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.

source

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.  

source

source

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.  

Projekt: Von A bis Z (S)

I am still determined to blog all the way through the alphabet AUF DEUTSCH - Just a few letters to go, and today it is "S" - an easy one!  :)   Can you think of any other words to add?



Animals:  die Schlange (the snake), das Schaf (the sheep), die Schnecke (the snail), die Schildkröte (the turtle), das Schwein (the pig), *Stachelschwein (porcupine)

VOCAB TIDBIT:
*Stachel+schwein - literally means "thorn" or quilled pig

source

Food:  Schnitzel (veal or pork cutlet), Schinken (ham), Suppe (soup), Spätzle (German noodles), Spargel (asparagus), Sauerbraten (roast),  **Stachelbeere (gooseberry)

VOCAB TIDBIT:
*Stachel+beere - literally means "thorn" berry

source

Common Names:  Stephanie, Stefanie, Stefan, Susanne, Sabine, Sascha, Simone, Simon, Siegfried, Siegrid, Sieglinde, Sebastian, Seppl or Seppel (nickname for Joseph)

Cities:  Siegen, Selingenstadt, Stuttgart, Saarbrücken

Verbs:  singen (to sing), suchen (to seek), studieren (to study), schenken (to give - a gift)

Words you might recognize:  Sieg!  (Victory!), Schule (school), Sohn (son), Samstag & Sontag (Saturday & Sunday), Sauerkraut

German companies/brands:  Siemens (electronics), SIG Sauer (firearms), Schwarzkopf (cosmetics, hair products), Stihl (tools), Storck (candy), Spiegel (media)