by Doctor Science
A German friend points out that English could really use:
Verschlimmbesserung, noun [from Verbesserung (improvement) and Verschlimmerung (deterioration/worsening)]: intended improvements or upgrades that end up making everything worse. Verb form: verschlimmbessern
kaputtreparieren, verb (“kaputt” + “repair”): repair or tinker with a thing to the point that it becomes broken.
Warning sign for Verschlimmbesserung: the phrase “to serve you better”.
I have been dealing all day (and indeed much of the week) with Verschlimmbesserungen for Firefox, WordPress, and livejournal.com. Today was one damn kaputtrepair after another.
Speaking of useful words from German, I’m pretty sure I only learned the word Schadenfreude around 15 years ago — or at least that’s when I started seeing it enough for it to stick. Yup, Google’s Ngram viewer confirms:
After that understandable spike in 1945-47, Schadenfreude only *really* took off in English in the mid-80s. I wonder what the stimulus was?
The Ngram viewer is a whole bucket of time-wasting fun, btw, enabling one to put together highly specious graphs showing correlations like Schadenfreude compared to Weltzschmerz
Correlation is not causation, dudes, no matter how much fun it is.
Kaputtreparieren does seem like a very useful word. In defense of English, about ten years ago I was introduced to the phrase Mr Unfixit. While “unfix” is not in regular usage, I’m sure a push could be made to broaden it’s popularity. Otherwise how many unfortunate Americans are going to wind up in hospital with dislocated jaws from trying to pronounce these new terms? Think of the children!
Kaputtreparieren does seem like a very useful word. In defense of English, about ten years ago I was introduced to the phrase Mr Unfixit. While “unfix” is not in regular usage, I’m sure a push could be made to broaden it’s popularity. Otherwise how many unfortunate Americans are going to wind up in hospital with dislocated jaws from trying to pronounce these new terms? Think of the children!
Not exactly on topic, but still, a perennial favorite.
I expect to make good use of Verschlimmbesserung in the new year.
Not exactly on topic, but still, a perennial favorite.
I expect to make good use of Verschlimmbesserung in the new year.
Verschlimmbesserung
I see this as very handy, too.
Maybe “VSB” for short?
Verschlimmbesserung
I see this as very handy, too.
Maybe “VSB” for short?
Verschlimmbesserung — definitely describes “upgrading” to the current release of Firefox. I’ve been trying to cope with that all week.
What were the folks at Mozilla thinking???
Verschlimmbesserung — definitely describes “upgrading” to the current release of Firefox. I’ve been trying to cope with that all week.
What were the folks at Mozilla thinking???
Kaputtreparieren.
My old trouble-free and reliable router won’t work with the new Mac OS, because of encryption issues, or so I’m told.
I think this is a specific instance of a general case in the world of computers. Upgrade one thing and ten others suddenly don’t work. I doubt there’s a solution.
Kaputtreparieren.
My old trouble-free and reliable router won’t work with the new Mac OS, because of encryption issues, or so I’m told.
I think this is a specific instance of a general case in the world of computers. Upgrade one thing and ten others suddenly don’t work. I doubt there’s a solution.
Schadenfreude was once explained on The Simpsons. I noticed its uptick after that.
Schadenfreude was once explained on The Simpsons. I noticed its uptick after that.
hidflect:
aHA! I’ll bet that’s it, all right.
hidflect:
aHA! I’ll bet that’s it, all right.
Larry Flint’s right!
Larry Flint’s right!