Sauregurkenzeit

Pregnant women have a famous craving for dill pickles or "saure Gurken," but don't let that fool you - Sauregurkenzeit (literally, "pickle time") has nothing to do with being pregnant. In fact, you may even be experiencing Sauregurkenzeit right now! It's that time during the summer when nothing seems to be happening, when everyone's on vacation or just a little lazy from the heat. The word came into use in the late 18th century in Berlin and probably related to the pickles from the Spree Forest that hit the stores at the end of the summer. Fortunately, though, strange German words are available year round.