Gassi gehen.

What does this even mean??

“Gassi gehen” is a German expression, its colloquial meaning is ‘to walk a dog outside.’ It usually describes a dog having to go outside to relieve itself and a human joining the dog, often combined with a short walk.

Opinions about the origin of the phrase are divided. Some say it is derived from “Gasse” meaning ‘alley’ (going to an alley so the dog can relief itself).

Others believe it is an abbreviation from “gassatine gehen” which is derived from Latin “grassari ,” meaning to hang out.

No matter what caused this German phrase to become a common expression in German-speaking countries, the question is: Why doesn’t such a phrase exist in the English vocabulary?

The English equivalent would be ‘to go for a walk with the dog’ or simply ‘to go for a walk,’ but there is a difference to go for a stroll and to have your dog accompany you, or to take your dog outside so they can use the bathroom. Do we need a change?

The German version could simply be borrowed as a loanword (jut as it has been done with words such as ‘Doppelgänger’ or ‘Zeitgeist’) and the expression could stay as “Gassi gehen.”

Or, would a translation be a better option? How would that look like? Alley walking? Doggo hangout?

In the end – while this is an interesting subject – it doesn’t matter how we label it, as long as we make sure our furry family member is able to ‘go.’

Source: Wiktionary