To Have a Hummel

Sherilyn in Indianapolis, Indiana, says when she was rambunctious as a child, her grandfather, who is of German descent, would ask if she had a hummel. In German, the word Hummel means bee, and a fidgety youngster might be asked Hast Du Hummeln im Hintern? meaning “Do you have bumblebees in your behind?” The German word Hintern, meaning “behind,” is related to the English words hind and hinterland. In Germany, such a child is also called a Zappelphilipp, from an 1845 poem about a boy who couldn’t sit still. This is part of a complete episode.