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  • A bit German but I'll take it. If you don't know this word you probably haven't been to a house party on a Saturday night in Leipzig with a gorgeous girl making eyes at you on the stairwell around midnight.

    November 20, 2007

  • I do know this word, but I haven't been to said house party. Your comment makes me wonder what alternate meaning this word has that I don't know. I thought it was "to feed," as in "to eat," but only used to describe animals....?

    November 20, 2007

  • Hi c_b, I'm a big fan of your lists.

    Essentially yeah, humans essen and animals fressen. So if you use fressen in terms of people it suggests they eat like animals, hence a figurative meaning akin to gorge or devour.

    The party just came to mind because there was a lot of food and I probably ate too much, and yet when I was chatting to Andrea on the stairs I felt like gobbling her up too.

    I've seen fressen somewhere in print in an English piece recently which is why I added it. I'll quote it when I can find it.

    November 20, 2007

  • Funny, bilby! I was a bit confused too, until you explained further. :-)

    November 20, 2007

  • It always reminds me of the Witch-King talking to his fell beast: "Feast on his flessssh!!" That's definitely a use for fressen.

    November 20, 2007

  • It reminds me of Thanksgiving at my cousins' house. My uncle was German and he would fuss at the kids' table - "Fress nicht! Keine Schweinerei!" Good times.

    November 20, 2007