Essen Local Customs

Visit in September the Carnival of the Cultures. It's a festival on the Berliner Platz.
There is a big Bazar with a lot of exhibitor with clothes from any country and delicious food from all over the world.

Ruhrpott-slang (or rather 'dialect') was long neglected as a language only spoken by 'stupid working class' people. Now it's experiencing a revival. Saying 'datt' instead of 'das' is becoming a common habit.
To greet someone you say either 'Hallo!' or 'Tach!' (=Tag=day), to say goodbye, we usually say 'Tschüss!'.
Here are some of my favourite examples of 'Ruhrpöttisch' (sometimes with literal translations in the middle):


'Könnse mir ma sang vietnam Bannhof geht?'- Könnten Sie mir wohl (bitte) sagen, wie ich zum Bahnhof komme? - Could you tell me the way to the station (, please)?

'Wieso dattenich?' - Wieso das denn nicht? - Why not?

'Watt is dattan?' - Was ist das denn? - What the hell is that?

'Ach du dicken Vatter!' - Oh, you fat father! - Jesus Christ!/Holy Sh*t!/something like that

'Kerl inne Kiste!' - Guy in the coffin! - Goddamnit!

'Vadammte Hacke, getz is aba Schluss!' - Cursed mattock, this is the end! - For f*cks sake, stop it!

'Hasset bald?!?' - Hast du es bald geschafft? - How much longer will this take you!?!/What's your problem?/Hurry up!

'Komm inne Puschen!!!' - Come into the slippers!!! - Hurry up!!! Move faster!!!

'Mach hinne!' - Make go there! - Hurry up!

'Mach mich nich feddich!' - Don't wear me down. (more or less) - You must be joking!/I don't believe it!

'Ey, du Geier!'- Hey, you vulture! - You stupid idiot (what are you doing?)!!!

'Ey, Alter, wohin mit dir?- = Hey, dude, where to put you/what should one do about you? - Dude, you're a hopeless case...

'Is mir Latte...'- = This is lath to me. - I don't care.

'Das ging rubbeldiekatz!' - = That went rubbeldiekatz (rubbeldiekatz consists of three words actually: 'rubbel' 'die' 'katze' - translated 'rub' 'the' 'cat'. Really, it's true ;)) - That happened very fast!

'Wie'n Äffchen aufm Schleifstein dahocken' = to sit like an ape on a grinding wheel - you know sitting rather uncomfortably with heavy bended legs, on low seats for example

Schwachulli - = Schwächling. - weakling, wimp


Pimpf - = kleiner Mensch, Kind - small person, child.

'Mach dir ma kein Kopf dadrüber.'- = Don't make yourself a head about it. - Don't worry about that.

'Killefitt' - = unnötiger Kleinkram - small, unnecessary items...

'auf Trallafitti gehen' - = go on Trallafitti - hitting the city, going out and around

And now some terms to caress your lovey:

'Schnubbel' or 'Schnübbelken' - ? - s.o. who's sweet and lovable
'Schätzeken' - little treasure - honey, sweetheart
'Perle' - pearl - girl friend (usually used by boys talking about their girls when they're absent :0))
'Putzelchen' - ? - rather not to use for boyfriends or girlfriends (it's like honeybunny or something. I wouldn't use it in that way...). I use it for my cat, my sister (slightly ironical) and sometimes friends (when you want to show them that their behaviour is sweet but probably a bit errr naive? Yet lovable. Uncorrupted may be the right word.)
'Dötzeken' - Kleines - little one, probably a child, apart from that same usage as Putzelchen
'i-Dötze' - Erstklässler - typical term for first graders around here, not really sure what the 'i' is supposed to mean though...
'Oppa' - Opa/Großvater - Grandpa/Grandfather
'Omma' - Oma/Großmutter - Grandma/Grandmother
'Ömmaken' - Oma/Großmutter - also Grandma/Grandmother, only making her a little smaller. Same is applicable for Oppa, of course.
more to come

Not really natural, but possible - playing with words:


Darf datt-datt?! - Darf das das?! - Is it (the child) allowed to do that?!
Datt darf datt. - Das darf das. - It is allowed to do that.
Datt-datt-datt darf! - Das das das darf! - (= that it is allowed!) Hardly believable!

Hammsammsamstach Schalke jesehn? Hattata jereechnet! - Haben Sie am Samstag das Schalke-Spiel gesehen? Das hat da vielleicht geregnet! - Have you seen the game of Schalke (soccer club) on Saturday? How it rained then!

Currywurst is a kind of traditional here, so I had to try one, and for 1 Euro, it was not bad at all, actually it was good.

Currywurst is a kind of traditional here, so I had to try one, and for 1 Euro, it was not bad at all, actually it was good.