parking ticket / small tuber
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parking ticket
A colloquial expression for a ticket or fine that you receive for a minor traffic violation, especially for parking illegally.
Ich habe schon wieder ein Knöllchen bekommen, weil ich die Parkscheibe vergessen habe.
I got another parking ticket because I forgot the parking disc.
The word 'Knöllchen' (small tuber/parking ticket) is the diminutive form of 'die Knolle' (tuber). The ending '-chen' makes a noun neuter ('das') and expresses that something is small. This explains the botanical meaning and is used ironically for the small but annoying ticket.
Im Garten habe ich kleine Knöllchen für die neuen Blumen gepflanzt.
In the garden, I planted small tubers for the new flowers.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Knöllchen' (parking ticket/small tuber) from the context. If people are talking about cars, parking, traffic, or the police, it always means the ticket. If it is about plants, gardening, or botany, it means the small plant tuber.
Mist, ich habe ein Knöllchen an der Windschutzscheibe!
Damn, I have a parking ticket on the windshield!
'Knöllchen' (parking ticket) is a very common word in everyday language. In official letters or formal contexts, you are more likely to find the terms 'Strafzettel' (ticket/fine) or 'Verwarnung' (warning).
Sei vorsichtig, in dieser Straße werden oft Knöllchen verteilt.
Be careful, parking tickets are often issued on this street.
In connection with a parking ticket, 'Knöllchen' is often used with certain verbs. Typical phrases are 'ein Knöllchen bekommen' (to get a parking ticket), 'ein Knöllchen kriegen' (to get a parking ticket), or 'ein Knöllchen an der Windschutzscheibe haben' (to have a parking ticket on the windshield).
Wenn du ohne Parkschein parkst, bekommst du sicher ein Knöllchen.
If you park without a parking ticket, you're sure to get a parking ticket.
root
'die Wurzel' and 'das Knöllchen' can both occur underground on a plant. However, 'Wurzel' means the part that holds the plant in place and absorbs water. 'Knöllchen' is a small tuber, meaning a thickened plant part that stores nutrients. Learners may confuse the words because both are in the soil. If you are speaking generally about the lower part of a plant, 'Wurzel' fits. If you mean a small, round, or thickened storage part, 'Knöllchen' fits.
Im Garten fand Anna ein kleines Knöllchen, aus dem später eine Blume wachsen kann.
In the garden, Anna found a small tuber from which a flower can later grow.
Die Wurzel der jungen Tomatenpflanze braucht genug Platz im Topf.
The root of the young tomato plant needs enough space in the pot.