I love Germans

[Hermione]

German guide aims to bridge gulf between the sexes


BERLIN (Reuters) - A German handbook has set out to bridge the gulf between the sexes by explaining that what men say is not necessarily what they really mean.

The Langenscheidt publishing group, best known for its respected foreign language dictionaries, says tests have shown men utter about half as many words as women in a typical day so it is imperative they are understood.

When out shopping, "that doesn't suit you" means "it is too expensive", and "buy that one" means "I want to go home", said co-author Susanne Froehlich.

The guide's female authors hope they can help solve some couples' lack of communication -- the sixth most popular reason given for divorce in Germany.

They also list ten questions women should never ask men as men will not understand the logic -- including "would you still love me if I was fatter and uglier?", "why do you love me?", and "what are you thinking?".

Froehlich pre-empts accusations of sexism saying the book is light-hearted, that not all men display all listed traits, and that she herself is happily married.

Last year Langenscheidt published a male-authored guide to help men understand the subtext of phrases uttered by women.