Scheckenpost

"Schneckenpost" is a direct translation of the English term "snail mail," combining the German words Schnecke (snail) and Post (mail.). For those who may need their memory jogged, "snail mail" used to be called simply "mail." The standard version was called a "letter" and involved a pen or pencil, a sheet of paper, an envelope, and some stick-on currency known as a postage stamp. But with the advent of lightning-fast e-mail correspondence, regular mail got the distinguishing -- and belittling -- "snail" prefix. It may come as no surprise that the term "snail mail" originated in the US, where letters sometimes took as long as a week to reach their faraway recipients. A bit harder to understand is the term's popularity in Germany, where "Schneckenpost" usually arrives at its destination within 24 hours. That's one speedy snail.