# I say "Germany." What's the first thing you think of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507 "2012-01-24T16:24:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/61 "2012-01-24T21:46:56Z")
The first thing that sprang to my mind was the German language (in general terms, since I don’t speak it). After that, probably sausages. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/62 "2012-01-24T21:47:21Z")
I have to break a rule here, but you asked. I think of “Die Germanen” And _then_ I say: Do your own research! I didn’t take you to raise! 🙂 Kindly and with a hug, of course!🙂 Der Kwasimodemm, Mensch ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/63 "2012-01-24T21:47:29Z")
The flag was the first image that came to mind. Reading other replies made me realise the “thing with the guy” is pretty far down my list. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/64 "2012-01-24T21:47:52Z")
Engineering. The flag. Run Lola Run. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/65 "2012-01-24T21:48:00Z")
Sorry, child of Holocaust survivors. It’s taken considerable work to think of nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/66 "2012-01-24T22:08:16Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Sorry, child of Holocaust survivors. It’s taken considerable work to think of nothing else. That’s what I came in to post. Nothing German was allowed in our house, German words [del]verboten[/del] banned, and bookshelves were lined with books about the Holocaust. As an adult, and having visted Germany, I have lots of other, positive associations with the country…but still, you say Germany, I think Hitler first. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/67 "2012-01-24T22:31:48Z")
Several thousand memories ranging from my childhood on military bases, through a few months travelling around in 2006/7, to a weekend in Munich about a year ago. > [@kayaker](#): > > I have no interest in Europe. This sentiment is absolutely bemusing to me! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/68 "2012-01-24T22:56:46Z")
This week? German techno, [which may or may not be talking shit about me](https://twitter.com/#!/theevilwriter) (see 1/23). ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/69 "2012-01-24T23:00:12Z")
Tubingen and the South-West in general. I went there as a 15 year old on an exchange visit and fell in love with the place. The beer! the food! the sport! the scenery! [wobbly fade into reminiscence] Stretching out by the banks of the Neckar with cold beer, two of my classmates and lovely Anna…they all dared each other to go topless in front of me and seeing as I only had shorts on I was reduced to lying on my front for the best part of an hour. It is hard to drink beer in a prone position. Anna proved to be very good company and though I had designs on my classmates I found out many years that I was actually the wrong gender for them…ah well, happy times. [/wobbly fade into reminiscence] So…in summary, beer and breasts ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/70 "2012-01-24T23:16:16Z")
But to be realistic? I think of Germany as my home, from which I was _torn_ (yeah, that’s spelled right: torn) at age 11. Would it surprise any of you to know I never wanted to live in the USA in the first place? There’s more to that, but not here, cause Angela Merkel may not like it! 🙂 Q ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/71 "2012-01-24T23:34:02Z")
Germs originated in Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/72 "2012-01-25T00:15:21Z")
I think of Frankfurt, since I lived there for three years. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/73 "2012-01-25T00:28:33Z")
First thing I think of is “Florida”. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/74 "2012-01-25T00:33:05Z")
The Deutscher Orden (or the Teutonic Order). I’m reading about the orders militant right now (Templars, Hospitallers, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/75 "2012-01-25T00:44:44Z")
“East or West?” Pause… D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/76 "2012-01-25T00:44:57Z")
Beer, eccentric professors, and some twisted porn. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/77 "2012-01-25T01:07:57Z")
My family. Some of my ancestors came from Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/78 "2012-01-25T01:34:57Z")
> [@](#): > > DON’T MENTION THE WAR! –Basil Fawlty. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/79 "2012-01-25T01:39:28Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > First thing I think of is “Florida”. Dead German tourists? That’s so 1994! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507/80 "2012-01-25T01:49:07Z")
The German flag and my former databases professor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-germany-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/610507.md?page=5)