Happy Pi Approximation Day

While we all learned about Pi in school, did you know it has a quirky connection in an everyday German phrase?

In German, there’s a saying: “Pi mal Daumen,” which literally translates to “pi times thumb.” It means “roughly,” “about,” “approximately,” or “at a rough guess.”

This phrase harks back to times when people used their fingers for calculations, even using thumbs to estimate distances. (Have you ever tried to estimate a distance with your outstretched hand?)

Here’s the funny part: for years, I completely misunderstood the meaning. I used to confidently say “Prima Daumen,” not really giving the phrase much thought. I just assumed it was the correct phrase.

My husband couldn’t stop laughing when he finally realised my mistake (after all those years!) and corrected me.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Had no one heard me misuse the phrase before? I felt embarrassed but also saw the humour in the situation.

Have you ever completely misunderstood a phrase and used it for ages? I’d love to hear your funny language mix-ups.