- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Spain |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
'Victim subscription' worst phrase of 2012
Published: 15 Jan 13 12:23 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130115-47339.html
Language experts have picked Opfer-Abo (victimisation subscription) as the worst invented German phrase of 2012, after it was used by a famous defendant in a rape case for women making false sexual abuse claims.
- Cardinal: Women should stay at home and breed (24 May 13)
- Ten German body parts (23 May 13)
- Au pairs rules relax for non-German families (17 May 13)
The organizers of the Unwort des Jahres (un-word of the year) selected Opfer-Abo as it "unacceptably puts women under general suspicion of inventing sexual violence and of thus being perpetrators themselves."
The jury said this was factually grossly inaccurate - in the face of the dramatic statistics which show that only between five and eight percent of women who have experienced sexual violence actually report it to the police and that just three to four percent of cases which are officially reported lead to a court case.
Expressions like this threaten to warp further the way in which society deals with sexual violence, the jury said.
Kachelmann was accused of rape by his former lover - and in a case which was watched by the nation, was eventually acquitted.
The word Opfer-Abo was joined by Pleite-Griechen (broke Greeks) in the worst top three new German words of the year. This was a phrase frequently used during 2012 by tabloid newspapers such as Bild, the jury said. It defamed an entire nation, including those Greeks living in Germany, in an unfair and unqualified fashion, they said.
The final word in the top three was Lebensleistungsrente (life achievement pension), which the jury described as a confusing or even cynical description for the plan to introduce a very limited state-funded addition to general pension payments.
This complex word exploits the content of "life achievement" in order to sell a minimally useful measure against old-age poverty, the jury said.
Previous words named the worst of the year include "kebab-murders," a phrase used by police and many Germany media to describe the murders of eight ethnic Turkish and one Greek which turned out to be the work of a gang of terrorist neo-Nazis.
The Local/hc
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Merkel: business must fight immigrant prejudice
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday called on Germans to fight prejudice against immigrants ahead of next week's integration summit. READ () »
Chinese premier visit to strengthen trade ties
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday as the two export powerhouses seek to further strengthen economic ties amid brewing trade spats between Beijing and the EU. READ () »
Skyscraper festival hits new heights in Frankfurt
Frankfurt city skyline is being celebrated this weekend with a skyscraper extravaganza. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to witness spectacular events, daring feats and music in the sky. READ () »
Police put Germany on terror alert for CL final
German security services have been put on high alert after picking up terror warnings for public viewings of Saturday night's all-German Champions League final. READ () »
Helicopter sprays 220 kids with insecticide
15 young children were taken to hospital late on Friday after bug-busting authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia accidentally dumped toxic insecticide over a primary school during playtime. READ () »
Bundesbank chief: allow eurozone defaults
The head of the German central Bundesbank Jens Weidmann said on Friday that eurozone countries should be able to default, a possibility which the EU has gone to great lengths to avoid during the current crisis. READ () »
Fan wants Bayern ticket-Oktoberfest beer swap
A Bayern Munich supporter is so desperate to get his hands on a ticket for Saturday's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund he is offering to trade 20 litres of beer and a rare free table at Oktoberfest. READ () »
Nationwide cannabis limit rolls nearer
Germany could in the future have a country-wide “tolerable limit” for cannabis possession, it was reported on Friday. Currently, this amount differs between states. READ () »
- 25/05 Merkel: business must fight immigrant prejudice »
- 25/05 Skyscraper festival hits new heights in Frankfurt »
- 24/05 Nationwide cannabis limit rolls nearer »
- 24/05 'Germany is indifferent to neo-Nazi violence' »
- 24/05 'Herrenberg is a colourful, cultural gem' »
- 24/05 Cardinal: Women should stay at home and breed »
- 23/05 Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt »
- 23/05 Grey seals return to German Baltic shores »
- 22/05 Justin Bieber's monkey becomes 'German' »
- 21/05 The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies at 74 »
- Cardinal: Women should stay at home and breed »
- Germany tops world popularity poll »
- Ten German body parts »
- Nationwide cannabis limit rolls nearer »
- Keep your socks on Highlights
Latest news from The Local in FranceMore news from France at thelocal.fr
Latest news from The Local in NorwayMore news from Norway at thelocal.no
Latest news from The Local in SwedenMore news from Sweden at thelocal.se
Latest news from The Local in SwitzerlandMore news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop - The online supermarket for expats -
Shiply Worldwide Ltd
Shiply the Online Transport Market Place -
Weiss Institut
Free yourself from Smoking addictions, Sugar craving and Alcohol addictions -
PsyShrink Frankfurt
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
Chambervelt Rooselain & Cie Ltd.
