# German speakers: Um berufen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 28, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843 "2004-03-28T01:51:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843/61 "2018-02-04T15:25:46Z")

</div>

> [@bob\_2](#):
>
> I am surprised that no one quoted Mark Twain

Jeez, a great cite. Cite?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843/62 "2018-02-04T16:09:25Z")

</div>

> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> Jeez, a great cite. Cite?

oops - [Mark Twain's Correspondence with Henry Huttleston Rogers, 1893-1909 - Mark Twain - Google Books](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0kJIHh0a4fUC&pg=PA389&lpg=PA389&dq=I+think+the+hen+ought+to+have+a+name;+she+must+be+called+Unberufen.+That&source=bl&ots=zb_pAu70IN&sig=wsI1NV7k8CLTSb8hSdafdgg5cjk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuu-HH0ozZAhUCasAKHfzjDlIQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=I%20think%20the%20hen%20ought%20to%20have%20a%20name%3B%20she%20must%20be%20called%20Unberufen.%20That&f=false)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843/63 "2018-02-05T14:33:59Z")

</div>

Thanks, **bob++**.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![norton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@norton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norton)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843/64 "2025-01-07T07:18:54Z")

</div>

I think, when Bertie reacted to Aunt Dahlias stating her dependance on “Jeeves”, in irritation he spat out the name “Jeeves!” with such vehemence that she assumed he had sneezed. Thus her inadvertent Germanic reply. Pure Wodehouse.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843/65 "2025-01-07T19:23:23Z")

</div>

Stupid question and I may have missed things scanning the thread, but…

> [@bob\_2](#):
>
> I think the hen ought to have a name; she must be called Unberufen. That  
> is a German word which is equivalent to it “sh! hush’ don’t let the  
> spirits hear you!”

Isn’'t it that Auntie thinks Bertie is saying something like “Jesus!” instead of “Jeeves!”, and reacts with the phrase/or word to ward off the evil that comes with taking the Lord’s name in vain?

Hence the response “I was not sneezing. I was saying ‘Jeeves!’”

Bertie thinks it’s because he thinks she’s reacting to a sneeze, doing the German equivalent of “Bless you”.

Probably about as risque language as you could get from that literature.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-um-berufen/236843.md?page=3)