May 29th, 2013: Yesterday in the TOP SECRET ARCHIVE TEXT I wondered if our last panel could be translated into German. Turns out there are few (all-awesome) ways! Here's the last word, and YES I know some of them run right off the page, that is part of their joy:
From Isabel: Anfängerkinderkramgleichsetzungsnationalsprachenbeschämungshauptwortverbindungsmangel (Beginner's-child's-stuff-equating-National-language-shaming-Noun-compound-Lack)
From Johannes: Anfängerdummbabysprachanscheinssubstantivzusammensetzungslücke (Beginner-stupid-baby-language-genetive case of "appearance of the beforementioned"-noun-compound-gap)
From Heather: Kompositarückständigkei die unsere Sprache wie eine Anfängersprache für Dummkinder aussehen lässt (compound-noun-gap-backstand (that stands towards the back, ie: is behind) that makes our language look like a beginner-language for stupid-children)
From Christian: Unsere-sprache-wie-eine-anfängersprache-für-dumme-kleinkinder-aussehen-lassende zusammengesetzte-hauptwörter-lücke schlieszen
From Patrick: NICHTKOMPOSITIONSLÜCKEDIEUNSERESPRACHEWIEEINEANFÄNGERSPRACHEFÜRDUMMEBABIESAUSSEHENLÄSST ÜBERWINDEN
From Douglas: ZUSAMMENGESETZTESSUBSTANTIVKLUFTDASSUNSERESPRACHEWIEEINANFÄNGERSPRACHEFÜRDUMMBABYÄHNELNMACHEN
And bonus points for a Finnish translation from Atte: aloittelijatyperysvauvojenkieleltänäyttäväksitekijäyhdyssanapuute
OF COURSE I have the best readers and OF COURSE a bunch of them are generous polyglots. And a few people let me know about "English disease", a pejorative name for "whitespace in compound words", which is what happens when speakers of big-word languages (like German and Dutch!) learn English and then start adding spaces in their words, sometimes changing the meaning of the words. People take it very seriously when these mistakes happen! (Thanks Max for those links!) One year ago today: "Three Of A Kind": A Full House spinoff where three of the main characters from that show live together in a somewhat less-full house – Ryan