ciola

 

Tschoope,  m.,

Kittel, m., Weste, f., jacket, cardigan; pl. Tschööpe; vergl. German Joppe f., Tschööpli, the small version

tschoud,  adj.,

schuldig, tadelnswert, guilty, blamable; also gschoud; dä isch nid tschoud dass sPoufer chlöpft, gerade witzig ist er nicht, he is not particularly bright

 

Tschudeli, n.,

armes Wesen, n., wretch

 

tschudere, v.i., v.r.,

schaudern, to shudder; es het mi tschuderet, mich schauderte, it made me shudder; es tschuderet eim, es schaudert einen, it makes you shudder

 

Tschüeppe, f.pl.,

Kopfschuppen, f.pl., dandruff

 

Tschugger, m.,

Polizist, m. (pejoratively), policeman; hopefully from Ital. ciuco; Tschuggerei, die Polizei, the police

 

Tschumpu, m.,

Tolpatsch, simpleton; Tschumpeli, n., an untidy person; vergl. old Italian ciompo, a simple worker

 

Tschupp, m.,

wirres, zerzaustes Haar, n., Strobel, m., Schopf, m., a disheveled head of hair, tuft; vergl. Ital. ciuffo; see also vertschuppe

 

Tschutschubahn,  f.,

Eisenbahn, f., besonders diejenigen mit Dampflokomotive, choo-choo train; this is baby-talk, Babysprache, moreover, the trains go tschipfuh-tschipfuh, and not tschutschu, as everyone used to know

 

tschutte, v.i.,

Fußball spielen, to play soccer; also schutte; mir gönd echli go tschutte, wir gehen Fußball spielen, we are going to play some soccer; Tschütteler, m., Fußballspieler, m., soccer player

 

Tubak, m.,

Tabak, m., tobacco; accent on the u; schtarche Tubak, hard to believe, difficult to accept

 

Tubu, m.,

Dummkopf, m., Dumpfbacke, f., törichter Mensch, m., dimwit, dope, simpleton, cretin; also Tubeli, n., Dummerchen, n.; vergl. German taub

​

Tüele, d.,

Mulde, f., Delle, f., Kuhle, f., Vertiefung, f., hollow, depression (in the landscape); Sandtüele, f., Sandgrube, f., sand-bunker; vergl. English dell; also Düele; see also düele, v.t., buddeln, to dig

 

Tümpu, m.,

Pfütze, f., Lache. f., kleiner Teich, m., puddle, pothole, small pond; vergl. English dimple, which however means Grüebli, q.v.

 

tünkle, v.t.,

tunken, to dip, to sop (bread, etc.); vergl. German eintunken, v.t.; also itünkle, dritünkle, see also dritümpfle

 

Tupf, m.,

Punkt, m., Tupfen, m., dot, spot

 

tüpfe, v.t.,

leicht schlagen (so mit den Fingerspitzen), to tap (with fingertips); see also tütsche; vergl. French taper

 

Tüpfi, n.,

Napf, m., kleiner Topf, m., small cooking pot, bowl; what the French call marmite

 

tüppig, adj.,

heiß und schwül, drückend, hot and muggy, stuffy

 

Turbe, f.,

Torfmull, m., peat, peatmoss; Turbe schtäche, Torfmull ausstechen, to dig peat, to cut peat; fig. schwer arbeiten, to do heavy work; vergl. French tourbe, t.,

 

Türgg, m.,

Türke, m., Turk; also in the sense of Übung, f., excercise, as long as it is suitably senseless and requires considerable effort

 

türgge, v.i.,

exerzieren, sinnlos arbeiten, sich abmühen; to drill, to slave, to labour

 

tütsche, v.t.,

gegeneinanderstoßen, to bump; a dr Oschtere macht me Eiertütsche, at Easter time, one plays at bumping eggs; also tüpfe, q.v.; vergl. French toucher

​

Tütschi, n.,

Holzklotz, m., Bauklotz, m., Holzwürfel, m., block of wood, a sawed piece of wood

 

tuuch, adj.,

schüchtern, timid

 

Tüürig, f.,

Teuerung, f., increased cost of living

 

tuusig,  num.adj.,

tausend, thousand; potztuusig! potztausend! the deuce!

U

U

U-Bögli,  n.,

U-Bogen, m., u-ckeck; in der Spitzen Schrift (Deutsche Schreibschrift) der kleine Bogen über dem kleinen u, zum Unterscheiden vom kleinen n, in German script, the check-mark over the lower case u, to tell it apart from the lower case n

 

überabe,  adv.,

hinunter, downstairs; gosch überabe? gehst du hinunter? are you going downstairs

 

überchaare,  v.t.,

überfahren, to run over; in a more roughshod way than überfahre

 

übercho,  v.t., p.p.,

erhalten, to get, to receive; i ha nes Gschänkli übercho, ich erhielt ein kleines Geschenk, I got a present; dr Rank nid übercho, den Weg nicht finden, not to cope

 

übere,  adv.,

hin, hinüber, across, over; gosch übere? gehst du hinüber? are you going over?

 

überegheie,  v.t.,

'rüberschmeißen, to fling across; see gheie

 

überenand,  adv.,

übereinander, stacked, one upon another

 

überflüge,  v.i.,

stürzen, hinfallen, to fall down; i bi überfloge, I fell; lit. überfliegen, to fly over

 

überhocke, v.i.,

zu lange bleiben, to overstay

 

Überhockete f.,

Zusammenkunft,f., Gesellschaft, f., party, get-together, especially one that goes on into the early hours; from hocken, to sit, to squat

 

überluege,  v.t.,

übersehen, nicht beachten, to overlook, to fail to notice; see also luege

 

überlüpfe, v.r.,

sich überheben, to strain oneself; sich zuviel zumuten, to take on too much

 

überobe,  adv.,

im oberen Stockwerk, upstairs

 

überschteue,  v.t.,

umstürzen, to topple; es het mi no fascht überschteut, ich bin beinahe gestürzt, I almost fell

 

übertue,  v.r.,

sich übernehmen; to overwork, to do too much; hesch di überto? hast du dich überarbeitet? did you overdo it?

