The German career site Karrierebibel advises against the sandwich method, in which criticism is placed between two pieces of praise. It warns that the criticism can be missed under so much icing. Der Boss redet keinen Klartext! Was er oder sie sagt ist immer nur Verpackung. The boss does not speak plainly. What he or she says is always just packaging. The site warns that managers who use the method become auf lange Sicht unglaubwürdig, not credible in the long run.
Excuse Me, I Am Not Convinced
On 8 February 2003, at the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer turned directly to the US defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. He said in English: Excuse me, I’m not convinced. The Defense Ministry’s history of the conference notes that the audience fell silent. Eight years later, Fischer used the line as the title of his memoir, „I am not convinced”. Der Irak-Krieg und die rot-grünen Jahre.
A Big Mouth and a Heart in the Right Place
Berlin’s official city website says: Die Hauptstädter sind bekannt für ihre freche Berliner Schnauze … People in the capital are known for their cheeky Berlin mouth. The page also says: Berliner nehmen kein Blatt vor den Mund, doch sagen sie es gerne auch mal durch die Blume. Berliners do not hold a leaf in front of their mouths, which means they say what they think. But they also like to say it through the flower, which means by a hint. A common saying describes the Berliner as a person who hat das Herz am rechten Fleck und eine große Schnauze, has the heart in the right place and a big mouth.
Pure Wine and the Flower
jemandem reinen Wein einschenken — to pour someone pure wine. Duden: to tell someone the full truth, even when it is unpleasant.
etwas durch die Blume sagen — to say something through the flower, to hint at it. Duden lists durch die Blume among the synonyms of andeutungsweise, by way of a hint, next to vage, unklar and verschwommen, vague, unclear and blurred.
unverblümt — without flowers, open and blunt
um den heißen Brei herumreden — to talk around the hot porridge, to avoid the point
schönreden — to talk something pretty, to gloss over it
No Beauty
Herbert Grönemeyer’s song Bochum comes from his 1984 album 4630 Bochum. It is a song of love for the city. It also states plainly that the city is not beautiful and that it is grey from work. Since 1992 the song has been played before every kickoff at VfL Bochum.
Criticizing the Work
Section 193 of the Criminal Code covers tadelnde Urteile über wissenschaftliche, künstlerische oder gewerbliche Leistungen, critical judgments about scientific, artistic or commercial work. It also covers Vorhaltungen und Rügen der Vorgesetzten gegen ihre Untergebenen, reproaches and reprimands by superiors to their subordinates. Such statements are punishable as an insult only if the form of the statement or the circumstances show an insult. So a manager who tells an employee plainly that the work is poor is, as a rule, not punishable for insult, unless the form or the circumstances of the remark make it insulting.
Schmidt the Snout
In the 1950s Helmut Schmidt was a young Social Democrat member of the Bundestag. His sharp-tongued speeches soon earned him the nickname Schmidt-Schnauze, Schmidt the Snout. Schnauze is an animal’s muzzle, and in everyday speech a big mouth. As an expert on transport and defense, he fought fierce debates above all with Franz Josef Strauß. Schmidt later became federal chancellor.
Lessing Against Gottsched
In 1759 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing published the 17th of his Briefe, die neueste Litteratur betreffend, letters concerning the newest literature. In it he attacked Johann Christoph Gottsched, who had led the reform of the German theater. Lessing wrote: Es wäre zu wünschen, dass sich Herr Gottsched niemals mit dem Theater vermengt hätte. It would have been better if Mr. Gottsched had never involved himself with the theater.
The Dance Judge
Joachim Llambi has been a judge on the RTL dance show Let’s Dance since 2006. He also judges professional and amateur dancesport. In 2014 he published a book subtitled Mut zur ehrlichen Kritik, courage for honest criticism. In 2025 he said: “Ich will bei ‹Let’s Dance› stets ein ehrliches, klares Urteil geben.” I always want to give an honest, clear verdict on Let’s Dance. It annoys him, he added, when criticism becomes insulting for no reason. He looks at timing, footwork, body lines and the work with the partner. “Wir bewerten das, was wir sehen”, he said. We judge what we see.
The Trainee Nurse and the Chancellor
On 11 September 2017, in the ARD program Wahlarena, citizens questioned Chancellor Angela Merkel. Alexander Jorde, a 21-year-old nursing trainee from Hildesheim, told her that the dignity of patients was violated thousands of times every day. He said that there were shifts with 20 patients for one nurse. Sie sind seit zwölf Jahren an der Regierung und haben in meinen Augen nicht viel für die Pflege getan. You have been in government for twelve years and, in my view, have not done much for nursing care. Merkel acknowledged einen riesigen Personalmangel, a huge shortage of staff. Jorde was praised on social media for his persistent questions.