What Red Read: Why I need to learn some German...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Why I need to learn some German...

Originally I had titled this post "Top 10 Literary Mean Girls" and as soon as I typed that title I got the song "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oats stuck in my head, with "bitch" replacing "rich". Of course I only know the opening lines of that song so super, that's gonna be in there all day. This week's Broke and the Bookish Top Ten Tuesday topic is mean girls in literature, those snotty girls you just want to punch. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble coming up with...well really any characters other than the ones below. I can think of characters I didn't like but they don't quite fit the snotty, nice-to-your face, back handedness this topic really calls for. I thought I'd expand the meaning to refer to anyone with a backfeifengesicht, which (according to Cracked anyway) is German for "a face badly in need of a fist" and if I could even begin to pronounce that I would use it every day. Even that hasn't really helped me come up with more characters. So why am I even bothering to post? I really like that word backfeifengesicht and wanted to make sure more people know it.

Here are the only 2 I could honestly come up with that fit either definition. I've hated other characters or thought they were evil villains and whatnot, but they've never elicited the reaction this topic calls for.

Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - She is perfect for this list. The little remarks, the backhanded compliments, fawning over Darcy while pretending to care about Jane. As soon as I heard the topic I came up with her instantly and thought the rest of the list would be just as easy. Oh how wrong I was.

Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling - She's really borderline for this list and only because she pretends to be nice at times, with her smiles and those weird kitten decorations and all the pink does she get considered. She makes it because every time she did that little cough I wanted someone, anyone to smack her. Or hand her a cough drop or something.

That is all I've got. I hope you guys were more successful in this list. Now I'm going to go Google a pronunciation guide for backfeifengesicht.

Comments (15)

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Patti Smith · 724 weeks ago

I couldn't come up with 10 for this list either...but Dolores Umbridge was on my prelim list before I gave up...wasn't she the one that burned their hands as punishment? Evil.

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Laurie · 724 weeks ago

Given your criteria of "nice to your face, mean behind your back", I thought of Sam in Before I Fall, Lady MacBeth, and Aunt Petunia from Harry Potter (for starters). Also perhaps the Aunties in James and The Giant Peach. It seems to me that older women are perhaps even more often portrayed in this light than young ones, no?
Today's the last day of my "most influential Shakespeare character" blog hop in honor of the Bard's B-day, so I'm sitting this one out (officially), although I'm enjoying the topic!

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unabridgedchick 64p · 724 weeks ago

Omg, I could probably come up with too many, frankly, and then I'd look like a triple hater. Le sigh. However, i do love backfeifengesicht and will also try to use it somehow today. Maybe to my German speaking friend. Let's see how badly she laughs at me!

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Trish · 724 weeks ago

Those are two perfectly deserving ones, that's for sure. And that German expression?! lol too funny. I know a few people like that.

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Lisa · 724 weeks ago

Dolores made my list too. I hate how she tried to have complete control and power over everything and everyone.

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Laura · 724 weeks ago

ahhh, I know plenty of people who have a backfeifengesicht! Hehehe, and my old college flatmate is taking a German degree, I think I should ask her how to pronounce it! Hehe.

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Brenna · 724 weeks ago

I skipped this top ten because I didn't want to wrack my brain thinking of literary bitches. With that said, Dolores Umbridge is probably the meanest of them all! Good call on that one.

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carabossesbakeshop 53p · 724 weeks ago

Yeah, this one was hard.
Here's mine: http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/top...

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Loni · 724 weeks ago

I completely forgot about Umbridge! She's awful. There definitely bitch enough between the women on your list to make up for not haveing ten!

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kaye · 724 weeks ago

both choices are excellent. I can't believe I forgot Dolores Umbridge. She's the teacher every kid hates. Kaye—the road goes ever ever on

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Two Bibliomaniacs · 724 weeks ago

Nice commentary. I took some liberties with the topic in order to get 10... I also had Dolores!

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Short Story Slore · 724 weeks ago

I completely agree with Caroline for your description of a mean girl! She really aggravates me every time I read that book. Unfortunately, I know too many people like her.