You’re Welcome, Germany: Americans Help ‘Shitstorm’ Enter Everyday Vocabulary

The biggest word in Germany in 2011 didn’t come from the German language but rather from the “Anglicism of the Year,” that word is “shitstorm” and it apparently filled a void left open by the German language.

According to one expert the word “fills a gap in the German vocabulary that has become apparent through changes in the culture of public debate.” Before “shitstorm” German’s used kritik (criticism) to express their emotions.

So what is “shitstorm” being used to express in Germany? Typically Germans use it to express a public outcry, typically an outcry that causes internet stories to go viral and protests to spread across social networks.

A “shitstorm” also tends to blend threats and insults at a particular group or event until those insults force some type of reaction.

According to The Local

“It can indicates that it can be appropriately used in connection with the mess in Greece and Germany’s plagiarism scandal.

Runners up for the lexicon words include “stresstest” (ie, banks) and “circlen” (ie, Google+).

Are you surprised that the word “shitstorm” has become a common day word in Germany or do you wish you used it more to explain events happening on a daily basis in the United States?