Angelika's German Magazine

Today we leave our world of "Hochdeutsch" (standard German) and peek at the wealth of colorful expressions in German dialects.  In the Oberpfalz in Eastern Bavaria, a "Sinsamsodara" is an old and cute word for a moony person.

Bundesliga clubs may be flying high in the Champions League this year, but in Germany attention has turned to the contest that really matters - the International German Beard Championships.

Via lisibo

Complaining about the weather has reached epidemic proportions in northern Germany this "spring." And with good reason.

Munich striker 'watching Homeland to learn German and win new contract'
Metro
Norway striker Ola Kamara has come up with a novel way of learning German after moving to new club 1860 Munich – by watching his favourite TV series Homeland.

EU migration to Germany
The Economist
Mr Gómez, from Andalusia in Spain, learned a smattering of German in school and passable English while studying in America. But when he came back to Spain he saw that hardly anybody in his class of 80 had a job.

Der Skandal um als Rind deklariertes Pferdefleisch weitet sich aus: Nach britischen Untersuchungen enthielten Produkte eines französischen Herstellers bis zu 100 Prozent Pferdefleisch. Die Kunden ahnten nichts.

Mark Twain's rant about the awfulness of the German language makes for great reading. http://t.co/tEu45HZN

Is Germany's image improving in the UK?
Deutsche Welle
"Hitler," said one British woman walking near the Baker Street underground station in London, when asked what her first thought was upon hearing the word "Germany." "Seriously?

April 23 is World Book Day, and in honor of the occasion many booksellers and organizations are giving out books to children. In Germany, sharing and giving away books is nothing new.

You don't need chocolate from the Easter Bunny to show your "Schokoladenseite": "sich von seiner Schokoladenseite zeigen" means "to show oneself at one's best", from the favorable and attractive side.

The carnival season is coming to a close, with "Rosenmontag" (Rose Monday) a highlight of Germany's festivities. It's the day for major parades with a decidedly satirical bent, and 2013 offered plenty of domestic fodder.

The friendly faces of Playmobil figures have been smiling their way into the hearts of countless children all over the world for almost four decades. It all started in a small factory in Franconia.