So we have a bit of a long running joke going on at work.

Whenever I have free time, I go over to one of the other Microbiology department and help with their prep work. They have a lot of equipment that they work with on a regular basis and they all have to be packaged and sterilized prior to use. The packing of the equipment involves taking them a part and putting them in these paper/plastic envelopes where they are seal shut through a heating device and then packed into an autoclave for sterilization. It’s not rocket science to perform but it is very time consuming so they very much appreciate when someone can step up and help them.

This whole process is called:

einschweißen

It means to bind with heat.

It took me awhile to remember this word. It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily as other words and I brought this up this with my work godmother……

Sidenote: einarbeitspate literally translates to work godmother. Josi is the one mostly in charge of the lab and is the godmother to all the newbies (myself included)

Anyway, Josi and I discussed this subject and she decided to tell me that the word “einschweißen” is really close to the word “einscheißen”

Literally – to shit oneself.

I then made the comment about how hilarious it would be if I tried to explain in our lab meetings what I have done all day and got the words mixed up.

“Well, today I spent the whole time shitting myself. I felt really good and got a lot done; you should go see the pile I made. It was a lot!”

Needless to say, Josi and I laughed for a solid ten minutes. Unfortunately I have to really think now so that I don’t say the wrong word. The only difference lies in that “w.” Of course now when I do talk about it, I have to pause and think. In that pause, everyone knows what I am trying NOT to say…..so everyone starts laughing.

Never a dull moment here, folks.

Happy Friday!

Schönes Wochenende und bis Montag!