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Amtsschimmel

Learn a funny, quirky German word each week with DW's Word of the Week feature. This week: Amtsschimmel.

https://p.dw.com/p/Rl6C
Image: BilderBox

"Amtsschimmel" is a somewhat outdated, yet rather graphic word for "red tape." Literally, it means "office mold," which in many cases seems to hit the nail right on the head. After sitting on 10 or 20 desks for weeks, awaiting just as many signatures, that form you've been waiting weeks for is bound to get a bit musty. It looks likes it might be too late to rescue this poor employee from his office's aggressive bureaucratic mold.