spicken
to cheat
Colloquial for the unauthorized use of aids such as a cheat sheet during an exam or test.
EXAMPLE
Wer beim Spicken erwischt wird, bekommt die Note Sechs.
Anyone caught cheating gets a failing grade.
spicken
to cheat / to lard
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Meanings
gespickt sein mit
to be peppered with
Figuratively, to be abundantly interspersed or filled with something, often technical terms, mistakes, or quotations.
EXAMPLE
Der Text war mit so vielen Fachausdrücken gespickt, dass er kaum verständlich war.
The text was peppered with so many technical terms that it was barely understandable.
spicken
to lard
To insert small pieces of bacon, fat, or herbs into meat before roasting in order to make it juicier and more flavorful.
EXAMPLE
Der Koch spickt den Rinderbraten sorgfältig mit Speckstreifen.
The cook carefully lards the roast beef with strips of bacon.
spicken
to peek
Outdated or regional for looking secretly and curiously into a place; to peer.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder spickten durch den Zaun in den verbotenen Garten.
The children peeked through the fence into the forbidden garden.
Usage tips
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'spicken' from context: In connection with school or exams, it means 'schummeln' (to cheat). In the kitchen, it means to prepare meat in a specific way. The fixed expression 'gespickt sein mit' means 'to be full of'.
EXAMPLE
Er hat in der Prüfung gespickt und wurde erwischt.
He cheated in the exam and was caught.
Register: colloquial
In the meaning 'schummeln' (to cheat), 'spicken' is a colloquial word. It is mainly used in informal conversations about school or university.
EXAMPLE
Hast du für den Vokabeltest auch gespickt?
Did you cheat on the vocabulary test too?
Sentence structure for cheating
When 'spicken' is used in the sense of cheating, it often appears with the preposition 'bei' (during/in, as in an exam) or 'von' (from, as in from the person sitting next to you).
EXAMPLE
Es ist nicht erlaubt, bei der Klassenarbeit vom Sitznachbarn zu spicken.
It is not allowed to cheat off the person sitting next to you during the class test.
Fixed expression
The figurative meaning occurs almost only in the fixed expression 'mit etwas gespickt sein' (to be peppered with something). The preposition 'mit' requires the dative here. The expression describes something as being abundantly interspersed with something.
EXAMPLE
Die E-Mail war mit ironischen Bemerkungen gespickt.
The email was peppered with ironic remarks.
Register: technical term
The meaning 'Fleisch bearbeiten' (to prepare meat) is a technical term from cooking. It is used to describe how meat is made juicier with bacon or herbs.
EXAMPLE
Im Kochkurs haben wir gelernt, wie man einen Braten richtig spickt.
In the cooking class, we learned how to lard a roast properly.
Register: outdated
The meaning 'heimlich schauen' (to look secretly) or 'spähen' (to peer) is outdated. It is hardly used in modern German.
EXAMPLE
Neugierig spickte er durch das Schlüsselloch.
Curiously, he peeked through the keyhole.
Compare with
spicken vs durchsetzen
to push through / to assert oneself / to permeate
Durchsetzt sein mit emphasizes that something is widespread throughout a text and is particularly suitable for disruptive elements. Gespickt sein mit focuses more on the large number of noticeable individual details and can also sound neutral or positive. With technical terms, either expression is possible, depending on the perspective.
spicken
Der Text ist mit vielen passenden Fachbegriffen gespickt.
The text is peppered with many appropriate technical terms.
durchsetzen
Der ganze Text ist mit schwer verständlichen Fachbegriffen durchsetzt.
The entire text is peppered with technical terms that are difficult to understand.
In real life
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