German word of the day: Geheimratsecken

Search for this German word online and you'll probably find yourself taken to articles featuring celebrities like Jude Law and David Beckham. But why?

Rather than symbolising loss, the German term for a receding hairline conjures ideas of wisdom, experience and the sort of sage advice once offered by trusted political counsellors.

Geheimratsecken is the everyday German term for a hairline which is receding at the temples, the classic M-shaped pattern that often develops over time. It’s a feminine compound noun made up of Geheimrat ("Privy Councillor" or "Secret Councillor") and Ecken ("corners"). The ‘s’ is there to link the two words.

Literally, the word means "privy councillor corners". In practice, it’s almost always used in the plural, die Geheimratsecken, on the basis that most people have two temples rather than one.

Geheimratsecken is often paired with the verbs haben (“to have”) and kaschieren (to conceal).

Generally, any word which turns a perceived flaw into a compliment should be worth celebrating.

Historically, a Geheimer Rat was a senior adviser to a king, prince or government. These men were typically older, highly educated and politically influential. As a result, their receding hairlines became associated with hard-won wisdom, status and intellectual authority rather than loss or decline.

In other words, Geheimratsecken suggests that your hair isn't disappearing. It's being exchanged for gravitas.

The term also offers a glimpse into regional varieties of German. In Austria, you may hear Hofratsecken , referring to a Hofrat ("court councillor"). In parts of Switzerland, Ratsherrenecken performs a similar function.

Another, tongue-in-cheek term for a receding hairline in German is Ehestandswinkel or “matrimonial angles”, a word which attempts to imply a connection between marriage and hair loss.

He has a pronounced receding hairline but wears it with pride.

Sie sagt, dass Geheimratsecken oft sehr charaktervoll aussehen.

She says that a receding hairline often looks very distinctive.

Er versucht, seine Geheimratsecken mit einer neuen Frisur zu kaschieren.

He is trying to conceal his receding hairline with a new hairstyle.

Mach dir keine Sorgen, ein paar Geheimratsecken stehen dir eigentlich ganz gut.

Don't worry, a slightly receding hairline actually suits you quite well.