Incoherent Scribblings

English Words in German

A couple of months ago, Neil wrote about English words in German and how they are invented. At the time, I thought, “I know exactly what you mean,” even though I could think of no other words than his classic example of “handy.” Until today.

I was sitting in my Business German class and we were doing a listening exercise. On the tape there was a woman who was complaining about how her colleagues were treating her. My teacher asked if we knew the word for this. At that time, she looked directly at me and asked what this was called in English. I tried to look like I was thinking this over, but honestly I was clueless. I personally thought the woman on the tape was just a little paranoid. Suddenly, one of the Russian girls in my class whispered to me “Mobbing.” Then it was clear. I had heard the term “das Mobbing” before, but filed it under “word not commonly used” in my brain.

In German, “das Mobbing” translates to “workplace bullying,” which is what the woman on the tape was describing. However, the only time I ever use the word “Mob” in English as a noun is in reference to organized crime or a large group of dissatisfied or angry people. I also occasionally use “mob” as a verb as in “the crowd mobbed the store,” but in reference to workplace bullying? Never.

The Home Stretch

It is less than 10 days until my 30th birthday… eek!

All I can say is A. better get me one heck of a super gift! I would really like some wind chimes and I still want those dimond-stud earrings… (I just want one pair… I don’t need 6 pair to go in all of my piercings… just one)

Tasty Cream of Broccoli Soup

I am a carnivore and unashamed of it. I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to eat grass! Seriously, I can count all of the vegtables I like on one hand…

Broccoli happens to one of the those vegtables, and one of my favorite broccoli dishes is Cream of Broccoli Soup. I used to buy some seasoning mix for it when I lived in the U.S., but have never found it here. But today is kind of cold and rainy and when I was out walking about, I decided I wanted some Cream of Broccoli Soup. When I got home, I pulled out my three favorite cook books, The Joy of Cooking, The Complete Pilsbury Cook Book, and The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book and started thinking about how exactly I was going to make the soup. Each cook book has its own recipe for Cream of Broccoli Soup and through combining what I thought sounded good and leaving out what I didn’t from all three, I created my own Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe, which I found to be so tasty that I am going to share it:

Tasty Cream of Broccoli Soup:

Combine and heat:
1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 teaspoons Chicken Bullion
2 Tablespoons Butter

While heating, add: **
Minced Onion (to taste)
Garlic Powder (to taste)
Thyme (to taste)
Parsely (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour

Bring to a boil.

Add 400ml, or approximately 1 1/2 cup, Cream.

Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Add 300 grams, or approximately 2-3 cups Broccoli. (I use only the flowerettes) Stir and simmer until Broccoli is tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with crackers or croutons.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

**A word about seasoning:**
I am a big fan of tasting your food as you go along and seasoning it accordingly. However, if you MUST have measurements, try 1 teaspoon of the onion and garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme and parsley, and a dash of pepper.