The publishing house Langenscheit again chooses the youth word of the year in Germany which regularly turns out top-notch television entertainment. The news anchor on the public service reads the words that the youth nominated from their current slang, and then the public votes.
Everyone can't wait for old people to mispronounce or accent something, so they can make jokes about it TikTok.
This year, for example, "67" (known as "six-seven"), "peak" or "Du bist gut genug" ("You are good enough"), which is a line of the song that has gone viral all over the world, are in the competition.
But, the word "Mehrzweckeier" did not enter the top 10 that can be voted for, even though it was massively proposed.
To the innocent ear, that compound sounds strange and stupid because it literally means - "multipurpose eggs". What the hell could that possibly mean to today's youth?
It all started with cardboard.
Ignacio-jw-school-strike-atzephoto: https:/x.com/LINKEPELLI/; Screensho
The truth is, however, that the word means nothing to young people either, but they coined it just for the needs of this competition and encouraged each other on social networks that as many people as possible could run for "Mehrzweckeier".
But the jury of the publishing house Langenscheit refused to include it in the selection, claiming that the word is offensive and does not come naturally from slang but is a political campaign.
It is true that the word is not domesticated in slang. But what kind of insult and what kind of politics?
It all started on the streets of Berlin this March, during a protest against the introduction of compulsory conscription in Germany, which many young people see as a return to wartime politics, along with mass armaments.
An 18-year-old brought a piece of cardboard on which he wrote "Merz leck eier" in ballpoint pen as a message to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Literally - "Merce, lick the balls".
Apparently, the play on words is that there is still the old-fashioned palpation of the testicles at the recruit medical.
Thank you, police!
There were all kinds of posters and slogans at that demonstration, and this one would have been unremarkable if the police had not been dead serious, confiscated the poster and briefly detained the young man.
The incriminating piece of cardboard with the inscription "Merce, lick your eggs" was added to the record. An investigation was opened against the boy on suspicion of insulting a person from political life.
The internet exploded. "Merce, lick your balls" has become a mime, printed on T-shirts and stickers, shouted at demonstrations. The popular rapper Vita released a song of the same name in a few days, which recorded millions of views.
Friedrich Mertz is not immune to jokes. He has already reported himself as an insult, for example, when someone calls him "Pinocchio", claiming that it is not the criticism that bothers him, but the tone.
Germany has a legal provision that specifically protects politicians, which is also the target of criticism. According to it, one can prosecute an insult suitable for making the "public action" of a politician much more difficult.
Of course, in certain cases, the courts can give a stronger value to the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech.
What a cringe
It is not yet known what will become of the young man who started the avalanche with Merz and eggs, but it is completely clear where the word "Mehrzweckeier" ("multipurpose eggs") was coined in the word of the year competition.
When spoken quickly, it is irresistibly reminiscent of "Merz leck eier". Just as in Serbian you could curse someone without cursing with "jedem ti mortar".
The publishing house Langenscheit did not want to allow it because until now it followed the words that young people really use. In earlier years, they won with "krinj" (transfer of blame) or the familiar Turkish term "babo" (literally father, in slang boss, boss, boss, face).
Now the left-wing newspaper Taz is criticizing them for eliminating "multipurpose eggs". "Youth, their culture and vocabulary are rooted in modernity. And modernity also includes the compulsory conscription introduced by the current government, which causes many people to be afraid of touching their balls," the newspaper writes.
Taz praises the young man who first carried the placard, writing that the youth are getting involved in politics and protesting and that the elderly should support the younger ones in this.
By the way, the text has a title addressed to the publishing house and its jury: "Langenšajte, liži jaja".
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