Typically Swiss: Explaining Bünzli to expats

Whether it be tales of not being able to flush your toilet after 10pm or getting fined for putting the wrong type of waste in your recycling bin, the Swiss have a reputation for being sticklers for the rules. Luckily the residents of the alpine nation are quite self-aware, having created their own special Swiss German word to describe the behaviour: Bünzli.

The meaning of Bünzli

While it is difficult to translate precisely, even for Swiss people, it is generally accepted that Bünzli describes a person who is very conformist and is always prepared to ask others to abide by the rules. Bünzli is often regarded by many people in Switzerland as being “really Swiss” - on-time, rule-abiding and perhaps even a little nit-picky. 

Like many German words without an English translation, it is best to describe some examples. The most famous one being that a true Bünzli would never complain if you made noise at 9.59pm, but as soon as the clock chimes for 10 they would be on the phone to the police.

Reddit users gave great examples of Bünzli

Writing in the appropriately named r / Bünzli subreddit, one user explained the word perfectly:  “We used to live right next to a pub. At 10pm sharp, my father would open a window to hear whether there was still any noise coming from the bar. If so, then he would always call the owner. This is a top-class Bünzli."

Another said that quite a few Bünzlis are stuck in the past, “take no chances and wear bell-bottoms, even though they have been out of style for at least 20 years.”

Origins of Bünzli

While also being a surname in Canton Zurich, why Bünzli means what it does in Swiss German is still a matter of debate. According to the Schweizerisches Idiotikon - the Swiss German dictionary - the word started to gain popularity as a way to mean a strict member of the bourgeoisie from the 19th century onwards.

Some have claimed that its meaning first formed through the work of famous Zurich writer Gottfried Keller’s 1856 novel Die drei gerechten Kammacher. The book features a character called Züs Bünzlin, who is said to be highly strung, orderly and thrifty. In the 1900s, the character of the Bünzli was also featured in several farces composed by Swiss actor Fredy Scheim. This is how the word came to mean someone who while strict, is a bit of a philistine.