Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday XIII: Was heißt...?

Was heißt...?: "What is called...?"; How do you say... (in German/English/whatever-other-language)?

The above translation is what I would consider the "traditional" translation. This is, however, another way to use this phrase, and it's something I seem to continue to think/say to myself all the time. It can be used in a sort of rhetorical manner to express that an adjective is a little excessive or not quite the right word. Let me explain.

Let's say you're talking to a friend about someone eating your lunch from the employee refrigerator at work (that's a very specific example, I know...). That conversation might go a little something like this:

Friend: Waaas? Wie dreist! Du warst bestimmt mega angepisst!
You: Naja, was heißt angepisst? Ich war einfach ein bisschen genervt, weil ich dann mir etwas von der Kantine holen musste. Und das Essen dort schmeckt einfach nicht so gut...

Friend: Whaaat? How rude! I bet you were pissed off!
You: Well, I wouldn't say 'pissed off'. I was just a little annoyed, because then I had to buy something from the cafeteria, and the food there just doesn't taste as good...

I hope that made sense!
Bis bald!

Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday XII: Sonst

sonst: "else", "otherwise", "or else"

Here is another super versatile word. Like na, it can be paired with a variety of other words to change its meaning.

Und sonst so? - How's it going otherwise? (Good to use after a friend tells you about a bad experience they had recently - you should, of course, console them first.)
umsonst - free of charge, in vain (I got these cookies umsonst for volunteering at the blood drive! I drove all the way back home umsonst because my phone ended up being in my car the whole time!)
sonst wo - elsewhere
Sonst noch etwas? - Anything else? (Usually a question posed by wait staff.)
Was sonst noch? - What next? (Here, it takes a kind of exasperated tone.)
Wer denn sonst? - Who else? (Typically rhetorical: I mean, she gave birth to me! Are you talking about your mom? Wer denn sonst?)

I hope this helps you know how to use this highly recurring word!

Bis bald!