# What is "Fukengruven"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fukengruven/27590>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 31, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fukengruven/27590 "2000-07-31T19:25:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fukengruven/27590/21 "2000-08-04T19:40:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rusalka \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \*  
> > \*\*I know it’s a mock-Teutonic spelling of a vulgar phrase, but what the heck is the referent? What’s the point of it?
> > 
> > Usually when I see something I don’t recognize, I can search for it on the internet and find a FAQ or at least some elucidation. But searching for “Fukengrüven” leaves me as much in the dark as ever. The way it’s used on the internet gives no idea of what it’s about. Will somebody let me in on the joke? \*\*
> 
> You couldn’t find it because you mispelled it! It’s “Fahrvergnuegen” or “Fahrvergnügen”. It’s a made-up german word that Volkswagen used in their ad campaigns a few years back. It’s a compound word (you know how germans love their compound words) Fahr = Driving, and Vergnügen = pleasure. Kind of a silly campaign if you ask me. I doubt they used it in Germany.  
> \*\*

We love our compoundwords in English, too, but we don’t run  
them together when we write. To a linguist it makes no difference how you write it==“Drivingpleasure” is the same as “Driving Pleasure”. Wordcompounding is a prominent distinguishingcharacteristic of the Germanic languagegroup,  
in which English firmly remains notwithstanding wholesale  
borrowings from the romancelanguages.

I agree the “Fahrvergnuegen” campaign was stupid. I participated in one of the marketing research seminars about that, you know, where they semi-randomly invite groups of people so they can guage how effective a marketing campaign will be. I told them I thought it was a bad idea, but they didn’t listen to me. Well, I tried…

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