 

übertue,  v.t.,

zum Kochen auf den Kochherd setzen, to put on the stove; p.p. überto;  and if you want to let it cook some more it is überlo, p.p. überglo

 

überufe,  adv.,

hinauf, upstairs; i mues no überufe, ich muss noch hinauf, I need to go upstairs

 

überunde, adv.,

im untern Stockwerk, im Erdgeschoß, downstairs

 

Ueli,  m.,

Ulrich

 

uf,  prep.,

auf, nach, to; uf Amerika, nach Amerika, to the States; uf Widerluege, auf Wiedersehn, so long; see Widerluege

 

ufchlöpfe,  v.t.,

erfrischen, erlaben, to refresh, to revive; es Glas Moscht tuet eim scho chli ufchlöpfe, a glas of cider will pick you up

 

ufe,  adv.,

hinauf, herauf, up; as in schteudrHafenafenufenOfenufe, süsch gheit dä Cheib no um (you may sing this to the tune of "In the Mood") ; also ue, accent on the u

 

ufenand,  adv.,

aufeinander, one on the other

 

ufenandobe,  adv.,

übereinander, aufeinander; one on top of the other

 

ufezieh, v.t.,

hochziehen, to pull up, see also lisme

 

ufgheie,  v.i.,

sich (unbeabsichtigt) öffnen, sich trennen, auseinanderfallen, to fall open, to separate; also fig. sich auflösen, to become undone; also fig.: dVerlobig isch ufgheit, die Verlobung löste sich, the engagement fell apart; see gheie

ufhänke,  v.t.,

aufhängen, to hang up, to suspend

 

Ufhänklig,  m.,

Aufhängsel, n., loop, locker-loop, hanger (e.g. inside a garment, or on a towel)

 

ufhüüfele, v.t.,

aufhäufeln, to hill up, to pile up; also hüüfele

 

uflire,  v.t.,

aufwickeln, to wind on a reel, to coil up; see lire

 

ufmache,  v.t.,

öffnen, to open; mach uuf! mach auf! open up!; also aufknüpfen, lösen, to undo, mach der Chragechnopf uuf, öffne deinen Kragenknopf, undo the collar button; also aufmachen, to put up, der Schirm ufmache, den Schirm öffnen, to put up the umbrella; also referring to weather, smacht uuf, das Wetter bessert sich, the clouds are opening up; see also zuetue

 

ufpäppele,  v.t.,

hätscheln, gesund pflegen, to nurse to better health, to restore; also ufbäppele

 

ufprotze,  v.t.,

auftakeln, schmücken, to spruce up, to decorate

 

Ufregig,  f.,

Aufregung, f., excitement

 

uftue,  v.t.,

öffnen, to open; e Schubladenuftue, to open a drawer; also auftrennen, undo, rip apart (seam); also aufheitern, to clear up (weather); see also zuetue

 

ufwaume, v.t.,

anhäufen, to furrow; dHärdöpfu ufwaume, die Erde um die jungen Kartoffelpflanzen anhäufen, to furrow the rows of potato plants; vergl. German Walm, m.

 

Ufzgi, f. pl., (school slang)

Hausaufgaben, f, pl., homework

 

ufzie,  v.t.,

lit. aufziehen, to wind up; fig. foppen, hänseln, to tease; är tuet se gärn ufzie, er macht sich gerne lustig über sie, he likes to tease her; eim ufzie, v.i., jemanden körperlich bedrohen; to raise your hand against somebody

ume,  sep. pref.,

vorbei, herum, gone, past, around; do ume, adv., hierzulande, in this country; die Zit isch ume, diese Zeit ist vorbei, this time is over; ume sii, zurück sein, to be back; in Bernese also nur (siehe nume), är het ume nid wöue, nur wollte er nicht,  only he wouldn't

 

umegää,  v.t.,

zurückgeben, to give back; fig. grob antworten, to talk back; to have the last word; see also muule

 

umelitze,  v.t.,

umkrempeln, umstülpen, to fold back, to turn up; also ufelitze; mir hei d'Ärmu umeglitzt, wir haben die Ärmel umgekrempelt, we turned up our sleeves; also litze, to fold up, to turn up, fig. to fall down, es het mi glitzt, ich fiel hin, I fell down flat; vergl. German Litze, f., braid, piping, (also flex-wire, the electric wire made of many fine strands)

 

umeluege,  v.i.

zurückschauen, zurücksehen, to look back, to turn one's head to glance back; also to look around, sich umsehen, see umenandluege; see luege

 

umenand,  adv., sep. pref.,

umher, herum, around, up and down, round about; also umenander; umenand loufe, herumspazieren, to walk around; umenand luege, sich umsehen, to look around; literally umenand is umeinander, around each other; see also luege

 

umerüere, v.t.,

werfen, herumwerfen, to toss, to throw around; hör uuf das Bääbi umezrüere, hör mal auf die Pupper herumzuwerfen, stop throwing that doll around; do not confuse with umrüere, q.v.

 

umeschloh, v.t.,

umlegen, verstricken, to fold over, to wrap around; see lisme

 

umestäche,  v.t.,

umgraben, to turn the soil; a familiar garden chore, performed with what the Swiss call a Stächschufle, f., ein Spaten, a spade; (German der erste Spatenstich is the first turn of the spade, as in a ground-breaking ceremony)

 

umflüge, v.i.

umfallen, to fall; bisch umgfloge? Bist du umgefallen, did you fall

 

umgheie,  v.i.,

umfallen, to fall down, to stumble; see gheie

 

umrüere,  v.t.,

umwerfen, umstoßen, to knock down, to overturn; är het mi umgrüert, er hat mich umgestoßen, he knocked me down (de rüersch du ihn haut ou um!); the German umrühren means to stir, which would be rüere in Swiss; see also umerüere

 

umsverrode,  adv.,

unbedingt, gleichgültig wie, um jeden Preis, by hook or by crook, by any means, no matter how

 

umtrole, v.i.,

a gentle version of umgheie, q.v., hinfallen, to tumble

 

umtue,  v.t.,

fällen, to fell, to hew; said of trees; mir hei a Boum umtoo, wir haben einen Baum gefällt, we felled a tree

 

undedri, adv.,

unten hinein, into the bottom; undedri im Oschternäscht tuet me Oschtergras, in the bottom of the Easterbasket you put crinkle gras

 

undenufe,  adv., sep. pref.,

von unten nach oben, von unten herauf; also a variation of the Swiss card game Jass

 

undereinisch,  adv.,

auf einmal, plötzlich, all of a sudden; also ufeinisch

 

underenand,  adv.,

untereinander, durcheinander, among themselves, mixed up

 

underobsi,  adv.,

see zunderobsi

 

Undersätzli, n.,

kleiner Untersatz, m., coaster, doily, Bierfilz, m., Bierteller, m., Bierdeckel, m.

 

unerchant,  adj.,

wuchtig, heftig, sehr, powerful, formidable, very; sounds to me like a studentesque fad word, but what do I know; unerchant schön, von großer Schönheit, of overwhelming beauty

​

ungatlig, adj.

ungelenkig, schwerfällig, awkward, massive, clumsy, misshapen; Bernese: ugatlig; see Ger. gätlich; see also gatlig, Gattig

 

urchig,  adj.,

ursprünglich, primitiv, originell, natural, genuine, original, primitive

 

üs,  pers. pron.,

uns, us; also öis; Acc. and Dat. of wir;  Acc. sing. üse, üsi, üses; Acc. pl. üsi, (also üseri, üser, öisi; Dat. (Gen.) sing. üsem, üsere, öisem; Dat. (Gen.) pl. üse, (also üsne, öisne),; one should do this on a speadsheet; bi üs, bei uns, at our place; üsem Lehrer si Huet, der Hut unseres Lehrers, our teacher's hat; the üs is more Emmental (wie bi üs im Ämmitau), the öis more Niederamt; Nom. is mer, or meer, q.v., wir, we

