Fettnäpfchen

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German

Etymology

From Fettnapf +‎ -chen. The figurative sense is a backformation from the phrase ins Fettnäpfchen treten, which see.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfɛtˌnɛpf.çən/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Fett‧näpf‧chen

Noun

Fettnäpfchen n (strong, genitive Fettnäpfchens, plural Fettnäpfchen)

  1. (literal) diminutive of Fettnapf: a small dubbin-containing bowl.
  2. (figurative) a situation or topic where one may easily make a faux pas
  3. (figurative, by extension) the faux pas itself
    • 2011, Nandine Meyden, Tisch-Manieren: Im Restaurant. Beim Geschäftsessen. Zu Hause, Schlütersche, →ISBN, page 193:
      Etikette-Expertin Nandine Meyden verrät, wie Sie rund ums Essen eine gute Figur machen und Fettnäpfchen stilsicher vermeiden.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading