ENGLISH
REFERENCE

German goiter

idiom
Meaning

A protruding stomach, especially one supposed to be indicative of excessive consumption of beer.


Origin

disputed origin

From German + goiter, from the stereotype that Germans drink a lot of beer, and from the similarity of a protruding stomach to a protruding goiter.

Examples
SIMPLE

He developed a German goiter after drinking too much beer.

CONTEXTUAL

After years of visiting the local pub every night, he found he could no longer hide his growing German goiter.

COMPLEX

The older gentleman patted his prominent German goiter, a physical testament to decades of enthusiastic indulgence in the local brewery's finest offerings.

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Last updated April 17, 2026