 

us-chifle,  v.t.,

enthülsen, to shell; as in Ärbsli us-chifle, Erbsen enthülsen, to shell peas; see also Chefe, which, however, are never us-kiflet; also see chifle, which one can do to pass the time while shelling peas

 

us-choo,  v.t.,

1. bekannt werden, enthüllt werden, to become public knowledge, to be revealed; es isch us-choo, man fand es heraus, it became known

2. mitenand us-choo, sich vertragen, to get along with each other

3. us-choo drmit, damit auskommen, to make do

vergl. German auskommen

 

use,  adv.,

heraus, raus, out; mir göh use, wir gehen hinaus, we are going outside; use! raus! out!; mr göh is Schueuhuus use, wir gehen zum Schulhaus, we are going to the schoolhouse

 

üse,  poss.pron.,

unser, ours; üsi, pl.; Üsi, f.pl., die Unsrigen, our people, our men

 

usechoo, v.i.,

herauskommen, resultieren, to result; s’chunt uf eis use, es kommt auf’s selbe heraus, it comes to the same

 

usegheie,  v.t.,

'rauswerfen, to expel, to cast out; si heinis usegheit, sie haben uns 'rausgeschmissen, they threw us out; see gheie

 

usehaa,  v.r.,

sich lohnen, to be worthwhile; es het sich nid use, es lohnt sich nicht, it isn't worth the trouble; see also useluege

 

useluege,  v.t.,

in addition to "looking out", (zum Fänschter useluege, aus dem Fenster gucken, to look out of the window), this has the meaning of "generating profit"; es luegt nüüt use, es bringt keinen Gewinn, it is not profitable; see also luege

 

userüere,  v.t.,

wegwerfen, to throw away, to discard

 

usetüftele,  v.t.,

ausforschen, aussprüren, ausfindig machen, erfinden, to figure out, to find out, to get to the bottom of, to invent; vergl. German Duft (in the sense of scent); also uustüftele

 

usfiguriere,  v.t.,

erraten, herausfinden, ausklügeln, to contrive by thought, to devine, to devise; to figure out, to work something out; see also figureetle

 

usgheie,  v.t.,

verschütten, to spill; see gheie

 

usgumele,  v.t.,

ausradieren, to erase; vergl. German Gummi, m., Radiergummi, m.

 

ushänke, v.t.,

loslösen, auskuppeln, to disengage; däm het’s usghänkt, der ist irre, he is nuts

 

uslöie,  v.i.,

ausruhen, to rest; a combination of löie (q.v.) and usrueie (q.v.)

 

usmache,  v.t.,

auslöschen, to extinguish; sLiecht usmache, das Licht löschen, to turn off the light; enthülsen, to shell, to husk (peas, etc.);  fig. die Gläser leeren, to drink up; to; machet us! eßt! trinkt! eat! drink up! also used in the German sense of ausmachen, to amount to, to add up; smacht nüt us, es macht nichts aus, it doesn't matter

 

usrangschiere,  v.t.,

streichen, tilgen, to delete, to remove from circulation; originally probably a railroading term (see also rangschiere); vergl. French ranger, einordnen, einreihen, to arrange, to range

 

usränke, v.t.,

ausrenken, to sprain, to dislocate; also verränke, same meaning

 

usrueie,  v.i., v.r.,

ausruhen, sich ausruhen, to take a rest, to relax

 

usschlipfe,  v.i.,

ausgleiten, to slip, to slide; also usgschlipfe; i bi ufem Iisch usgschlipft, ich bin auf dem Eis ausgerutscht, I slipped on the ice; see also zipfe (uszipfe); vergl. German glitschen

 

usschoube, v.t.,

aussondern, ausmerzen, aus-sortieren, to remove, to take out of service, to throw out, to eliminate items

 

ussert,  prep., conj.,

außer, except; ussert es sig de nüüt, außer dem sei nichts, except if not; also usser; usser hüt, außer heute, except today

 

ustue,  v.t.,

ausgraben, to dig up; Härdöpfu ustue, die Kartoffeln ernten, to dig up the potatoes

 

ustüftele, v.t.,

ausfinden, ausdenken, to devise, to work something out, to figure out, to devine

 

uswalle,  v.t.,

ausrollen, auswalzen, (Teig), to roll out (dough); also uswauwe, thus Wauhouz, rolling pin; vergl. German Rollholz, n.

 

uswaue,  v.t.,

auswalzen, v.t., to roll out; see also Wauhouz

 

uszipfe,  v.i.,

ausgleiten, ausglitschen, to slip, to slide; bisch uszipft? bist du ausgeglitten? did you slip? see also zipfe, and Zipfi

 

Uter,  Euter, n., udder; vergl. also French outre, f.,(goatskin bottle, water-skin)

V

V

Vati, m.,

Vater, m., dad

 

Veieli,  n.,

Veilchen, n., violet

 

Velo,  n.,

Fahrrad, n., bicycle; velofahre, also velöle, radeln, to ride a bike; Velöli, n., kleines Fahrrad, small bicycle; see also Göppu

 

verbrätsche,  v.t.,

verhauen, schlagen, to beat up, to hit; see also Brätsch

 

verchare,  v.t.,

verschmieren, sudeln, to scribble, to daub, to scrawl, to make a mess of; from the tracks of a cart (Karren, m.) in the mud

 

vercheibe,  v.t., vulg.

zerstören, verderben, unbrauchbar machen, to destroy willfully, to ruin, to render unusable

 

verchlöpfe,  v.t.,

verschwenden, to squander, to waste; sGäut verchlöpfe, to throw away money

 

verchlüpfe,  v.t., v.i., v.r.,

erschrecken, to scare, to startle; er het mi verchlüpft, er hat mich erschreckt, he startled me; i bi verchlüpft, ich erschrak, I was startled; also erchlüpfe

 

verchnuuschte, v.t.,

zerknautschen, zerknittern, to crumple, to crush, to hug excessively; see also chnuuschte

 

verchrible,  v.t.,

durch Kritzelei verunstalten, to deface with scribbles; vergl. chrible

 

verchrügle,  v.t.,

zerknittern, to crumple; es Zedeli (q.v). verchrügle, ein Papier zerknüllen, to crumple a slip of paper; p.p. and adj.

