Word for the Travel Wise (01/27/06)

I believe it was the great Homer Simpson who made such profound statements like "Mmm beer" and "Ah, beer, my one weakness. My achilles heel, if you will." While one of televisions greatest Dad's ever may be beer's biggest philosopher, guzzler, and lover of all time, it is the Germans that truly know the brew inside and out. On the other hand, I know nothing of the fermented alcoholic drink brewed from malt. A stein of Eder & Heylands, Pilsner, or Früh Kölsch are unlikely beverage orders to fall from my lips with that being said you'll probably find me at the party posted against a wall with mineral water in hand. So, I'm the definition of lame.

Today's word is a German word used in Germany:

Vorglühen (s)- To pre-party, have a drink to get you started. Lit. Warm up your battery before starting the engine.

My friend would call this 'pre-gaming' to keep it simple, but you can find the audio and any additional German slang at BBC Languages, who continue to impress on the online scene. They probably have one of the BEST FREE German language guides on the net. Make no mistake in passing this one up! When it boils down to it there are several good sites to learn the Deutsch lingo. Deutsch Lernen and German for Travellers are two other good picks. First Step World offers study abroad courses in Munich and Berlin. A good side activity to all the futbol watching many of you will probably take in during World Cup.

Filed under: Learning, Europe, Germany, Foreign Language