Austrian German word of the day: Fad
This Austrian slang term may be confusing for those learning Hoch Deutsch, but every Austrian knows that films, food and even parties can be a little bit 'fad' on occasion.
Why do I need to know 'fad'?
Because this easy to remember word will convince your Austrian friends that you really do know your stuff, and it's also a handy adjective to have up your sleeves at moments where things are less than interesting.
What does it mean?
Though the spelling is the same as the English 'fad' - meaning a short-lived craze or trend - try not to be fooled by the similarities. In Austria, you would use the word fad to describe something as bland or boring or to tell people that you yourself are feeling bored.
If you travel north across the border, don't be surprised if you hear people using a completely different word to capture this unpleasant feeling: in Germany, the word generally used for boring is langweilig, which describes the feeling of time slowing down. In Austria, this Hoch Deutsch word can also be used, with fad being more informal.
And while fad is used in some contexts in southern Germany - usually to talk about food or music - just about anything imaginable can be described as fad in Austria.
Whether it's a film you watched at the cinema, a Tinder date, a club night or that colleague you're working on a project with, telling your friends something is fad will mark it out as dull and uninteresting forever.
READ ALSO: Austrian German word of the day: Heuer
Where does it come from?
Unlike the Germanic langweilig, fad is actually borrowed from the French word fade, which means tasteless, bland, dull or boring.
This is an evolution of the Latin word fatuus, which was used to describe something as silly or insipid - a lot like the English word fatuous.
Use it like this:
Der Film hat mir gar nicht gefallen - was für 'ne fade Geschichte!
I didn't like the film at all - what a boring story!
Wir gehen gleich, oder? Mir ist so fad!
We're leaving in a bit, aren't we? I'm so bored!
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Why do I need to know 'fad'?
Because this easy to remember word will convince your Austrian friends that you really do know your stuff, and it's also a handy adjective to have up your sleeves at moments where things are less than interesting.
What does it mean?
Though the spelling is the same as the English 'fad' - meaning a short-lived craze or trend - try not to be fooled by the similarities. In Austria, you would use the word fad to describe something as bland or boring or to tell people that you yourself are feeling bored.
If you travel north across the border, don't be surprised if you hear people using a completely different word to capture this unpleasant feeling: in Germany, the word generally used for boring is langweilig, which describes the feeling of time slowing down. In Austria, this Hoch Deutsch word can also be used, with fad being more informal.
And while fad is used in some contexts in southern Germany - usually to talk about food or music - just about anything imaginable can be described as fad in Austria.
Whether it's a film you watched at the cinema, a Tinder date, a club night or that colleague you're working on a project with, telling your friends something is fad will mark it out as dull and uninteresting forever.
READ ALSO: Austrian German word of the day: Heuer
Where does it come from?
Unlike the Germanic langweilig, fad is actually borrowed from the French word fade, which means tasteless, bland, dull or boring.
This is an evolution of the Latin word fatuus, which was used to describe something as silly or insipid - a lot like the English word fatuous.
Use it like this:
Der Film hat mir gar nicht gefallen - was für 'ne fade Geschichte!
I didn't like the film at all - what a boring story!
Wir gehen gleich, oder? Mir ist so fad!
We're leaving in a bit, aren't we? I'm so bored!
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