Learn the superstitions about pointing at someone and completely finishing your plate for good weather
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: German Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 4 - Pointing at Someone and Completely Finishing Your Plate. I'm Eric and I'm joined by Jennifer. |
| Jennifer: Hallo! I'm Jennifer. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Eric: In this lesson we’ll talk about two common superstitions in Germany. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s it called in German? |
| Jennifer: Mit dem Finger auf jemanden zeigen |
| Eric: Which literally means "to point a finger at someone." Jennifer, can you repeat the German phrase again? |
| Jennifer: [slow] Mit dem Finger auf jemanden zeigen [normal] Mit dem Finger auf jemanden zeigen |
| Eric: So pointing at someone will bring bad luck? |
| Jennifer: Well, at the very least, it’s considered disrespectful. |
| Eric: It's because in the Middle Ages, Germans believed that pointing a finger at someone would curse that person. |
| Jennifer: Right it would drain their energy and spirit. |
| Eric: So instead of pointing at someone, just describe the person you’re trying to point out. |
| Jennifer: Right. It’s a good way to practice your German too. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s it called in German? |
| Jennifer: Iss den Teller leer für gutes Wetter |
| Eric: Which literally means "completely finish your plate for good weather." Let’s hear it in German again. |
| Jennifer: [slow] Iss den Teller leer für gutes Wetter [normal] Iss den Teller leer für gutes Wetter |
| Eric: I was babysitting my baby cousin the other weekend and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get her to finish her peas. |
| Jennifer: Did you tell her that finishing her plate would bring good weather? |
| Eric: No I didn’t. Is that a German superstition? |
| Jennifer: Yes. It comes from a Low German idiom that was incorrectly translated into High German. |
| Eric: And now, it’s used by parents to motivate their children to finish their dish. |
| Jennifer: So maybe you can try it out on your baby cousin. |
| Eric: It’s worth a shot! |
Outro |
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| Eric: There you have it - two German superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Jennifer: Auf Wiedersehen! |
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