 

verchrüglet; zerknüllt, rumpled;  verchrügleti Hose, zerknitterte Hosen, wrinkled pants; vergl. German Krulle, f. (ruffle); vergl. German Kugel, f.; see also Chrügeli

 

verchuze,  v.t.,

zerzausen, to tousle, to dishevel; see also Chuz

 

verdanke,  v.t.,

den Dank aussprechen, to return thanks; used as a somewhat flowery turn of phrase in speeches, or in commercial correspondence, where it is highgermanized (wir verdanken Ihren Brief, we thank you for your letter); in German, verdanken means to be due to, owing to, as in es ist seiner Geistesgegenwart zu verdanken, it is due to his presence of mind

 

Verdingchind,  n.,

Mündel, m., n., or f., ward, contract child; Verdingbueb, Verdingmeitschi; children who were placed with farm families because they were orphans or because their own families could not cope, and who were put to work to earn their keep

 

verfuerwärche,  v.t.,

verpfuschen, to botch; a verfuerwärcheti Sach, a botched situation, a botched job; vergl. German Fuhrwerk (carriage)

 

vergäbe, adv.,

vergebens, in vain; kostenlos, free of charge

 

vergible,  v.i.,

verhungern, darben, to starve, to famish; also used in the sense of ungeduldig warten, to await something impatiently; see also vergitzle

 

vergitzle,  v.i.,

etwas kaum erwarten können, to "die" from impatience; also vergable, sometimes vergible, q.v.; i bi fasch vergitzlet, ich konnte es kaum erwarten, I could hardly wait

 

verhächle,  v.t.,

see hächle

 

verheie,  v.t., v.i.,

zerbrechen, to break; hesch es Täuerli verheit? hast du ein Tellerchen zerbrochen? did you break a plate?; fig. mißlingen, to come to naught; see gheie

 

verhürsche,  v.t.,

durcheinander bringen, verwirren, verwickeln, to entangle, to confuse, to mix up; verhürschet, p.p., verwirrt, in disarray (both mental and sartorial); see also Hurschi; vergl. English to hash

 

verhütze,  v.t.,

zerfetzen, to tear to rags, to shred

 

verjage,  v.t.,

zerplatzen, platzen, to explode, to burst; ; also in the German sense of to chase away

 

verjäte,  v.t.,

sprengen, to blow to smithereens; vergl. French jeter

 

verliide,  v.t.,

aushalten, ausstehen, vertragen, ertragen, erdulden, to endure, to stand, to bear (pain), to tolerate; i mas nid verliide, ich kann es nicht ausstehen, I can't stand it; es möcht no chli meh verliide, man könnte noch etwa hinzugeben, one could add some more; vergl. German erleiden

 

verlire,  v.t.,

verwickeln, to tangle; see lire

 

verloche,  v.t.,

vergraben, to bury, to dig in; a Chnoche verloche, einen Knochen bergraben, to bury a bone; (not said of the dead, for that kindly use begrabe, German begraben)

 

verloffe,  pp.,

verlaufen, gone astray, lost; and here is a nice example of a German/Swiss mix: Odu lieber Auguschtin, alles ist hin; sGäut isch versoffe, und dFrou isch verloffe, o du lieber Auguschtin, alles ist hin; to be sung in the well-known tune; the Austrians claim it, the Germans claim it, and the Swiss own it as well

 

verlüre,  v.t.,

verlieren, to lose

 

vermache,  v.t.,

in addition to the German sense "to bequeath" it also means to close, to patch, to batten down; es het mr dLuft vermacht, it choked me; dFänschter vermache (during the war), die Fenster verdunkeln, to black out the windows

 

vermune, v.t.,

zerstören, zu Grunde richten, to destroy, to render useless; a Schrube vermune, eine Schraube durchdrehen, to screw up a screw; see also mune

 

verquante, v.t.,

verkaufen, loswerden, to sell, to turn into cash

​

verrätsche,  v.t.,

verpetzen, to inform against (in school), to tell tales; p.p.verrätscht; see also rätsche

 

verriisse,  v.t.,

zerreißen, to tear up, to shred; the p.p. is verrisse;

​

verroote, v.t.

verraten, preisgeben (auch ungewollt), weitersagen, zu erkennen geben, enthüllen, ausplaudern; to betray, to reveal (also unintentionally), to expose, to divulge, to blab; p.p. verrootet; German p,p, verraten

 

verruckt,  adj.,

erbost, wütend, infuriated, furious; verruckt wärde, sich erbosen, v.r., to get infuriated; verruckt sii, böse sein, to be mad at; also used in der usual German sense of verrückt, crazy, and very, as in s'isch verruckt chaut, es ist verrückt kalt,  it is very cold

 

verruume, v.t.,

wegräumen, to put away, to tidy up

 

verschlargge,  v.t.,

verschmieren, to daub, to smear

 

verschmusle, v.t.,

beflecken, versiffen; to dirty, to soil

 

Verschteckis,  n.,

Versteckspiel, n., hide-and-seek; Verschteckis schpile, Versteckspiel spielen, to play hide-and-seek; jouer à cache-cache

 

verschtruble,  v.t.,

zerzausen, to dishevel; verschtrublet (French ébouriffé), vergl. German strubbelig, adj., tousled, dishevelled, unkempt

 

verseckle, vulg., v.t.

täuschen, im Stich lassen, to dupe, to trick, to deceive

 

Versuecherli,  n.,

Kostprobe, f., Häppchen, n., a tasting sample, a bite; vergl. German versuchen in the sense of "to sample food"

 

versuume,  v.t., v.r.,

in the expression eim versuume, jemand von einer Arbeit abhalten, stören, jemandes Zeit verschwenden,  jemandes Zeit vertrödeln; to distract someone from a task, to waste somebody's time, to hold someone back, to disturb somebody

 

vertätsche,  v.t.,

zerquetschen, zerschlagen, to squash, to pulverize, to flatten; vergl. German tatschen, v.t. (slang)

 

vertlehne,  v.t.,

ausleihen, to lend; pp. vertlehnt; to borrow would be entlehne, German entlehnen

 

vertöibe,  v.t., v.r.,

v.t. erbosen, erzürnen, to make angry or cross, v.r. sich erbosen, to get mad; see toub

 

vertörle,  v.t., v.r.,

v.t. vertändeln, to idle away; Zit vertörle, seine Zeit vertändeln, to idle away one's time; v.r. seine Zeit vertreiben, to amuse oneself

 

vertrischaagge,  v.t.,

zerfetzen, entstellen, to ruin, to scar

 

vertrome,  v.t.,

zertrümmern, zerteilen, to trash, to take apart; see also Troom

 

vertschudle,  v.t.,

zerzausen, to tousle, to rough up; dr Schturm het d'Blueme vertschudlet, der Sturm hat die Blumen zerzaust, the Storm roughed up the flowers

 

vertschuppe,  v.t.,

zerzausen, verwirren, to tangle, to dishevel; this is a shade stronger than vertschudle, and a touch less good-natured; see also Tschupp; vergl. Ital. sciupato

 

vertue, v.t.,

verzetteln, v.t., ausstreuen, v.t., to spread, to scatter

 

verunmögliche,  v.t.,

vereiteln, unmöglich machen, to thwart, to render impossible

 

verwache,  v.i.,

erwachen, aufwachen, to wake up; bisch verwachet? bist du aufgewacht? did you wake up?

