School-Opening Words: “Tschif, the Fessa Is Coming”

Does anyone still shout “Tschif” to warn a classroom that the teacher is on the way? The expression has appeared in student slang since the early 1950s, and its meaning is clear: “Attention, someone is coming!” Its origin, however, remains uncertain. One plausible theory links it to the English word “chief,” meaning a superior or boss.

Because the warning was passed on by word of mouth, it developed several spellings, including “Tschif,” “Tschief” and “Tschiff.” Spoken language also tends to shorten long expressions. “Frau Professor,” for example, becomes “Frau Fessa.” Students have also used forms such as “Prof” or “Profex,” while referring to a teacher by surname remains common.

The old German-speaking term “Pauker” is now considered outdated, which the column treats as no great loss. The word is linked to “pauken,” meaning to strike, as with the instrument known in English as a timpani. One explanation traces it to “Arschpauker” or “Hosenpauker,” terms for a teacher who beats a student as punishment.

“

Attention, someone is coming!

Truancy has its own vocabulary. German speakers say “schwänzen,” a word from thieves’ slang in which “schwentzen,” or moving the tail back and forth, meant wandering around. In Vienna, students say “stangeln,” although the term has nothing to do with a pole. It is thought to derive from “stageln,” possibly linked to the Italian “staccare,” meaning to detach, steal or take a break from something.

A student who must repeat an examination at the start of the school year faces a “Nachzipf.” The term may use “Zipf,” meaning a projecting end or small tail, for knowledge carried over from the previous year. “Nachzapf” is another form, perhaps suggesting that the student’s knowledge must be tapped once again. The column ends with a cheerful school-year greeting and one final warning: “Tschif, the Fessa is coming!”

“

Tschif, the Fessa is coming!