Way, way, way OT

[Jason Roehl]

Anybody here speak German?

I'm wondering how one would use possession, i.e., Mr. Roehl's Beer. I know the "Herr Roehl" and "bier" part, just tell me how to put it together. Reasons will come in the form of a pic later.

TIA!

[John Wadsworth]

...forty years, in fact, since I studied German, but I think I can still remember this, Jason.

The possessive in German is pretty similar to English, although they don't use an apostrophe to mark it. Thus, "Herr Roehls Bier" is possible, although a more likely construction might be "Das Bier des Herr Roehls" if memory serves me.

If this hazy reply doesn't flush out a real German speaker, I'll be surprised!

[Tom Sweeney]

We want samples of the real thing

Perhaps Herr Grumbine might step in and help out with the answer - or is that PA Dutch German????.

[Bill Grumbine]

Ist das nicht Herr Roehl's Bier?
(Is that not Mr. Roehl's beer?)

Ja das ist Herr Roehl's Bier!
(Yes, that is Mr. Roehl's beer!)

Roehl's Bier! Ist nicht hier!
(Roehl's beer! Is not here!)

OOOOHHHHH!!!
(OOOOHHHHH!!!)

Sung to the tune of Schnitzelbank

Das ware Hoch Deitsch. Ob du wunscht Platt Deitsch, du sagst, "'Sis mei Bier!"
That was high German. If you wish to use Platt Deitsch (Pennsylvania German, or Palatinate German), you say, "That is my beer!"

Un jetzt, ich muss noch mei Schoppe gehe, un schaffe mit my Drehbank. Ich hab vier un zwanzigste Bier aagebohrt Schtiel drehe.

(And now I must go to my shop and work on my lathe. I have 24 beer tap handles to turn.)

Bill (Bill)

En Dumme Deitsch! (A dumb Dutchman!)

[Ken Garlock]

Bill, did you hear about the fellow who wanted to go to a 3 day conference given in German?

His schedule was so busy that he only went the last day to catch all the verbs.

[keith zimmerman]

Bill, that is truly the funniest thing I have read in a long time. I don't know if you were being serious in your response, but the manner in which you chose to respond struck me as extremely funny.

If you intended to be serious, I apologize for laughing. If you weren't, I thank you for the levity. I don't know German (other than the words that have become American venacular), but, to me, this is classic.

But, I do have to ask...what is the best way for Jason to write out his beer label, or was John correct?

keithz

[Jason Roehl]

Originally posted by keith zimmerman

But, I do have to ask...what is the best way for Jason to write out his beer label, or was John correct?

keithz

Now, hold on a minute...who says this is for a beer label?!?

Okay, okay, it is...mmmm...porter...Herr Röhl's Selbstgebrautes Bier.

[Jim Young]

Bill missed one big fact, those northern Germans are NOT known for beer, oh, I'm sorry, GOOD beer.. If you want to speak beer it has to be done the Bavarian way:

Des isn Roehl sei bier, pfoten weg, oder du stirbs.

That's Roeh's beer, paws off or you die.

[Bill Grumbine]

Ihr liewe Leit

(Dear People)

Good morning to you all. Keith, you mean to say you sat through three hours of a demo I did and you have to wonder if I am responding in a serious vein? I put humor in everything I do, and I am glad to hear you got a laugh out of it.

To answer your question seriously though, I believe that John has the proper grammatical construction for high German, although it would be a bit stilted on a beer bottle. Local Dutchies would say it like I wrote it.

Ken, I hear you on those verbs. There is nothing quite like reading a two page sentence and finding a verb pile up at the end.

Jim, my ancestors came here in the 1680s. I have no claim to fame in the beer brewing area, although I do confess to sampling many different brews for "authenticity".

Jason, don't worry about what to put on the label. After a few are ingested, no one will care anyway. People ask me occasionally if I don't worry that all my tap handles aren't exactly the same. My response is that my critics are all sitting in a dark room distorting their senses, so I'm not too worried about being caught.

Machs Gut!
(Do well!)

Bill

[keith zimmerman]

Must have been a senior moment. Those things have been coming closer and closer together. I don't what got in to me.

It was still funny.

keithz