 

verwütsche,  v.t.,

erwischen, to catch, to nab; also in the sense of to trick: dä het mi verwütscht, er hat mich erwischt, he has tricked me

 

verzettle,  v.t.,

ausbreiten, zerstreuen, to spread, to scatter; Gras verzettle, das Gras ausbreiten, to spread out the grass (to dry it to make hay); also verzette

​

verzeue,  v.t.,

erzählen, to narrate; Gschichtli verzeue, Geschichten erzählen, to narrate stories; eine Erzählung, f., is, however, e Gschicht, f., or es Gschichtli, n., a story; also used in the German sense of verzählen, v.r., to miscount, to count wrong

 

verzwaschple,  v.i.,

verhaspeln, to entangle; i ha mi verzwaschplet, ich habe mich falsch ausgedrückt, I mis-spoke

 

verzworglet,  adj.,

verdreht, twisted

 

vo,  prep.,

von, from; vo Züri, von Zürich, from Zurich

 

vogte,  v.t.,

bevormunden, to act as a guardian to; a Vogt, m., in Swiss usage, is a guardian, apart from being an overseer or bailiff

 

vom,  prep.,

von dem, from the, by; es Gschichtli vom Chropf Kari, a story by Karl Kropf

 

vome,  prep.,

von einem, from a; Härdöpfu vome Pur, Kartoffeln von einem Landwirt, potatoes from a farm; vomene, a phonetic accommodation, Chriesi vomene grosse Boum, Kirschen von einem grossen Baum, cherries from a large tree; vonere, von einer, from a, Fotine vonere Tur, Photos von einem Ausflug, pictures from an excursion; vome säuber, von selbst, by itself; see also anere

 

voredra,  adv.,

vornan, in front of; also voredüre, vorne durch, past the front

 

voredri, adv.,

vorne hinein, into the front

 

vörha,  v.t.,

vorhalten, vorwerfen, tadeln, to reproach, to remonstrate; eim öppis vörha, jemanden etwas vorwerfen, to reproach something to somebody

 

vori,  adv.

vorhin, soeben, vor einem Augenblick, a short time ago, just now, a moment ago; I hane vori im Garte gseh, ich habe ihn just im Garten gesehen; I just saw him in the garden

 

vörig,  adj.,

übrig, left (over), to spare; was machemer mit em vörige Zimänt? was machen wir mit dem übrigbleibenden Zement? what are we going to do with the excess concrete?; sisch nütme vörig, es  bleibt nichts übrig, there is nothing left; not to be confused with förig, q.v.

 

Vorume,  n.,

Bauch, m., Schmerbauch, m., pot-belly, paunch; es Vorume ha, einen Bauch haben, to have a paunch; to be pregnant, to be overweight

 

voruse,  adv.,

hinaus, out, outside; i go voruse, ich gehe hinaus, I am going outside

 

vorusse,  adv.,

draußen, out of doors, outside; i bi gärn vorusse, ich bin gern draußen, I like to be outdoors

 

vou,  adj.,

voll,  gefüllt, betrunken (coll.), blau, as they say in Germany, (tipsy), full, filled, drunk, (coll.)

 

Vreeni,  n.,

Verena, auch Vreeneli

 

Vroni,  n.,

Veronika

 

vüregüggele, v.i.,

hervorgucken, sich zeigen, to peek, to be visible; d’Tulpe güggele scho vüre, die Tulpen zeigen sich schon, the tulips are already coming up

W

W

wägedäm,  adv., conj.,

deshalb, deswegen, also seinetwegen, for this reason, therefore, auch seineswegen, also because of him; wägedäm muesch du nit truurig sii, deswegen brauchst du nicht traurig zu sein, don’t let it bother you (ein Liedlein aus alten Zeiten, an old song); note that it takes Dativ in Swiss, Genitiv in German; the accent is on the last syllable

 

Wägeli,  n.,

kleiner Wagen, small cart; Chinderwägeli, n., Kinderwagen, m., baby carriage, pram

 

wägemir,  expr.,

meinetwegen, meinethalben, meinetwillen, for all I care, I have nothing against it; similar to henusode, q.v.; also used as a prep., wegen mir, because of me; see also mira

 

wäger,  adv.,

wahrlich, sicherlich, in der Tat, truly, indeed; mainly in the phrase jo wäger, ja wahrlich, yes indeed; also jo wägerli, gewiss, indeed,

 

wäggheie,  v.t.,

wegwerfen, to throw away; synonym of furtgheie; see gheie

 

Wäie,  f.,

gebackene Obsttorte, f., baked flan, tart, quiche; for specific example see Zwätschgewäie, which they call Zwetschgenwähe in Hochschwizerdeutsch; Zibelewäie, f., Zwiebelkuchen, m., onion quiche; Wäiebläch, n., Backblech, n., für Obsttorte, baking tin

 

Wang,  f.,

Bernese for Wand, f., wall; pl. Wäng; the Bernese also say Hang for hand, but Sand for sand, so there goes the theory; except that the -nd is used where the -ng would confuse, such as Rand/Rang, Band/bang, Land/lang, etc.; but see also Hung

 

Wäntele,  f.,

Wanze, f., bug (heteroptera); Trinkflasche, f., (military), hipflask

 

wärche,  v.i.,

Bernese for arbeiten, to work; mr tüe gäng chlei wärche, de verlehre mrs nid, wir arbeiten immer ein wenig, dann verlernen wir's nicht, we go on working a little, so we don't forget how; Wärchtig, m., Werktag, m., working-day; amene Wärchtig, an einem Werktag, on a working-day

 

wärde,  v.i., v.aux.,

werden, to become, shall, will; i wirde, du wirsch, är wird, mir wärde, dir wärdet, si wärde; p.p. gworde, also worde; subj. i würdi (also würd), du würdisch, är würdi, mir würde, dir würdit, si würde; wär nüüt wird wird Wirt, he who nails sails fails, with my apologies to the catering and nautical trades

 

wärwiise,  v.t.,

mutmaßen, to conjecture, to guess; there used to be a verb werweißen, and there may still be, in the real world, so I may wärwiise that it comes from wer weiß?, who knows.

 

Wäschhudu,  m.,

Waschlappen, m., dish-cloth, dish-rag; vergl. German Hudel, m.

 

Wätsch, m.,

Ohrfeige, f., Klaps, m., slap; Wätsch is one, Brätsch and Tätsch are multiples

 

Wäudli,  n.,

kleiner Wald, small patch of forest, copse; es chliis Wäudli

 

Wauhouz,  n.,

Teigrolle, f., Rollholz, n., rolling-pin; also Wauihouz, n.; see also uswaue

 

Waume,  m.,

Walm, m., Wächte, f., windrow, swath, drift, longish heap (of snow, or hay, or other non-countable matter)

 

Wauti,  m.,

Walter

 

wäutsch,  adj.,

welsch, Swiss-Francophone (romand); a Wäutsche, ein Welscher, a Swiss-Francophone, a Romand; vergl. also earlier meaning, as seen in Chuderwäutsch

 

Wedele,  f.,s. and pl.

Reisigbündel, n., faggot; Wedele mache, Reisig binden, to bundle faggots; also Wäue; vergl. Althochdeutsch Wede (Gehölz)

 

weeneli,  adj., adv.,

wenig, little, slightly, very little; also weenelig; similar to es Birebitzeli, q.v.

 

Weggli,  n.,

Semmel, Wecken, m., bun, breakfast roll

​

weible, v.i.

sich eifrig um eine Sache bemühen, to diligently promote a cause; contains the idea of doing much legwork on behalf of something; vergl. German Weibel, m., bailiff

 

weidlig,  adv.,

geschwind, quickly; also weidli; see also gleitig, tifig

 

Weidlig,  m.,

Kahn, m., boat; wend übere Bach wosch, muesch der Weidlig näh, wenn du den Bach überqueren willst, mußt du den Kahn benützen, if you want to cross the stream, you have to take the boat

 

Weiefäcke,  m., s. and pl.

