GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY: FIRLEFANZ
Not only does Firlefanz sound rather cute, it also has pretty attractive etymology.
What stands for “frippery, frills, trumpery” (yes, believe it or not, the latter exists as a word for something showy yet worthless) and is still very much in use in German - the author makes sure the average use of the word remains stable by introducing it into her sentences whenever she can - is also a lovely word straight from Old French.
Although “straight” might be a bit much, considering that it comes from Old French virelai - a fifteenth-century form of a love song and dance, which itself has its roots in the Old French verb virer (to turn around or to bend).
German speakers turned virelai into firelei, then distorted it further into firlefei, only to combine it with German word for dance Tanz and Alfanz meaning “buffoonery” or “trickery”. At the end of the that fascinating process, voilá!, out came Firlefanz.
Rather archaic now, at least in the US.
Though there are obvious opportunities for a revival.
B, how did you learn to read Schrift?
I have had episodic periods of marginal competency, but it has never been easy or natural.
I've heard the word used, but never saw it written. So that's how they spell it!