The other day, I was watching one of the German zoo shows. A woman zookeeper was currycombing what I’m pretty sure was a tapir just as if he were a pony, and I wasn’t surprised because the animals I’ve seen in German zoos have been bursting with good health, good looks, and high spirits. Finally, she gave his rump a pat and said with evident satisfaction, “Du glänzt wie eine…” and then came a word that led me a merry dance through my dictionary and finally to my friend Heidi, who knew all about it.
What had she said? “Du glänzt wie eine Speckschwarte.” “You gleam like a bacon rind.” And he did!