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Tausendsassa

Learn a funny, quirky German word each week with DW's Word of the Week feature. This week: Tausendsassa.

https://p.dw.com/p/Rlw9
Image: AP
"Tausandsassa," it means you're incredibly multi-talented! Apparently stemming from the 18th century, the word's origin is diverse: "sa sa" was said to dogs to incite them to attack people, as in "sic 'em!" Tausand sa sa's, then, means "one thousand sic 'ems." So a "Tausandsassa" is likely someone who can "sic it to 'em" a thousand different times and still remain standing. But whether to man or beast, the word is still fun to say. And the Austrian German version might be even more pleasing to slip over one's lips: "Wunderwuzzi."