Zugzwang!

[adamuu]

Zugzwang (German for compulsion to move) occurs when a player is forced to make an undesirable move. The player is put at a disadvantage because he would prefer to pass and make no move, but a move has to be made, all of which weaken his position. Situations involving zugzwang occur uncommonly, but when they do occur, it is almost always in the endgame, where there are fewer choices of available moves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugzwang

While the Democrats are trying to make constructive policy for America's future, Republicans with their corporate-funded "think tanks" are in the shadows, plotting and scheming for how to screw the Democrats at great risk to America.

Republicans: fucking America in order to fuck the Democrats.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. First schadenfreude , now zugzwang. Damn those Germans with their awesome words! n/t

[KamaAina]

2. Fahrvergnugen!

:P

[ColbertWatcher]

5. LOL! n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

8. That one means something like "the joy of driving around aimlessly."

[Lance_Boyle]

23. just driving, not aimlessly.

Fahrfreude is commonly used, but the "vergnugen" variant is also perfectly "legit" German.

Having the "freude/vergnugen" concepts explained to me over many double IPAs by a German friend was great fun.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Vergesse nicht "Treppwörter."

Literally, step-words; all the things you think of to say just as you're going down the steps on your way out & it's too late.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. What's the 'Merkin word for that? n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

7. I dunno. If I knew of one, I wouldn't have to use the German one.

It just refers to the common experience of having the perfect retort come to mind a few seconds after you lose the opportunity to use it.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. The Costanza-jerk-store! n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Please be aware that you are interacting with a cultural illiterate

who has no idea what the hell you're on about with references like that.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Really? Or are you pulling my leg?

It's a reference to a Seinfeld episode.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. I'm not pulling your leg.

I don't think I've ever actually seen an entire Seinfeld show.

I have no idea what American Idol is about.

We do actually have a TV and a satellite connection, but the whole thing pretty much leaves me cold. My wife sometimes watches Olbermann, Stewart & Colbert, and sometimes I watch with her.

I almost think there is some kind of imprinting phenomenon involved. TV wasn't readily available in my part of the world until I was about 10 years old, and I think I missed some critical imprinting stage, so I never get hooked on it. When I'm in a waiting room with a TV, I'll try to shut it off or at least silence it if others will let me. I almost always have a book with me to take advantage of idle moments by reading.

I know. I'm weird. I've learned to pass as normal by picking up cultural references & dropping them into conversations, but often I have never seen the show from which the reference comes.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. I too insist that TVs are shut off in waiting rooms, but ...

... I do watch TV.

Anyway, the reference is to a Seinfeld episode in which (George) Costanza is at a meeting where he is gorging himself on shrimp. Someone says something about running out of shrimp cracking everyone up, but he has no comeback.

Hours later he's at Jerry's apartment (the main set) discussing the incident and testing out his late come-back, "Oh yeah, the jerk store called and they're all outta you!"

No one (Jerry, Jerry's ex-girlfriend, Elaine, and Jerry's across-the-hall neighbor, Kramer) thinks it's funny and offer come-backs of their own. George insists his is the best one and goes to great lengths to arrange another meeting to recreate the exact conditions so he can finally put his witticism to use.

In the end, he's at the meeting (in the other town) again gorging himself on shrimp and the guy again says something about George pigging out and George finally gets to say his come-back. The problem is no one laughed and the guy came back with another zinger that did make everyone laugh once again leaving George angry, embarrassed and unable to verbally defend himself.

[dysfunctional press]

18. coulda, shoulda, woulda....

nt

[spinbaby]

20. Korinthenkacker

Translates roughly into "someone who shits raisins." It means a nit-picker obsessed with details.

[MadrasT]

12. Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung!

Unfortunately, it just means "speed limit".

But it's a great word.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. That is a great word! n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. Makes sense. You gotta slow down to read it. -nt

[adamuu]

4. This whole thing is making me physically ill. n/t

[screembloodymurder]

11. whrab is right.

The economic crisis is a scam. It's political extortion. The Paulson Plan was written months ago! They released it just before the Congressional recess. Why? Think about it. This is a classic Bush tactic. This administration has forced one crisis after another because it is to their advantage. It's a strategy. There is no crisis !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[adamuu]

13. you can't fix a wall street psychology with cash. n/t

[screembloodymurder]

17. Have you seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S27yitK32ds&eurl=http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/radio/2008/09/23/sheehan/index.html

[Dora]

19. Political extortion you say? I call it ECONOMIC TERRORISM.

It's time for the pitchforks and torches, I say.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. Economic terrorism is exactly what this is, well done! n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

24. Ever read Perkins' book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman?

If not, do so.

[ColbertWatcher]

25. I'll have to add that one to the pile! Thank you. n/t

[bushmeister0]

26. Unter vier Augen

Between you and me. Literally "under four eyes."

That's how this whole bailout thing is going to be worked out.

Massenvernichtungswaffen: WMD

Another great word.

Unglaublich: another favorite of mine.

Unbelieveable.

[hfojvt]

27. except they create these phony "imminent threats"

Just like the threat level kept going to orange in the months after 9/11 and they pulled their inside job of anthrax mailing. Which meant "hurry up and invade Afghanistan", "hurry up and pass the PATRIOT act".

Then there was an imminent threat of Saddam's WMD.

They create a supposed need to "do something" and then they propose a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad plan and then create a false dichotomy "our plan is better than doing nothing" as if those are the only two choices. I like to think Chris Dodd trumped them this time by quickly advancing his own plan, and because, for one reason or other, the M$M is no longer in the tank for Bush and there are hundreds of voices talking about how stupid Paulson's plan is.