A new colleague from abroad, who already spoke good German, had looked at me rather perplexed when I asked him to grab a „Ratzefummel“ to touch up a draft. (Spoiler Alert: a „Ratzefummel“ is a colloquial yet rather frequently used word for eraser/rubber in German.)
Eventually, after taking some time trying to find such a thing, he gathered the courage to ask me what exactly a „Ratzefummel“ was. I drew one for him, described it, and encouraged him to always ask us if he didn't understand something in German. Some days later I got him a vocabulary book so that not a single word could get lost, and we also had some space to draw and describe new words.
The colleague for whom we created this notebook is named Levi – and so the „Levikon“ was born. A pun on the word „Lexikon“, the German word for dictionary.
Ever since, we collected all these words and terms from everyday life – the words you don't usually learn in any German course. With its ever-growing mix of wild, funny, colloquial, offbeat and almost forgotten words, the Levikon was shared more and more often by new colleagues, whether they came from a distant or neighboring country, or merely from another German federal state.
Personally, I hadn’t realized before how much the joy of language unites all people, but ever since it occurred to me, I wanted to pass on this sense of belonging as well as the fun we shared. Hence, I had the idea of a participatory vocabulary book. A Levikon for everyone: with one part of the book already illustrated with firecracker words and expressions, the other part wanting to be filled by you, the reader.
I hope that the Levikon can be a first step to bring people together and share some laughs, because making nonsense together is very, very important! Have fun with my small selection from the Levikon!
More info: Instagram
Here is the, now famous, „Ratzefummel“ aka eraser, with which it all began.
Katzentisch literally means „cat table“. This is a table where you sit people for whom you do not have or do not want a better place. Often near the toilet.
Vokuhila is aeuphemism for a mullet haircut. It’s meaning becomes evident when spreading out this abbreviation in German: VO-KU-HI-LA = VOrne KUrz / HInten LAng which literally means „short in the front, long in the back.“
Skandalnudel describes a wannabe, someone who is always involved in some little scandal (got naked in public or something) - that's why it literally translates as „scandal noodle.“
Hüftgold literally translated means „Hip Gold“. Just imagine that this muffin is a human being. Then what the arrows are pointing to is hip gold. The German version of love handles.
Dreikäsehoch literally translated means „three-cheeses-tall“. It has nothing to do with cheese, but instead defines a child, usually a rather curious one, who acts like a big shot.
Jodeldiplom literally means „yodeling diploma“ and is a dignified and funny description for a certificate that looks very, very important and has absolutely no value or meaning.
Trübe Tasse literally means „cloudy cup“. This is a benign way to refer to a very simple-minded person.
Ohrwurm literally means „ear worm“. A song that you think you won't be able to get out of your head for all eternity. I'm kindly refraining from giving examples at this point.
Einen Föhn bekommen literally means „to get a hair dryer“ (no kidding!!!). This is a common description for when you are very annoyed with someone or something.
Nussschale is the word for „nutshell“ in German, but also refers to a really small boat.
The Levikon has enough space for your favorite words. In addition, there are theme pages (compliments, swear words, food etc.) on which you can bundle some words. By the way, „old cucumber“ literally means old pickle and describes an old vehicle.
A Levikon fan has made this big poster possible for me. My Gurkentruppe is very enthusiastic about that as you can see. Gurkentruppe literally translated means „cucumber troop“ or „pickle troop“. This is a benign German description for a bunch of bunglers.
The digital Levikon continues to grow on Instagram (levikon.insta). You are cordially invited to be part of it.
The analog Levikon is available wherever there are good books.
