gag / joke
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gag / joke
A joke, a funny idea, or a punchline intended to make someone laugh, especially in a performance or a text.
Der Komiker beendete seine Show mit einem wirklich guten Gag.
The comedian ended his show with a really good gag.
gimmick / twist
A special, often surprising trick or original idea intended to attract attention, for example in advertising or design.
Der eigentliche Gag an dem neuen Smartphone ist der ausrollbare Bildschirm.
The real gimmick of the new smartphone is the roll-out screen.
'Der Gag' in German only means 'joke' or 'punchline'. The English verb 'to gag' (to choke, to muzzle) has a completely different meaning that the German noun does not have.
Sein letzter Gag war der beste des ganzen Abends.
His last gag was the best of the whole evening.
'Gag' is a word from English that is very common in colloquial German. It is used especially in the areas of comedy, entertainment, and marketing.
Die Show war voller lustiger Gags und das Publikum hat viel gelacht.
The show was full of funny gags, and the audience laughed a lot.
When 'Gag' refers to a joke, it is often combined with verbs such as 'machen' (to make), 'erzählen' (to tell), or colloquially 'reißen' (to crack).
Er versucht immer, auf Partys Gags zu reißen.
He always tries to crack jokes at parties.
Besides 'Witz' (joke), 'Gag' can also mean a clever trick or a surprising special feature. The phrase 'der Gag an der Sache ist…' (the gimmick/twist of the thing is…) often introduces the explanation of such a feature.
Der Gag an diesem Stift ist, dass er auch als Werkzeug funktioniert.
The gimmick of this pen is that it also works as a tool.
joke
A Witz is usually a self-contained story told with a punchline. A Gag is a short comic idea or effect, especially in a performance or a text, and can also arise from a situation or an action.
In der zweiten Szene sorgt ein plötzlich zusammenklappender Stuhl für einen Gag.
In the second scene, a chair that suddenly collapses provides a gag.
In der ersten Szene erzählt die Figur einen kurzen Witz mit überraschender Pointe.
In the first scene, the character tells a short joke with a surprising punchline.
