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Comment by chki | Hacker News Reader

Interesting. I have heard about this famous speech many times but I have never made the connection to the pastry "Berliner" (or heard anyone mention this association).

Also, as a native German speaker, saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" is not unusual if you are talking about being a citizen of Berlin.

I don't think that was a common association at the time as well. Especially since (pastry) "Berliners" are not called "Berliners" in Berlin but "Pfannkuchen" instead.

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It's just an urban legend. Most people don't speak German so you can tell them anything you want :-).

Speaking of which, good thing Kennedy never visited Hamburg.

Well, you're in luck, he did visit Frankfurt.

And Wien... (Vienna)

Oh, if he’d only made it to Denmark, it’d be deliciously confusing.

Or Frankfurt!

I suppose that raises the question, if people from Berlin do indeed call themselves Berliners - do people from Hamburg call themselves Hamburgers? (genuine question)

I don't see why not. Hamburger means "of Hamburg". If you're thinking about the food item, it isn't a funny coincidence or anything, its name is derived from Hamburg.

I'm not German nor a linguist, YMMV.

Yes.

Compare "Danish" as an American term for a Viennese pastry, "he's Danish" doesn't sound odd.

We don't generally abbreviate foods named after places, but:

"Cheddar is 200 miles from both Sandwich and Stilton."

These are all places in England.

Yes. Hence also the names Frankfurter and Wiener (Wien is Vienna, in German).

Berliner and Pfannkuchen are very different pastries (at least in the Northwest of Germany). Pfannkuchen literally implies it is made in a pan, whereas a Berliner is typically deep fried. It often has a fruit jelly filling, but you will also find those without a filling.

I agree that no native speaker would think of the pastry when hearing "Ich bin ein Berliner." Just like I wouldn't think of a sausage if someone were to say "Ich bin ein Frankfurter."

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