Fisimatenten

German

Etymology

From Central Franconian visimetent (“nonsense”, attested 1499 in Cologne; now in the form Fissematente). Further origin unsettled. Possibly from Middle High German visament, fisiment (“ornamentation of a coat of arms”).

Popular etymology has derived it from French je visite ma tante (“I'm visiting my aunt”), used as an excuse, or visitez ma tente (“visit my tent”), supposedly used by soldiers to invite girls to their garrisons. None of this is factual, however.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfɪ.zi.maˈtɛn.tən/, /ˌfɪ.zə-/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Fisimatenten pl (plural only, diminutive Fisimatentchen n)

1. (colloquial) fuss; ado; useless or fretful behaviour, talk

   Synonyms: Mätzchen, Sperenzchen

   Mach keine Fisimatenten!

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 1918, Heinrich Mann, Der Untertan‎^[1], Leipzig: Kurt Wolff Verlag, page 380:

     „Herr Premierleutnant haben sich gewiß in der Hausnummer geirrt“, bemerkte Diederich schonend; aber es half nichts. „Quatsch. Weiß Bescheid. Nur keine Fisimatenten. Höherer Befehl. Schnauze halten und verkaufen, sonst gnade Gott.“

     “The First Lieutenant has certainly made a mistake with the house number” Diederich remarked gently; but it made no difference. “Rubbish. Let’s be clear. No idle chatter. That’s an order. Keep your trap shut and sell, otherwise God help you.”

Declension

Declension of Fisimatenten [pl-only]

	plural
	def.	noun
nominative	die	Fisimatenten
genitive	der	Fisimatenten
dative	den	Fisimatenten
accusative	die	Fisimatenten

Further reading

• “Fisimatenten” in Duden online
• “Fisimatenten” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1989) “Fisimatenten”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 216
• “Fisimatenten” in Pfälzisches Wörterbuch