# German translation: "Himmelherrgottheiland teufeldonnerwetter"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 4, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211 "2022-01-04T18:49:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/1 "2022-01-04T18:49:26Z")
From the 1926 movie “Flesh and the Devil.” A soldier has been out all night, not making it back to the barracks. One of his neighbors exclaims “He’ll catch [the above word]!” I’m guessing it means something like “All hell’s gonna break loose on him with the boss finds out!” But maybe not. So, what exactly is he saying (aside from just what the individual words translate to)?
For reference, the scene starts around 2:27 [here.](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20cdgd)
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### Author:  [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/2 "2022-01-04T19:34:15Z")
It’s not an actual word but a compound curse formed by putting together a list of individual curses (something that Bavarians stereotypically do). The individual components are:
Himmel: Heaven, sky
Herrgott: The Lord (God)
Heiland: Saviour
Teufel: Devil
Donnerwetter: Thunderstorm
All of these can be used individually as curse words, though they would sound old-fashioned nowadays if used as such.
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### Author:  [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/3 "2022-01-04T19:48:50Z")
And a _Donnerwetter_ can mean something like being scolded or chewed out, so that the word in question would mean something like a multiply-amplified chewing-out.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/4 "2022-01-04T21:10:19Z")
Cool, thanks!
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/5 "2022-01-04T21:45:45Z")
There are many candidates for the longest Bavarian curse word, here’s one example.
_Himmiherrschaftzaggramentzefixalleluja_
(have fun with figuring out the components)
> **[Himmiherrschaftzaggramentzefixalleluja](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/leben/fluch-lexikon-himmiherrschaftzaggramentzefixalleluja-1.4144240)**
>
> Fluchen hört sich fies an, ist aber selten so gemeint - zumindest in Bayern. 13 Beispiele für bayerische Lieblingsschimpfereien.
Bavaria is notorious for having the most creative, juicy and long curses of all Germans. Catholicism is always involved.
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### Author:  [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/6 "2022-01-05T07:09:06Z")
This is so weird !
Just a couple of days ago a German phrase popped into my mind, something that I hadn’t thought about or heard for many many years.
The phrase is “himmel hergott christ und fanedreger” which I remember means “Heaven God Christ and banner bearer”
I remember it from long ago Bavarian friends that taught it to me while trying to learn German. 😄
A bit like teaching an English student bad words first, they always seem to be the easiest to remember 😏
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### Author:  [@McCaff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McCaff)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/7 "2022-01-05T19:55:45Z")
It is no coincidence that the inimitable Reinhold Aman was a Bavarian.
Almost two years now; Rest in Effin Peace, Rey.
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/8 "2022-01-05T20:27:13Z")
from _The Prince and the Showgirl_
Marilyn Monroe: Why do you always swear in German?
Laurence Olivier: Because the Germans have the best oaths. And the best machine guns.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-himmelherrgottheiland-teufeldonnerwetter/957211/9 "2022-01-05T20:38:29Z")
I confess to snooping your profile and it is interesting. 99er with ten posts, also a retired SDMB staff member.