Löwenzahn m., Löwenzahnkraut, n., dandelion, dandelion greens; taraxacum officinale; see also Söiblueme

 

wele,  inter. adj.,

welcher, which man; weli, welche, which woman; weles, welches, which child, which thing; wele wotsch? welchen willst haben? which one would you like?

 

weiter?, v.

möchtet ihr? would you like? would you like to?

weiter no witer? möchtet ihr noch weiter gehen? would you like to go on?

 

welewäg,  adv.,

see einewäg

 

Wi,  m.,

Wein, m., wine

 

Wichtling,  m.,

Wichtigtuer, m., braggart, pompous ass; Wichtlig, m.

 

Widebüüsseli,  n., pl.

Weidenkätzchen, n., Palmkätzchen, willow catkins

 

Widerluege, n.,

Wiedersehn, n., reunion; see uf

 

Widli,  f.,

Weide (Salix) f., willow; Widlichorb, m., Weidenkorb, m., osier basket; Widliruete, f., Weidenrute, f.,  willow switch; also Wide

 

Wienerli,  n.,

kleine Brühwurst, f., (Wienerwürstchen, n.), frankfurter, frank, wiener, hotdog; es Päärli Wienerli, zwei Würstchen, two franks

 

wiettewotsch,  int.,

wie du willst, as you please, have it your way; also wiedwotsch, also widewotsch

 

Wiibeeri,  n.,

Rosine, f., Weinbeere, f., raisin (dried grape)

 

Wiili,  n.,

Weilchen, n., a little while; wart no nes Wiili,  hab' Geduld, be patient for a minute; see also Chehr

 

wiisge,  v.t.,

weißen, v.t., to whitewash; Wiisgi, f., Weiße, f., whitewash

 

Willi,  m.,

Wilhelm

 

winde, v.i.,

in the expression `es windet` es ist windig, the wind is blowing; winde v.t. is the same as the german winden, to wind; see also chute

 

witawägg, adv.,

weitab, weit entfernt, far away

 

Witlig,  m.,

Witwer, m., widower; the female Witwe is Witfrau in Swiss, as in German

 

wiu, conj.,

weil, because

 

wo,  inter.,

wo, where; in Swiss also used as adverb with the meaning of als, as, when; wonig (also woni) hei cho bi, als ich nach Hause kam, when I got home; the liaison with pronouns would be as follows: wonig (woni), wod', woner, wo's, wosi, womer, woder, wosi; also used as rel. pron.: dä wo, derjenige welcher, he who

 

wohär,  rel. and inter. adv.,

woher, where from, whence; wohär chunsch? wo kommst du her? where are you coming from?; jo wohär! kaum! hardly!

 

wohäre,  rel. and inter. adv.,

wohin, where to, wither; wohäre gosch? wo gehst du hin? where are you going?

 

Woog, f.,

Waage, f., scale; Wasserwoog, f., Wasserwaage, f., spirit level

 

Woret,  f.,

Wahrheit, f., truth; d'Woret säge, die Wahrheit sagen, to tell the truth

 

wotsch,  v.,

willst du, do you want to; mach was wotsch, mach was du willst, do as you please; wotsch öppis? möchtest du was? would you like something?; was wotsch? was willst du? what do you want?; see also wöue, and wiettewotsch

​

wöue,  v.i, v.aux.,

wollen, to be willing, to wish, to want; i wott, du wotsch, är wott, mir wei, dir weit, si wei; p.p. wöue; subj. i wett, du wetsch, är wett, mir wette, dir wettet, si wette (also i wötti, mir wötte, etc., to differ from wette, to bet); i wett i hätt, ich möchte ich hätte, I wish I had; wotsch nomeh? möchtest du noch? would you like some more? Dr Hans im Schnäggeloch het aues was er wott, und was er het das wotter nid und was er wott das hetter nid, etc. etc., a ditty of old

 

wüescht,  adj., adv.,

hässlich, unschön, ugly; eim wüescht säge, jemanden ausschelten, to tell someone off; vergl. German wüst, which has, however, a somewhat different meaning

 

Wule,  f., slang

Wut, f., fury; a Wule ha, zornig sein, to be angry; wulig, adj., zornig, angry; Wolle, f., wool

 

wunderlig,  adj.,

launisch, schlecht gelaunt, unpäßlich, mürrisch; cranky, out of sorts, ill-humoured, moody, grumpy, glum

 

Wüsch,  m.,

Wisch, m., Handvoll, f., bunch, fistful, wisp (straw); a Wüsch Charte, eine Handvoll Karten, a handful of cards

 

Wuschle, f.,

Büschel, m., tuft; verwirrter Strauss, untidy bouquet

X

X

Xander, m.,

Alexander, Alex

 

Xundheit! Int.

I know perfectly well this isn’t the proper home for this word, but given the scarcity of entries under X I have made an exception.

Gesundheit! Bless you! (in response to a person sneezing)

Y

Y

Ygregg,  n.,

Ypsilon, the letter Y; vergl. French i grec, the Greek i

 

Yo, adv., part.,

Ja, yes; yo chasch dänke! kaum! that's what you think!; do isch er yo, da ist er ja, well, here he is; i ha drs yo gseit, ich hab es dir ja gesagt, I told you so; me chönnt yo meine, man würde glauben, you would think; är isch yo süsch a Rächte, ansonsten ist er ja anständig, he is basically ok

Z

Z

z',  prep.,

zu, in, at; zBaris, in Paris; zGämf, in Genf, in Geneva; zZüri, in Zürich; zobe, am Abend, in the evening; geschter zobe, gestern abend, yesterday evening; zoberscht, zuoberst, uppermost, zunderscht, zuunterst, at the bottom; used as a shorthand prefix to many words, generally meaning zu~

 

z’ässeträge, v.t.,

eine Mahlzeit bringen, to bring a meal to someone

 

z’barfüesslige,  adv.,

barfuß, barefoot; see also barfis

 

z’bodeha,  v.i.,

ernsthaft bearbeiten, genügend zu sich nehmen; to tackle seriously, to take enough; sometimes said of food, heit zbode! macht euch dran! dig in!

