this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025
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[–] scaramobo@lemmynsfw.com 38 points 5 days ago (4 children)

I would argue that the correct translation of Zeug is more like "thing". Wagen would be "car" in the context of the cartoon. But then it wouldn't sound absurd and their lowball attempt at humor wouldn't work.

[–] LanguageIsCool@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago

TIL some StarCraft objects are called Zergzeug

[–] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Car is short for carriage.

[–] MadBob@feddit.nl 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Specifically a tool, like a Werkzeug for example.

Edit: that's what I get for commenting after only reading the first panel then, haha.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 2 points 5 days ago

Agreed. Stoff would be the German for stuff. The Germans had a rocket propelled interceptor plane called the Komet, and its two parts of fuel were called C-Stoff and Z-Stoff.

I imagine the military looking at the names for the things and going “yeah, we need to dumb it down for our grunts.”