Comments on: Germans do things wrong http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/ German Quirks from an American Perspective Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:55:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Me German http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-27585 Me German Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:00:22 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-27585 It all depends on the perspective. And consider your issues as an origination problem: Try to get a diverse perspective and then just deal with instead of complaining. Go (back) to Germany and enjoy the show and get some ice cream to make you happy again. It all depends on the perspective. And consider your issues as an origination problem: Try to get a diverse perspective and then just deal with instead of complaining. Go (back) to Germany and enjoy the show and get some ice cream to make you happy again.

]]> By: Pan http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-23425 Pan Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:56:58 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-23425 “Everyone knows the inch is better than the centimeter, because it is bigger” So the euro is better than the dollar? “Everyone knows the inch is better than the centimeter, because it is bigger”

So the euro is better than the dollar?

]]> By: Mario http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-22107 Mario Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:26:49 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-22107 Some people are offended so easily for everything. Relax! Americans themselves know that they are not the most culturally educated people in the world, but they also know they have the biggest Pizzas, the fastest jets and the most macho Monster Trucks (don't Europeans remember when they were still macho?) About the problems with metric system. Why is everybody so tight about it? If Mexico can handle both without problem, why can't the "industrialized" countries do it without whining? Natürlich ist dies nur aufgewendet dem die Humor geniessen. Some people are offended so easily for everything. Relax! Americans themselves know that they are not the most culturally educated people in the world, but they also know they have the biggest Pizzas, the fastest jets and the most macho Monster Trucks (don’t Europeans remember when they were still macho?)
About the problems with metric system. Why is everybody so tight about it? If Mexico can handle both without problem, why can’t the “industrialized” countries do it without whining?

Natürlich ist dies nur aufgewendet dem die Humor geniessen.

]]> By: YAG (Yet Another German) http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21443 YAG (Yet Another German) Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:03:55 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21443 "Everyone knows the inch is better than the centimeter, because it is bigger." Exact the same reason, why we Germans still use hp instead of kW, when it comes to cars. Right? ;) “Everyone knows the inch is better than the centimeter, because it is bigger.”

Exact the same reason, why we Germans still use hp instead of kW,
when it comes to cars. Right? ;)

]]> By: Florian Blaschke http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21400 Florian Blaschke Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:28:40 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21400 Whoops, it's actually "most significant DIGIT". How embarrassing. Whoops, it’s actually “most significant DIGIT”. How embarrassing.

]]> By: Florian Blaschke http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21399 Florian Blaschke Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:27:37 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21399 Most significant FIGURE first. Sorry. Most significant FIGURE first. Sorry.

]]> By: Florian Blaschke http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21398 Florian Blaschke Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:27:04 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-21398 There is a way out of the Sunday conundrum, by combining it with another German weirdo habits: Start counting by 0. That way, Sunday comes at the beginning, but Monday is still day 1 of the week. ;-) (And Wednesday is actually in the middle, though because of the fact that it is called Wednesday in English and not Midweek, it doesn't really matter.) (Actually, programmers do use this system, assigning the number 0 to Sunday and 1 to Monday, through 6 for Saturday.) Also, YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss, with all units in descending order, is the ONLY logical system. Everything else is mixed, unless you consider starting with seconds. But starting with the largest unit first, you also follow the sequence of the numerical system used inside the notation: Most significant notation first. And it sorts correctly, too. So you see: Years first is the way to go! There is a way out of the Sunday conundrum, by combining it with another German weirdo habits: Start counting by 0. That way, Sunday comes at the beginning, but Monday is still day 1 of the week. ;-)

(And Wednesday is actually in the middle, though because of the fact that it is called Wednesday in English and not Midweek, it doesn’t really matter.)

(Actually, programmers do use this system, assigning the number 0 to Sunday and 1 to Monday, through 6 for Saturday.)

Also, YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss, with all units in descending order, is the ONLY logical system. Everything else is mixed, unless you consider starting with seconds. But starting with the largest unit first, you also follow the sequence of the numerical system used inside the notation: Most significant notation first. And it sorts correctly, too. So you see: Years first is the way to go!

]]> By: Stefan W. http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20931 Stefan W. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:14:51 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20931 Not really. If you're used to the German number system you just hear "achtundsiebzig" and write it down as "78". You don't hear the 8 and then the 7, it's like one set expression, mostly. Once you know that the number is given to you in groups of two, you just write it down in groups of two, waiting for the speaker to complete each of the numbers. Also, someone who grows up with the German number system seems to have very few problems in learning the English system- that is perhaps because it's more logical, yes. Switching from difficult to not so difficult is always easy. Not really. If you’re used to the German number system you just hear “achtundsiebzig” and write it down as “78″. You don’t hear the 8 and then the 7, it’s like one set expression, mostly.

Once you know that the number is given to you in groups of two, you just write it down in groups of two, waiting for the speaker to complete each of the numbers.

Also, someone who grows up with the German number system seems to have very few problems in learning the English system- that is perhaps because it’s more logical, yes. Switching from difficult to not so difficult is always easy.

]]> By: Blackeye http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20891 Blackeye Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:55:57 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20891 @ Herbert: Yes, a few hundred years ago we Brits also spoke (spake?) and wrote (writ?) our numbers the 'wrong' way round, but over time we found it was much more sensible to use them in descending order of size, i.e. from left to right, how we write them down. That's also something I hate when somebody gives me a 'phone number in German. Try writing this down quickly - you have to leave spaces between the numbers and fill in the gaps or buffer each pair in your head until you've heard the whole thing: "Ja, ruf mich bitte am siebzehnten so gegen 14:00 Uhr unter die vierundzwanzig achtundsiebzig siebenunddreisig neunundvierzig an." Got that? "Yes, please call me about two PM on the seventeenth on 24783749." I'm sure the 'phone companies make a lot of profit from calls to wrong numbers here ! @ Herbert:
Yes, a few hundred years ago we Brits also spoke (spake?) and wrote (writ?) our numbers the ‘wrong’ way round, but over time we found it was much more sensible to use them in descending order of size, i.e. from left to right, how we write them down.
That’s also something I hate when somebody gives me a ‘phone number in German. Try writing this down quickly - you have to leave spaces between the numbers and fill in the gaps or buffer each pair in your head until you’ve heard the whole thing:
“Ja, ruf mich bitte am siebzehnten so gegen 14:00 Uhr unter die vierundzwanzig achtundsiebzig siebenunddreisig neunundvierzig an.”
Got that?
“Yes, please call me about two PM on the seventeenth on 24783749.”
I’m sure the ‘phone companies make a lot of profit from calls to wrong numbers here !

]]> By: Henning http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20312 Henning Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:16:18 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/05/26/germans-do-things-wrong/#comment-20312 If the weeks starts on Sunday, can you still call it weekend? If the weeks starts on Sunday, can you still call it weekend?

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