Or maybe just stick to eggs—safer choice.
But let’s talk about Kummerspeck, that wonderfully German word that describes the weight gained from emotional eating during times of sadness, heartbreak, or general misery. Literally translating to grief bacon (Kummer = sorrow, Speck = bacon or body fat), this term perfectly captures the comfort-food spiral we sometimes fall into when life gets tough. Whether it’s post-breakup ice cream, stress-fueled pizza nights, or mindless snacking during a rough patch at work, haven’t we all been there at some point, looking to food to comfort us? Anyway, Kummerspeck is what happens when that comfort turns into extra kilos (or, as I prefer to call it, more to adore).
As a translator English to Dutch and German to Dutch, I can’t help but feel that Kummerspeck deserves a place in other languages too. In fact, I think we need it. So for Dutch, I was thinking of ’treurspek’, as a rough first draft. What do you think?
Alex suggested, on LinkedIn: troostrolletjes, and admittedly, that’s way better than my suggestion, as the Dutch do use ‘rollen’ or ‘vetrollen’ for what the English call a ‘muffin top’.
English, however, is trickier. Unlike German and Dutch, bacon doesn’t double as a word for body fat, so a direct translation doesn’t quite work and unfortunately, something like ‘heartbreak ham’ just wouldn’t cut it either. Something like ‘sorrow fat’ or ‘grief gut’ might capture the idea, but they lack the charm of Kummerspeck (not to say: boooooring!).
Maybe some things are best left untranslatable after all?🤔
Btw, obviously, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in good food, and no one should ever feel guilty about enjoying an extra slice of cake. Not on my watch! But as the word itself suggests (der Name ist Programm), Kummerspeck is always tied to sadness.
So, here’s hoping that whatever’s on your plate today, you’re eating out of joy, not sorrow.
What do you think—should Kummerspeck make its way into Dutch or English or any language? And if so, what would you call it?
Happy Friday, y’all!
