At a party recently in England, I asked the young German woman to whom I had just been introduced, "Sind Sie Ossie oder Wessie?"
I thought "Ossie" meant simply "from the East" (the former DDR) and "Wessie", from the West, but instead of complimenting me on my knowledge of German and Germany, she replied, "Oooh, that's very rude!"
Are "Ossie" and "Wessie" generally regarded as rude, or was the woman's reply idiosyncratic?
By the way, she was from Goettingen, so I regard her as a "Mittie"!
I thought "Ossie" meant simply "from the East" (the former DDR) and "Wessie", from the West, but instead of complimenting me on my knowledge of German and Germany, she replied, "Oooh, that's very rude!"
Are "Ossie" and "Wessie" generally regarded as rude, or was the woman's reply idiosyncratic?
By the way, she was from Goettingen, so I regard her as a "Mittie"!