Kamerad Schnürschuh

German

Etymology

Literally, "comrade lace-up shoe". In World War I, the soldiers of the German Empire had laceless boots (similar to wellies or riding boots), while the Austrians wore lace-up boots.

Noun

Kamerad Schnürschuh m (weak, genitive Kameraden Schnürschuh, plural Kameraden Schnürschuh)

1. (military, historical, humorous) an Austrian soldier as an ally of Germany in World War I
2. (loosely also) an Austrian in the pan-German Wehrmacht of World War II, or any Austrian from a German perspective
3. (humorous, rare) someone who wears lace-up shoes