German [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

eierlegende Wollmilchsau (literally “egg-laying wool-milk-sow”), from earlier eierlegendes und milchgebendes Wollschwein (literally “egg-laying and milk-giving wool-pig”). The concept of a "Schwein, / das Merinowolle trägt / und dazu noch Eier legt", a "pig / that bears merino wool / and furthermore lays eggs, too" is mentioned in poetry as early as 1959.[1]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

IPA (key) : /ˌaɪ̯ɐ.leːɡəndə ˈvɔl.mɪlç.zaʊ̯/ , [ˌaɪ̯ɐ.leːɡn̩də ˈvɔl.mɪlç.zaʊ̯]

: , Audio

Noun [ edit ]

eierlegende Wollmilchsau f (genitive eierlegender Wollmilchsau, plural eierlegende Wollmilchsäue)

( colloquial , often disapprovingly often disapprovingly ) An all-in-one device or person which has (or claims to have) only positive attributes and which can (or attempts to) do the work of several specialized tools. 2002, Dietmar Prudix, Oliver Prüfer, Die Eierlegende Wollmilchsau, page 7: Die eierlegende Wollmilchsau (der Bewerber, der alles kann und keine Schwächen hat) lebt - in den Köpfen von Job-Entscheidern und in den Köpfen von Arbeitsplatzsuchenden. The egg-laying wooly milk-pig (the applicant who can do everything and has no weaknesses) exists - in the heads of hiring managers and in the heads of those seeking jobs.

Declension [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]