Wordie: Pumpernickel: Comments

Comment by yarb, 9 days ago

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:29:28 +0000

Citation on cruller.

Comment by bilby, 5 months ago

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:39:42 +0000

Just walk into the deli and say: "I'll have a lettuce, tomato and onion on goblin-fart, please."

Comment by reesetee, 5 months ago

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:09:48 +0000

You know, I used to like pumpernickel bread....

Comment by skipvia, 5 months ago

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:53:36 +0000

I love this! I'm going to eat only pumpernickel bread from now on, just so I can say "fart goblin."

Comment by ktrey, 5 months ago

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:34:22 +0000

Here's the etymology I've always enjoyed for the word:

German, probably from a dialectal term of abuse: obsolete Pumper, breaking wind (from dialectal pumpern, to break wind, from Middle High German, to knock) + German Nickel, goblin.

So... Pumpernickel could be translated as "fart goblin."

Comment by spoonyalchemist, 5 months ago

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:12:21 +0000

They had this really catchy song about pumpernickel bread on Blues Clues.

My younger sisters were watching it, not me. :P

Comment by seanahan, 8 months ago

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:20:20 +0000

It's not. It was made up at a bar by a radio guy who later reported it as the true etymology. After being confronted and asked for proof, he confessed.

Comment by rfb, 8 months ago

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:00:38 +0000

I've once heard a story about the origin of this name. Apparently Napoleons horse was called Nickel. When the French soldiers marched into Germany during the Napoleonic wars and came into contact with German rye bread, some said that this bread wouldn't even be 'bon pour Nickel', not even good enough for Nickel.
I have no idea whether this story is true, though...