Insurance and financial planning for English speakers in Germany -
PsyShrink Munich
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide
Jobs in Germany, in English923 jobs available
678 new jobs this week
29 new jobs today- Manager Product Development TWC / Insecticides
- Innovation Manager International Packaging Technology (m/f)
- Marketing Management Trainee Programme in Hamburg
- Senior Process Engineer - (m/w)
- Automation Engineer - (m/w)
- Senior Buyer/ Availability Manager - (m/w) as soon as possible
- Junior Utilities Engineer - (m/w)
- HR High Potentials - Manager HR Projects (m/f)
- Financial Analyst Accounting (m/f)
- Intern Sourcing Europe Dry 2 - Fresh (f/m)
Blog- Apr/09 Touring Tempelhof – Europe’s Largest Historical Monument
- Apr/09 Spring in Berlin 2013 – Where, What Why and When!
- Mar/12 Living Like a Local – Tell us what you think and win a weekend in Berlin!
- Feb/04 Escaping the City – Our Recommended Suburban Getaways
- Feb/04 Berlin Tegel Airport Transfers – How to get into the City
EssentialsDating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.RegisterRegister now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discussNews from the Goethe-Institut- Dual Vocational Training in Europe – An Export Winner “Made in Germany”
The dual vocational training system “Made in Germany” is enjoying an amazing comeback – all over Europe.... - Let’s read together! Parents and the Promotion of Reading
It is good for children when they read a lot and actually enjoy it. - Collectivity and Representations of Community in Dance
With its streams of data and traffic, the present age is creating new forms of community. - Living Like a Poem – Sarah Kirsch Dies (05/23/2013)
On 5 May 2013, the poet Sarah Kirsch died after a short but serious illness in Heide in Schleswig-Holstein.... - Food trucks – meals on wheels
Small mobile restaurants are starting to catch on in Germany and they are often far more than your average snack wagons with Currywurst and Pommes.
News from Young Germany- So You Want to Be an Artist
The tradition of hands-on training in the arts is alive and well in Germany. Interested in studying visual, performance, or sound arts? Keen to pursue graphic and product design, textiles, or typography? Germany is home to many exceptional art schools as well as a rich history of excellence in and support for the arts. - Frankfurt's Skyscrapers: A Guide
Frankfurt is known for banks and skyscrapers. So what is behind the colossal glass, steel, and stone facades of the city’s buildings? Meet Frankfurt’s tallest. - Conference - Pioneers on Dual Training Abroad
Germany‘s system of dual training is one of the foundations of its economic strength. - The all-German final in Wembley
Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are playing in the final of the Champions League at London’s Wembley Stadium. - German first feature film in Cannes
A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur.
News from DeutschlandOnline- Theatre festival between the Saar and the Mosel
The Festival Perspectives in the German-French region around Saarbrücken is staging European theatre, dance and music productions. - The European Year of Citizens
2013 is the European Year of Citizens. - Europe Day, Robert Schuman and Class 4a
Enthusiasm for the idea of Europe – in the 60th European Competition, schoolchildren from Germany show what this could look like. - Relief organizations
The portals presented here provide information on the help programs offered by different organizations.
-
British Corner Shop
- Design Engineer Aerospace in Toulouse
- Design Feasibility Engineer / Craftsmanship Engineer (m/f)
- Director User Experience (m/f) at XING
- Ingenieur Sondergasapplikationen (m/w)
- Lead Commodity Leader (m/f)
- Lead Commodity Leader (m/f)
- Praktikum Information Management / Internship IM (m/f)
- Product Manager / Engineer (m/w) for our Search Engine
- Senior Anti-Virus Researcher (m/f)
- Senior Strategic Project Manager (f/m)
- 18:31 Schwarzfahren - three strikes and you're out
- 18:12 Online dating sites for Germany
- 18:10 Saturday Night Shindig, the 30-somethings meetup
- 18:09 Meet 'n' Eat - LE pique-nique français
- 18:04 20ies Something- feeling lost
- 17:52 Moving from Australia to Germany
- 17:17 I just can't seem to find...
- 17:17 Festsetzung clarification - Gewinnermittlung?
- 16:55 Are people with tattoos stupid?
- 16:39 Cycling tours around Munich
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Your comments about this article:
How ever I would nominate any English word that has "Ge" added to it. For example, Shopped or landed which become Geshopped or Gelanded, which is the equivalent of writing edshopped or edlanded, having the word begin and end with "ed".............lol
Geskyped, Gegoogled, etc *facepalm*
Don't you mean...............................Gefacepalmed....