On Monty Python, Season 1, Episode 6, there's a sketch about Johann Gambolputty's sole surviving relative, Karl. Karl and Johann had an incredibly long name that the interviewer (John Cleese), Karl (Terry Jones), and the newscaster (Graham Chapman) say in its entirety over and over. Initially, this was created for Season 1, Episode 1, but was moved to Episode 6.
Here is the whole cast of the sketch:
Man: Michael Palin
Figgis: Graham Chapman
Karl: Terry Jones
Interviewer: John Cleese
Viking: John Cleese
John Cleese (Interviewer), Terry Jones (Karl - Johann Gambolputty's sole surviving relative)
The full name of Johann Gambolputty on the sketch is:
Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitzweimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönendanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.
I always wondered if the name made any sense. Here’s a breakdown of what can reasonably be translated:
Recognizable German Words
- von – “of / from” (nobility preposition in names)
- Bahnwagen – “railway carriage / train car”
- Gutenabend – “good evening”
- Bitte – “please”
- Nürnburger – “from Nuremberg”
- Bratwustle (variant of Bratwurst) – “fried sausage”
- Mit zwei mache – “make with two” (nonsensical, but literally that)
- Hundsfut (Hundsfott) – “dog’s butt / rascal / scoundrel” (an insult)
- Schönendanker (schönen Dank) – “many thanks”
- Kalbsfleisch – “veal (calf meat)”
- Mittler – “mediator / intermediary”
- Aucher (auch er) – “him too”
- Hautkopft (misspelling of Hauptkopf) – “main head”
- Ulm – a real German city
Partly Recognizable / Playful Compounds
- Schplenden-schlitter – nonsense, but resembles “splendid-sliding”
- Crasscrenbon – playful pseudo-German, not real
- Digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle – just silly repetition
- Knacker – slang “sausage-maker,” also “knacker” (person who disposes of animals)
- Thrasher – English word left in
- Apple-banger – English word left in
- Horowitz – a real surname (Jewish/German origin)
- Ticolensic – nonsense
- Grander – looks like “greater”
- Knotty-spelltinkle – fake English-German mashup
- Grandlich – looks like gründlich (“thorough”)
- Grumblemeyer – “complaining-Meyer” (Meyer = common surname)
- Spelterwasser – could mean “zinc water” (Spelter = zinc alloy, Wasser = water)
- Kurstlich – resembles kurzlich (“recently”), but nonsense
- Himbleeisen – nonsense, maybe Himmel (“heaven”) + Eisen (“iron”)
The name is a compilation of strung-together fragments of real German, silly English, fake compounds, and nonsense syllables.
So in English, at least the parts that can be loosely translated, make his full English name:
John Gobbleputty of Ausfern-splendid-slither-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-Burstein of Knacker-Thrasher-Apple-Banger-Horowitz-Ticolensic-Grander-Knotty-spell-tinkle-Thorough-Grumble-Meyer-Zinc-Water-Recently-Heaven-Iron-Train-Car-Good-Evening-Please-a-Nuremberg-Sausage-hurry-with-two-make-Scoundrel-Gumberaber-Many-Thanks-Veal-Mediator-also-him of Main-Head of Ulm.