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gammelig

gone bad, spoiled, rotting

adjective GAM-me-likh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Conditions

Also means

slovenly, scruffy (colloquial)

Usage Note

gammelig is a vivid colloquial word for food that has gone off or is rotting — gammelige Kartoffeln, gammeliger Fisch. Applied to a person it means slovenly or scruffy. Very common in informal spoken German.

Examples

"Die gammeligen Tomaten musste er wegwerfen, bevor er mit dem Kochen beginnen konnte."

Natural Translation

He had to throw away the rotten tomatoes before he could start cooking.

Literal Translation

The rotten tomatoes he had to throw away before he could begin with the cooking.

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