it got late and it is grusig
There are a few Swiss German words that are hard to translate, one of these is “grusig” . However, it fits perfect with the weather. A helpful page for those who want to visit this green country of the many rains: Eldrid’s quick guide to Swiss German. Thus, disgusting is a useful translation, but a little bit strong. Bottom line: We have this weather again that makes us stay in our solid houses (because it is soooooo wet everywhere), sit in dark kitchens (because it is sooooooooo grey everywhere) and eat our rotten milk products (cheese, that is soooooooo good with warm bread in the evening) and dream of the Mediterranean sea
On this page we might also learn that “Summervogel” translates into butterfly. “Summervogel isch cool”, we might say around here, and it would give a nice name for a fragrance, indeed. Summervogel… haven’t seen one in a long time, too wet! I’ ll bet they made their Mediterranean dreams come true and flew over the Alps.
So it is grusig and it got late because I had a spontaneous visitor coming by and we sniffed our noses into anesthetic states, discussing things like “why does a rose oil does not smell like a rose flower?” or “what smells birchtar like?” [you know…the famous ingredient in Lonestar Memories] and “why are these Tauer perfume bottles so… “0815, nullachtfĂĽnfzehn”?”, which translates into average looking…
It got late for exactly this last question
June 17th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Wow! I studied german in the litseum (both german and english), and i knew it quite well, but without practicing….almost everythin forgot :( Anyway! Ich bin arbeiten gut und du hast mich! :))))
June 17th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Andy in my language grusig is probably “grauw” or “grijs”, so I feel what you mean. At the Mediterranean coast it can be very spooky too… it’s not always nice downthere either.
I love cheese and I am very fond of the famous Swiss cheese fondue ))
June 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Nullachtfuenfzehn had me bowl over, haven’t heard that one in a looong time, lol. While I love a pretty bottle too, if the nullachtfuenfzehn bottle helps keep prices down I’m all for it! As for the sunshine and the summervogel - I’ll gladly share those in my backyard with you. I’ll send some your way, and hopefully it’ll get there soon.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Dear Jeff
Same for my Spanish…or French. La plume de ma tante est plus jolie que mon oncle….
;-)
Daer Marianne I guess you are right, I feel that grey November days are grey everywhere, but: In June….?!
Dear Sabina
It sure helps with the prices and right now I see a little bit of sunshine. Thank you for sharing!!!
June 17th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Well ok, you have the worst weather at the moment.. living between the mountains has it’s disadvantages..;)
June 17th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
The name Brazil is always connected to exotic resorts at dreamland beaches, caipirinhas and dark chocolate bronze ladies in small bikinis. Well, this is not our reality in Sao Paulo city, we are far from the turists brochures! It is gray, cloudy, rainy, cold and wet.
So we find ourselves in our kitchens making couscous and drinking tea with mint.
our word for this type of situation in hebrew is bassa. bassa is a mood, it reminds of having the blues but is also connected to a certain desapointment. I have no word for it in portuguese but my son created an expression that goes “this is the armpit of the year”.
The weather is good to try new scents and warm baths - I would say something with ginger, cinammon, sweet orange, petit grain.
or something sensual - ylang ylang, sweet orange, petit grain, basilicum. to heat things up.
a swiss fondue and a good wine and we are not bebassa anymore :-)
June 17th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Probably the closest thing to “grusig” is grueling in English, and it almost doesn’t need translation, just hearing it is enough. It’s not a happy word:)
Sending you a good healthy dollop of sunshine with summervogel.
Hey, thinking of summervogels, “vogel” is something fluttery with wings, right?
Is it connected to “vogue”? Like in trend or fashion that’s constanty fleeting and changing, kind of like butterfly?