All, For what it's worth .........My family spoke some German at home when I was quite little. My father's family emigrated from Bramsche in the Hannover area to the United States in two waves, the first in the early 1800's and the second in the mid 1800's. I have an older brother, Frederick, who my parents generally called "Fritz". When he was being silly or they were feeling particularly affectionate they would call him "Schnickel Fritz". I was told this was a term of endearment that had been used in my father's family for generations. --- Beverly Wagaman <bebsy@comcast.net> wrote: > The more I think about the "schnitzel bunk" song, > the more I think it was > about parts of the body. It had a chorus, "I do > shaney, I do shaney, I do > shaney schnitzel bunk." Then the next verse would > be a question asking > about another part of the body. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Beverly Wagaman" <bebsy@comcast.net> > To: <prussia-roots@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 5:07 PM > Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] schnickel fritz > > > > My paternal grandparents were not from Prussia, > but their 1730 > > ancestor-mmigrants came to PA from the Bern area > of Switzerland. My > > grandparents spoke PA DUtch (low German) in their > home. My grandfather > > and > > my father called me a "snicklefritz". My > grandfather would also say, "Du > > bis du glenie madel". Or something like that. > > The song referred to is similar to one my > grandparents taught me, but > > mine was "Yah, it is a 'snitzel bunk'". Not > "snickel fritz". I think a > > "snitzel bunk" is a tool of some sort. I always > related it to "snitz" > > which > > is dried apples in this part of the country. > > My grandfather also called me a "Pru-en". > Which I think was simply our > > "prune". It was usually when I did something > naughty. Was this also of > > German origin? > > Interestingly, my husband's family was from > Prussia, arriving much > > later > > than my ancestors. In the mid or late eighteen > hundreds. He had never > > heard the "snicklefritz" name. > > Thanks for the memories. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Sue Schlosser" <csds@lsol.net> > > To: <prussia-roots@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:13 PM > > Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] schnickel fritz > > > > > >> My grandmother who came from Austria and grandpa > from Germany use to sing > >> a song about a schnickel fritz? It asked If you > were a schnitzel fritz? > >> to > >> which you would respond ,"ya I am a schnickel > fritz..." I can hear the > >> melody in my mind . > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an > email to > >> PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without > >> the > >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >> > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to > > PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front