 

z’büchlige,  adv.,

bäuchlings, on one's stomach, prone

 

z‘fadeschlo,  v.t.,

lose zusammennähen, to baste, to sew loosely; fig. etwas provisorisch festlegen, to organize something tentatively; mir hei üsi Reis afe zfadegschlage, wir haben unsere Reise jetzt mehr oder weniger zusammengestellt, we have sketched out our travel plans

 

z‘gschtändlige,  adj.,

stehend, aufrecht, standing, on ones feet; zgschtändlige chönne dänke, im Fluge denken können, to think on ones feet

 

z’hingerför,  adj.,

übergeschnappt, out of one's mind, crazy; see also hintersinne, hingerför; see also hinderfürschi

 

z’leid,  adv.,

in the expression zleid läbe, erschwierigen, belästigen, to annoy, to work at cross purpose

 

z’letscht,  adv.,

zuletzt, am Ende, last, finally, in the end, at last; zletscht gheisch no um, am Ende fällst du noch, you will end up on your back; dr Letscht, sLetschte, der/das Letzte, also fig., das Übelste, the worst; zalleriletscht, das Allerletzte, the very last thing; Mattäi am Letschte, die letzte Möglichkeit, the last chance, (from the old custom to have to pay one's debts by the last day of the season)

 

z’ringu ume,  adv.,

ringsherum, ringsum, all around, everywhere; zringu ume hets Auperösli gha; ringsherum hatte es Alpenrosen, all around there were alpine roses; see also zäntume; also z’ringelume

 

z’sitlige,  adv.,

seitwärts, sidewards, sideways

 

zäch,  adj.,

zähe, zäh, tough, viscous

 

Zägg,  m.,

Zecke, f., tick

 

zäh,  num.adj.,

zehn, ten

 

zäme,  adv.,

zusammen, together

 

zämegheie,  v.i.,

zusammenbrechen, einstürzen, to collapse; both fig. and lit.; see gheie

 

zämehänke,  v.t.,

zusammen hängen, to join; see also hänke

 

zämehoue,  v.t.,

zusammenschlagen, to beat up, to thrash

 

zämepfusche, v.i.,

flüchtig bearbeiten, to do a bad job

 

zämeputsche, v.i.,

zusammenstossen, zusammenprellen, to collide

 

zämeramisiere,  v.t.,

zusammenraffen, einsammeln, to gather up, to round up; also zämeramüsiere; vergl. French ramasser

 

zämesacke, v.i.,

zusammenbrechen, to collapse, p.p., zämegsacket

 

zämeschtungge, v.t.,

zusammenpferchen, to jam together; see also

schtungge

 

zämeschtuuche, v.t.,

zusammenschlagen, to beat up

​

zämetätsche, v.t.,

aufeinanderprallen, to smash together, to collide

 

zämetrumele, v.t.,

einberufen, to assemble; lit. to drum together

 

zäntume, adv.,

überall, rundherum, weitherum, everywhere, all around, as far as you can see; s'het zäntume ke bessere, einen bessern findest du nirgends,  you can't find a better one anywhere; vergl. German samt (as in samt und sonders, one and all)

 

Zäpfi,  n.,

Zäpfchen, n., suppository

 

Zäsi,  m.,

Cäsar, Caesar

 

Zäutli,  n.,

Pastille, f., Bonbon, n., lozenge, candy; German dialect Zeltchen, n.; see Täfeli

 

zechele,  v.i.,

auf die Zehenspitzen stehen, to stand on one's toes; für's oberschte Tablar muesch zechele, für das oberste Regal mußt du auf deine Zehen stehen, for the top shelf you have to stand on your toes; Zeche, m., Zehe, f., toe

 

Zedeli,  n.,

Zettel, m., Notizzettel, m., slip of paper, note

 

zeue,  v.t.,

zählen, to count; uf zäh zeue, bis zehn zählen, to count to ten; zämezeue, zusammenzählen, to add up; see also verzeue

 

zibberle, v.i.,

tänzeln, to skip, to caper

 

Zibele,  f.,

Zwiebel, f., onion (further east reduced to Böle); Zibelewäie, onion flan, a kind of quiche; Zibelemärit, m., Zwiebelmarkt, m., the famous onion market day in Bern; vergl. Ital. cipolla

 

ziggischpile,  v.i.,

kriegenspielen, haschen, to play tag; also Fangis schpile

 

ziggle,  v.i.,

plänkeln, herumhüpfen, to skirmish, to gambol; often in the sense of a prelude to a fight; derives perhaps from the play of goats (Ziegen, f.pl.)

 

Ziischtig,  m.,

Dienstag, Tuesday; also Ziischti

 

Zilete,  f.,

Reihe, f., row, line, convoy; also fig. e ganzi Zilete Usreede, eine ganze Reihe Ausreden, a whole lot of excuses; vergl. German Zeile, f.

 

Zimis,  n.,

Mittagsimbiß, m., lunch; coincidentally, in jiddisch, tsimmes is carrot pudding

 

Zingge, m.,

from Zinke, f., tine; a roote Zingge, eine rote Nase, a red nose, taken as a sign of drinking too much

 

zipfe,  v.i.,

gleiten, rutschen, to slip, to slither; uszipfe, v.i., ausgleiten, to slip; ziferle, v.i., gleiten, to slide; perhaps from German Seife, f., which in Züritütsch is sometimes called Söipfe

 

Zipfi,  f.,

Gleitbahn, f., slide; eine vereiste Strecke, an ice-covered stretch; see also uszipfe, zipfe

 

Zit,  f.,

Zeit, f., time; was isch für Zit? wieviel Uhr ist es, what time is it, quelle heure est-il; in Basel and Zurich it's the longer "Zyt".

 

Remember the old song?

​

"D'Zit isch do, d'Zit isch do!" singt's uf em Nussboum scho. Gugguh,

"d'Zit isch do, d'Zit isch do!" singt's uf em Nussboum scho,

singt's uf em Schlehdornhag,

singt's was es singe mag;

's isch Meietag, 's isch Meietag.

 

which makes light of the fact that time is the strangest ingredient in the soup of our existence; see also derzit ha. (And a Schlehdorn is a prunus spinosa, a Blackdorn. It has the most delightful little flowers.)

 

Zit,  n.,

Uhr, f., Wanduhr, f., clock; das isch es schöns Zit, das ist eine schöne Wanduhr, this is a beautiful clock; du muesch de no s'Zit ufzie, vergiß nicht die Wanduhr aufzuziehen, remember to wind up the clock.

 

Z'Schwyz am Zit schiint d'Sunne, und wenn si z'Schwyz am Zit nit schiint, de schiint si am Zit z'Brunne (ein Zungenbrecher, a tongue-twister)

 

Zitig,  f.,

Zeitung, f., newspaper; i dr Zitig cho, in der Zeitung erwähnt werden, to make the news; when my parents had their 60th wedding anniversary si si i dr Zitig cho, und am Radio ou

 

Zitteri,  m.,

Zittern, n., tremors; dr Zitteri ha, zittern, to tremble, to have the heebie-jeebies; mainly from old age; see also Schlotteri

 

Zmittag,  n.,

Mittagessen, n., lunch

 

zmitts,  adv., prep.

in der Mitte, inmitten, in the middle, in the midst of;

 

Zmorge, n.,

Frühstück, n., breakfast

 

Znacht, n.,

Nachtessen, supper

 

Znüni,  n.,

Vormittagsimbiß, m., Jause, f., forenoon snack (around 9 a.m.)

