Schlendrian

Germans are famous for their industriousness and efficiency. Still, the language has a word for the very opposite, too. Maybe you are tired and it's hot out; maybe you don't care about the job you are supposed to do; you are careless, ineffective, and clearly unmotivated. You've fallen back into bad habits - into the old "Schlendrian." A disatisfied employer might exclaim: "Schlendrian has crept into this work." The word possibly derives from the verb "schlendern," which describes a slow saunter, and the noun "jan," Middle High German for work.