Thumbs up for a beer? - YouTube

One of the things you’re routinely told about Germany is that if you want one beer,

you hold up your thumb.

Because that is how you signal “one”.

Is that true?

This has become a particularly popular fact

after the release of the movie “Inglourious Basterds”.

And although that was a long time ago I should in fairness mention

that I am about the reveal a major plot point.

In one scene, a British spy blows his cover

by asking for three glasses and showing three fingers,

when the German way is to show a thumb and two fingers.

From that, it seems that people have inferred

that if you want to order one of something, you give the thumbs-up sign.

It’s logical... but...

If you’re German, I’m going to have to ask you to help me out here,

because personally, I have never in my life

ever seen a German order a beer, or anything else, like this.

If you think about it for just one moment, though,

it’s not a very good way of ordering anything at all.

If you see somebody stick some fingers in the air,

what are you supposed to think?

And even if it ever was a way of ordering a beer,

what kind of beer are you ordering?

A lager? A wheat beer? A pilsner? A kölsch?

Or is the server just supposed to magically know?

In the movie, the character actually asks for three whisky glasses

in excellent German,

but gives himself away by accompanying that with an unusual hand-gesture.

If only he’d kept his hand down, he might have got away with it.

Remember the context of the movie: it’s wartime.

Under normal circumstances, I suspect that this gesture wouldn’t be a big deal;

but in the middle of a war,

people are going to be very wary of anything that seems a bit unusual.

You also need to bear in mind that the character is already under suspicion:

the officer he’s talking to has already noticed his slightly odd accent.

The correct way to order one beer is to say that you’re ordering one beer:

how else are you going to do it?

If you want to accompany that with a gesture, then that’s fine;

and as far as I know, nobody cares if it’s your index finger.

The gesture that I use is a vague wave of the hand

to attract the attention of the server.

I do find, having lived in Germany for nearly 25 years,

that I have started counting 1-2-3 like this,

which appears to be a habit I have unconsciously picked up.

So... I think there must be some truth in it,

because I don’t think this habit comes from nowhere.

But that is as far as it goes.

You just try counting 4 using three fingers and one thumb.

I can’t do it.

But of course, “Inglourious Basterds” is set during the Second World War,

and things have changed a bit since then.

In Germany, this means exactly the same as it does all over the western world.

And with Hollywood movies popular over here,

I’m sure many Germans have seen 1-2-3;

possibly more than once.

In short, I don’t think that this will necessarily mark you out as a foreigner.

But if you are in Nazi Germany,

and a Gestapo officer already thinks there’s something not quite right about you...

...it could mean trouble.

On a personal note, I’m sorry I didn’t get this video done sooner,

but on the day that I’d set aside for filming it,

I was trapped in another town

by a storm which had flooded the railway and roads.

We’re completely fine, and our house was unscathed.

But many other homes and businesses in the area were not so lucky,

with damage estimated in the tens of millions.

Things are getting back to normal now,

but the clean-up operation is likely to last for months.

And although it is only a small thing,

I wouldn’t be a good neighbour if I didn’t at least let you know how to make a donation,

if you wish to.

Especially since the fire brigades around here are all staffed by volunteers.

Thanks for watching. If you’d like to send me a postcard, here’s the address.

And don’t forget to visit my website and follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Also, if you’d like access to special bonus content

and help with the costs of running this channel,

please consider making a small monthly donation on Patreon.