10 words to know before partying in Germany

Ready to head out for a night on the town? First thing's first: You have to get off work. The Germans actually have a word for the act of ending a work day: Feierabend literally means "party evening." Even though not every workday culminates in a party (sadly), having a Feierabend is certainly a prerequisite for one - unless you're a professional DJ, of course.

After work, it's worth stopping at home first to freshen up. If you're planning a more upscale evening, it's best to "pretzel up" - that is, aufbrezeln. High heels and a touch of lipstick - or a clean shirt, at the very least. After all, you never know who you might meet later on.

When you're heading out with a group, it can be fun - and cheaper - to get a head start on the blood alcohol boost. Drinking before the party is called vorglühen - literally, pre-glowing. While German beer is beloved everywhere, it hasn't yet been known to make anyone ignite, but after a bottle or two on an empty stomach, you can start to feel like a star.

If you take your pre-party drink with you, it's called a Wegbier - a beer for the road. In Germany, it's legal to drink alcohol in public, as long as you behave yourself. That doesn't make it classy however.

Throughout Germany, weekday events known as "After-Job-Parties" have become a trend. What sounds like a retirement bash is actually a post-Feierabend shindig for 30- and 40-somethings without the pre-party aufbrezeln ritual. (Read the previous slides if you didn't understand that one.) A more apt term would have been "After Work Party."

If you're heading to a club - especially in a hip district of a big city like Berlin or Hamburg - you'll have to get past the bouncer first. Here he's called a Türsteher, or door stander - which doesn't sound quite as dangerous as the English version.

If your German friends tell you to drink your adult beverage auf ex, then you'd better be prepared for the consequences. The expression may come from Latin, but there's nothing academic about it. It simply means: Empty your glass in one go.

It's the moment between day and night, or between night and day - beginning and end all wrapped up in one word. Just before sunset comes twilight - or Dämmerung, like here in Frankfurt. That's when the party is just getting going. And if it's an exciting night, chances aren't bad that it will end during Dämmerung as well: Germans use the same word for dawn.

The time between twilight and dawn is when "night swarmers," as they're known, come out of their offices and homes and buzz through the trendiest bars, pubs and clubs in town. While local residents might curse them as a noisy plague, they're a welcome source of income for kiosk owners and taxi drivers.

If you wake up with a "cat" the next morning, we're not talking about furry felines. Kater is the German word for tomcat, but it also means "hangover." The origin of the word is twofold. While the chemical effects of alcohol can lead to feline-like moans, it may also stem from the Greek word for a cold, katarrh. But the day after, who cares what it's called - as long as aspirin is within reach!