Germans called Americans "Amis", a common, generally neutral slang short for Amerikaner, but it could carry condescending or critical undertones, especially during WWII and the Cold War, sometimes implying naivety or imperialism, while other informal terms like "Yankee" or negative descriptions like "gangsters" were also used, with "Teufelhunden" (Devil Dogs) being a famous nickname for Marines.
The title is adapted from the 1970s slogan "Ami — go home!" Ami is German slang for Americans.
The respective guidelines of the foreign ministries of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland all dictate Amerikaner/amerikanisch for official usage. Ami is common in colloquial speech.
What did the German soldiers call (nickname) American soldiers during WWII? Americans have been and still are called “Amis” (pronounced “Ummies”).
What derogatory nicknames (the counterpart of "krauts", "jerries" etc) did German soldiers and civilian use to refer to their opponents in the world wars? I only know two nicknames from WW2: Iwan (mostly used in singular form) for Russians, and Tommy for Brits.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
The nickname "Black and Tans" arose from the improvised uniforms they initially wore. Due to a shortage of RIC uniforms, the new recruits were issued with a mixture of dark RIC tunics and caps, and khaki army trousers.
The persistent attacks delivered with unbelievable courage had the Germans referring to Marines as the "Teufelhunden," meaning "fierce fighting dogs of legendary origin" or as popularly translated, "Devil Dogs," or so the legend goes.
Many Germans hated America because of capitalism in general, or because of the humiliation the Allies brought on them after World War Two. Some right wingers saw the United States as a protector against communism, while others saw the American way of life as uncultured.
The "D" in D-Day simply stands for "Day," a military term used to denote the start date of a major operation, with the specific date kept secret until the last minute, making it "the Day" of the invasion. Military planners used "D-Day" and "H-Hour" (start time) as placeholders, referring to days before as D-2, D-3, and days after as D+1, D+2, etc., though the term is now famously associated with the June 6, 1944, Normandy landings.
I know people in the UK sometimes refer to Americans as Yankees, but if you are in America and use the term Yankee, it generally refers to someone from the North (Civil War North, not necessarily far geographic north).
Hitler reacted to Pearl Harbor with surprise, excitement, and relief, believing Japan's attack would distract the U.S., prevent American intervention in Europe, and ultimately aid the Axis war effort, leading him to unnecessarily declare war on the U.S. himself four days later, a move considered a major strategic blunder that brought America fully into the European war. He was ecstatic that Japan's actions would divert American resources away from the European theater, especially while Germany was struggling in the Soviet Union.
Who did the German army soldiers fear the most? The 'Rats of Tobruk' - 'the Australian Soldiers'. Erwin Rommel was the German field marshal who led the German and Italian forces in North Africa during the Second World War.
In German, 777,777 is written as one long compound word: Siebenhundertsiebenundsiebzigtausendsiebenhundertsiebenundsiebzig, meaning "seven hundred seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred seventy-seven," showcasing German's ability to create huge words by joining smaller ones.
The 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) applied to learning German means focusing your efforts on the 20% of high-frequency vocabulary, grammar, and phrases that will give you 80% of your understanding and conversational ability, making learning more efficient. Instead of learning everything, prioritize common words, basic sentence structures, and practical phrases for travel or specific goals, allowing for rapid, functional communication and confidence building.
"Backpfeifengesicht" isn't a bad word per se, but it's a colloquial and somewhat humorous insult. It translates to “a face that needs a slap” and is used to describe someone with an annoying or smug face. It's offensive but more cheeky than outright vulgar.
Then, saying "It is finished, goodbye", Hitler took Eva back into their rooms for the last time. During the afternoon Hitler shot himself and Eva took the poison capsule that he had given her.
The 10 PM rule in Germany refers to Nachtruhe, a legally enforced quiet time (usually 10 PM to 6 or 7 AM) where loud activities like music, vacuuming, or DIY are prohibited to ensure neighbors' rest, complementing midday quiet hours (Mittagsruhe) and strict quiet on Sundays, rooted in German law and culture valuing peace in dense housing.
Pre- vious scholarship has shown that Hitler was a firm believer in God and that he did have a positive view of Jesus even though he expressed only contempt for the Christianity of the established churches. However, the issue of whether Hitler considered Jesus divine has not been satisfactorily answered thus far.
The term Tommy was established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with World War 1. Legend has it that German soldiers would call out to “Tommy” across no man's land if they wanted to speak to a British soldier.
Semper Fidelis means “Always Faithful” in Latin. For Marines, it's a commitment to God, Country, and Corps… and to each other. We say “Semper Fi” to honor our legacy, to show loyalty, and to remind ourselves that no Marine is ever alone.
The name originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick (Der Alte Fritz, and Stary Fryc were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor), as well as of similar names including Fridolin and, less commonly, Francis.
There are several folk etymologies for "pommy" or "pom". The best-documented of these is that "pommy" originated as a contraction of "pomegranate". According to this explanation, "pomegranate" was Australian rhyming slang for "immigrant" (like "Jimmy Grant").
Hostility increased towards the Irish over the centuries, as they steadfastly remained Roman Catholic despite the fact that Edward VI and subsequent rulers used coercion to convert them to Protestantism. The religious majority of the Irish nation was ruled by a religious minority, leading to perennial social conflict.