This morning Spencer Jack's paternal parental unit sent the above to my phone.
My Favorite Nephew Jason is as fluent in Deutsch as I am, so I don't think he was sending me this so that I could explain what panzerschwein in English.
Even people who are not fluent in German might easily figure out, sort of, what panzerschwein is.
Panzers were scary German tanks in WWII.
Armored tanks.
Schwein is what many called German in WWII.
Pigs.
So, panzerschwein are armored pigs.
Now, what animal might a German settlers experiencing the wilds of frontier Texas think looked like an armored pig?
If you answered "armadillo" methinks you are likely correct.
I do not remember ever seeing a single armadillo at my current location. When I lived further south, in the D/FW zone, I frequently saw armadillos. Sometimes with baby armadillos, which are extremely cute.
Let me see if I can find a photo of one of my encounters with baby armadillos...
I remember this encounter like it was yesterday, but it was well over a decade ago. At River Legacy Park in Arlington.
I got down low on the paved trail to take the picture. The baby armadillos sensed something was there, they do not see too well when young. The four began moving towards me. I backed off. Their mother did not seem at all concerned.
I wonder if those early German settlers in Texas tried to make bacon out of what they thought were armored pigs?
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