Der Putz & Der Meister

Recently, while driving to work, I came to a stop behind this vehicle at a traffic light:

A vehicle's trailer doesn't get more German than when it states it is the Putzmeister.  

So, what exactly, does this attachment do?  Let's break it down:

Putz in this incidence is not a Yiddish slang term.  It means "plaster"; and this trailer is a concrete pump.  Putzmeister is a German company, founded in 1958 with at least 500 employees working for Putzmeister America.  

Meister is the term used for a skilled master.  This term can be used for a foreman or a boss or a champion.  For example, the winners of the soccer World Cup are the Weltmeister (the world masters).  The leader of an orchestra or choir is the Kapellmeister.  Der Meisterbäcker is the "master" baker; and der Meisterschreiner is the "master" carpenter.  A craftsman apprentice works for and strives to be a Meister.  

Germans also call "the old Masters" die alte Meister.  These are the European painters, such as Rembrandt, who worked prior to 1800.

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Meister can also be a title - showing respect to the wise Master.  German fables introduce us to the characters of Meister Lampe (a rabbit), Meister Grimbart (a badger), Meister Petz (a bear), and Meister Graubein (a wolf) who all have lessons to teach us.  

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And now that we've had a thorough description of MEISTER, let's go back to PUTZ.   There is another aspect:  putzen - a verb.  It means to clean, to scrub, to brush, to polish, or to wipe.  

Schuhputz is shoe polish ... Putzmittel is a cleaning agent ... a Putzlappen is a cleaning cloth.  

Many a Hausfrau feels like a Putzfrau (cleaning lady) ... and often might wish for a Putzfee (a cleaning fairy)!

Confused?  Don't worry!  There is a German saying:  Übung macht den Meister!  

This means:  Practice makes the master.