Passierschein A38

German

Etymology

From the 1976 animated film The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. One of the tasks Asterix and Obelix have to solve is finding the permit A38 in The Place That Sends You Mad, which is riddled with extreme bureaucracy and turns the two nearly insane.

Noun

Passierschein A38 (genitive Passierscheins A38, plural Passierscheine A38)

1. An imaginary permit that is impossible to get.

Usage notes

Used in reference to overly bureaucratic institutions or procedures.