 

Zobe,  n.,

später Nachmittagsimbiß, m., late afternoon snack; between Zvieri and Znacht; also Zobig; das Überspringen dieser Mahlzeit erfordert eine päpstliche Dispensation, the skipping of this meal requires papal dispensation, technically true of all meals starting with Z

 

zobe, adv.,

abends, in the evening; hüt zobe, heute abend, tonight

​

zoggle,  v.i.,

gehen (coll.), to walk; dervoozoggle, abziehen, to go away; also abzoggle; vergl. Italian zoccolo (clog)

 

zöiggle,  v.t.,

anstacheln, aufhetzen, to provoke, to goad, to tease; du muesch dr Hund nit zöiggle, du sollst den Hund nicht hetzen, you mustn't bait the dog

 

zöisle,  v.i.,

mit Feuer spielen, gokeln, v.i. (dial.), to play with fire, to play with matches; also zöiserle; vergl. German zünden, Zunder, m.

 

Zötteli, n., s., and pl.

Quaste, f., tassel, pom-pom

 

zrugg,  adv. or sep.pref.,

zurück, back, backwards; also zrügg; öppis zrugg übercho, etwas zurückkriegen, to get something back

 

Züber,  m.,

Zober, m. (also Zuber), tub; a large two-handled tub, as in wash-tub; a bath-tub is, however, a Badwanne, f., German Badewanne

 

zueche,  adv., sep. pref.

hin, zu, to, at; Bernese version of zue; sitzet zueche, kommt zu Tisch, setzt Euch bitte, please come and be seated; zueche hocke, sich zu Tische setzen, to be seated at table

 

zuedräie, v.t.,

zudrehen, zurückstellen, vermindern, to shut off, to turn off, (for example a faucet)

 

zuegheie,  v.i., v.t.,

zuklappen, sich schliessen, to close, to shut itself accidentally

 

zuelo, v.t.,

zulassen, gestatten, to allow, to permit, to let approach; see also lo

 

zueluege,  v.i.,

zuschauen, zusehen, to watch, to look on; see also luege

 

zuetue,  v.t.,

schließen, to close; hesch Türe zueto? hast du die Türe geschlossen? did you close the door?; also erwerben, to acquire, in the sense of dazutun, är het as Outo zueto, er hat sich einen Wagen gekauft, he bought himself a car; dr Schirm zuetue, ins Gras beißen, to kick the bucket

 

zügle,  v.i.,

umziehen, to move house; Züglete, f., Umzug, m., removal, move (as from one abode to another)

 

zunanduusgheie,  v.t.,

auseinanderfallen, to fall apart; also zunandusegheie, also zunandusgheie; s Bäbihuus isch zunanduusgheit, das Puppenhaus fiel auseinander, the doll-house fell apart; see gheie

 

zunderobsi,  adv., adj.,

drunter und drüber, higgledy-piggledy, topsy-turvy, upside down; also underobsi; also fig., i bi ganz zunderobsi, ich bin ganz verwirrt, I am all mixed up

 

Zündhöuzli, n.,

Streichholz, n., match; also Zündhölzli, n.

 

Zündhöuzlischächteli, n.,

Streichholzschächtelchen, n. (a nice example of a composite noun, and a tongue-twister for the foreign-born), match box

 

Züpfe,  f.,

Hefezopf, m., braided bread, plait

 

züpfle,  v.t.,

flechten, to braid; dr Mischt züpfle, den Misthaufen flechten, to braid the manure hill, a must on a Swiss farm, you think I am kidding, go see; vergl. German Zopf, m., pigtail, plait, tress

 

zusserscht,  adv.,

zuäußerst, outermost; zusserscht uss, am letzten Ende, at the very end, in extremis

 

zveu,  adv.,

zuviel, too much; zveu gässe ha, zuviel gegessen haben, to have eaten too much

 

Zvieri,  n.,

Nachmittagsimbiß, m., Versperbrot, n., Jause, f., afternoon snack (around 4 p.m.)

 

zvorderscht,  adv.,

zuvorderst, at the front, up front, in the first rank; zvorderscht vore, zuvorderst vorne, an der Spitze, at the very front, in the first rank or line

 

zwäg,  adj.,

recht gesund, reasonably well; mir si zwäg, es geht uns recht, we are doing ok; vergl. German zuwege (dial.); also bereit, ready; mir si zwäg, wir sind bereit, we are ready

 

zwägbüschele, v.t.,

zurechtlegen, to arrange

 

zwägchlöpfe,  v.t.,

notdürftig flicken, to slap together

 

zwägmache, v.t.,

bereitmachen, zurechtmachen, zurechtlegen, ordnen; to ready, to prepare, to put in order

 

zwänge, v.t.,

etwas erzwingen wollen, to insist beyond reason, to behave contrarily; in particular of children: to have a tantrum; see also düreschtiere

 

Zwängerei, f.,

Rechthaberei, f., übermässiger Eigensinn, m., obstinacy, excessive wilfulness; see also düreschtiere

 

Zwäng-Gring,  m.,

Starrkopf, m., stubborn person, mule (coll.); also Zwäng-Grind; see also Grind

 

zwänzg,  num.adj.,

zwanzig, twenty

 

Zwänzgabachtischnörre,  f.,

ein trauriges Gesicht, a sad face; from the position of the hands of a clock at 20 past eight; regrettably, there is no record of a Zähvorzwöigsicht, which would be a smiley face

 

Zwaschpu,  m.,

Wirrkopf, m., muddle-head; vergl. German verhaspeln; see also verzwaschple; see also zwirblig, Zwirb

 

Zwätschgewäie,  f.,

Obsttorte, f., mit Zwetschgen, plum flan;

 

How to make:

do a flaky pie crust dough (packaged will do), roll it to about 3 mm and lay it in a buttered pie-tin, double around the edge, prick it a few times with a fork, scatter a thin layer of grated hazelnuts over it, and range halves of plums (without the pits) over it; put in oven at 220°C for 10 minutes; take out and pour on a filling (mix 2 eggs, 1 dl milk, 1 dl cream, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, half an envelope of vanilla sugar); back into oven for 20 to 25 minutes; dust with ordinary granulated sugar; can be served slightly warm, delicious with Nidle, q.v.

 

zweeni,  adv.,

zuwenig, too little; hesch zweeni ufpasst, du hast zuwenig aufgepaßt, you paid too little attention

 

Zwefränkler, m.,

Zweifrankenmünze, f., two-franc piece; also Zwöifränkler, m.

 

zwicke,  v.t.,

all the meanings of German zwicken, to pinch, nip, tweak; but also to slap; bis rueig, oder i zwick dr eis! sei ruhig oder ich hau dir eins! be quiet or you'll get it!; Zwick, m., is the lash of the whip, specifically the hard string at the end of the lash, but the action is not of whipping but rather of a quick call to order

 

zwirblig,  adj.,

schwindlig, taumelnd, giddy, dizzy;

 

Zwirbu, m.,

Wirrkopf, m., rastloses Kind, somebody who can't sit still, fig. a jack-in-the-box; vergl. German zwirbeln, v.t.

 

zwöi,  num.adj.,

zwei, two; sometimes zwo, as also in German, to distinguish it more clearly from drei; z'zwöit, adj., zu zweien, in twos

 

zwöiergattig,  adj.,

zweierlei, of two kinds; zwöiergattig Lüt, zweierlei Menschen, men and women

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