Is anyone familiar with the term ‘Perfectenschlag’ or was it just invented and used by Dwight of The Office?
Thanks,
Torsten
I’m sure your German is better than mine Torsten, but after 23 years translating and teaching in Germany, I’ve certainly never heard it. It looks like one of the Denglish words that’s just been invented.
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The strange thing about Perfectenschlag is that it doesn’t make any sense in German either. However, it must mean something since it’s used in a very popular TV series that has been watched by millions of people.
It seems to be a word invented by Dwight (or by the writers of The Office for Dwight). Since Dwight supposedly has German and Amish ancestry, my guess would be that it was an attempt to make up a German-sounding word with a meaning reminiscent of the phrase ‘perfect storm’.
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I am a huge fan of The Office and actually from a German-speaking country (Switzerland …).
So, as some of you pointed out correctly there is no word in the German language that sound like “Perfectenschlag”.
But as the English-speaking folks often pronounce German words in this particular way (or how else would we think Dwight utters a “German” word (not considering his Amish relations)) I just thought of something that sounds similar.
And I came up with “Perfekter Einschlag”. It may not be true and has probably nothing to do with it, but “Perfekter Einschlag” pronounced in English (or as I would pronounced it in English) is about “Perfect Enschlag”.
If you translate “Perfekter Einschlag”, it means Perfect Impact … if you ask me it’s a pretty good description of a perfect and outstanding situation, as you probably have made or will make a huge impact …
As I said … it’s just an assumption and probably not true.
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Hi Marco, welcome to our forum. It’s great to have another huge The Office fan on board. Which do you like better – the US version or the UK version? As for Perfectenschlag, I think none of the American viewers will actually care about its meaning or origin. It’s just us German speaking folks who are so obsessed with Dwight’s German sounding drivel because it gives us a feeling of importance 
Just a joke…
For the record I have to say that for me ‘The Office’ is pretentious rubbish. I think it’s time that someone called out - But the Emperor has no clothes!
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Alan, which version of The Office are you referring to? As far as I remember you are not exactly a fan of Ricky Gervais so I take it you have the British version in mind?
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The British version.
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