# Short but probably colloquial German translation - The Sequel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 11, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779 "2015-05-11T15:14:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/1 "2015-05-11T15:14:08Z")

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GD material, I suppose, but pretty trival, so here:

I need a title for a column that is colloquially correct German for “Fred’s German [Junk | Stuff | Crap]”. Gogol Mistranslate won’t quite make sense to me on this phrase and I am not sure trying to assemble the phrase from other test translations is right.

“Kram” seems to be the noun I’m looking for - I want a humorous, eye-rolling word for piles o’ weird stuff. So I have “Der Deutsch Fred Kram”… is that right? In colloquial nuance?

_Donkey shown._

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/2 "2015-05-11T15:19:02Z")

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“Gerümpel” might be what you want (it translates as “junk” or “lumber” (in the old fashioned sense of “lumber” as unorganized stuff)).

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/3 "2015-05-12T12:03:16Z")

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> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> GD material, I suppose, but pretty trival, so here:
> 
> I need a title for a column that is colloquially correct German for “Fred’s German [Junk | Stuff | Crap]”. Gogol Mistranslate won’t quite make sense to me on this phrase and I am not sure trying to assemble the phrase from other test translations is right.
> 
> “Kram” seems to be the noun I’m looking for - I want a humorous, eye-rolling word for piles o’ weird stuff. So I have “Der Deutsch Fred Kram”… is that right? In colloquial nuance?
> 
> _Donkey shown._

Correction: It should be “Freds deutscher Kram”.

> [@Andy\_L](#):
>
> “Gerümpel” might be what you want (it translates as “junk” or “lumber” (in the old fashioned sense of “lumber” as unorganized stuff)).

IMHO, “Kram” would fit better, it’s equivalent to “stuff” in a general sense. “Gerümpel” has a more specific meaning of old household stuff or furniture and isn’t much used in a more broadened sense. Other colloqial terms in a general sense would be “Geraffel” or “Krempel”. Those two would fit, too.

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**Author:** ![Remember\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Remember\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remember_me)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/4 "2015-05-12T13:44:13Z")

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I would also vote for “Krempel” or “Kram”. Though, all other words mentioned also work well.

Beware of the correct declension: Krempel and Kram are masculine, Gerümpel and Geraffel are neuter.

“Freds deutscher Krempel”  
“Freds deutscher Kram”  
and  
“Freds deutsches Gerümpel”  
“Freds deutsches Geraffel”

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/5 "2015-05-12T17:14:28Z")

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Thanks, all.

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/short-but-probably-colloquial-german-translation-the-sequel/719779/6 "2015-05-12T21:38:02Z")

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> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> Correction: It should be “Freds deutscher Kram”.
> 
> IMHO, “Kram” would fit better, it’s equivalent to “stuff” in a general sense. “Gerümpel” has a more specific meaning of old household stuff or furniture and isn’t much used in a more broadened sense. Other colloqial terms in a general sense would be “Geraffel” or “Krempel”. Those two would fit, too.

Thanks!