September 5, 2025, 11:42 am | Read time: 5 minutes
The saying “Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt” (The dog goes crazy in the pan) is one that most people have used at some point. But what does it actually mean and where does it come from? PETBOOK takes a look at its history.
Did a Dog Really End Up in the Pan?
Don’t worry, this is just about a metaphorical dog that ended up in the pan. The origin of the saying is found in “Till Eulenspiegel,” the well-known late medieval work attributed to Hermann Bote, which was created around 1510. Bote himself was a city clerk and chronicler. The book was divided into 96 chapters called “Histories.” Its structure resembles a kind of biography of the famous German “Robin Hood” figure.
In the 45th history, Bote describes how Till Eulenspiegel came to Eibeck and started working for a brewer there. One day, Till Eulenspiegel was given a task by the brewer. While the brewer went to a festival, the protagonist was supposed to boil the hops for brewing beer.
To play a prank on his employer, Eulenspiegel decided to deliberately misunderstand his work assignment. This was convenient because the brewer owned a dog named Hopf. We recall Eulenspiegel’s task: “Boil the hops.”
What the Saying Conveys
By now, you probably have a sense of where the story is headed. Instead of adding the beer hops to the pot, he takes the little dog named Hopf. Eulenspiegel doesn’t think twice and promptly throws the wrong “Hopf” into the boiling water.
When the brewer returned and found out that his dog was no longer alive in the house, he became quite angry. Eulenspiegel claimed he was not at fault and emphasized that he had followed his instructions precisely, with attention to detail or rather literalness. Consequently, he was fired and had to leave the brewery immediately.
Although Till Eulenspiegel actually threw the dog into a pot rather than a pan, the saying has since found its way into the German language. It is often used to express the absurdity or craziness of a situation.1
Till Eulenspiegel – A Myth?
Whether Till Eulenspiegel really existed is one of the great historical mysteries. So far, there is no evidence that the trickster actually lived. According to some sources, he was born around 1300 in the Braunschweig region and caused mischief until his death in 1350. His stories took him far and wide—from Belgium to the Czech Republic. Most of his tales are set in the northern states of Germany.
To this day, he fascinates with his stories and brings a smile to the faces of young and old alike. There are numerous plays, films, and books about and featuring him. Some even learned about him in school during German lessons.
In the histories written by Hermann Bote 200 years later, Till Eulenspiegel is portrayed as a jester, a swindler, a rogue, and an occasional worker. Although his pranks often seem somewhat mean and sneaky, he is actually characterized by his clever thinking and cunning wit.
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In fact, his pranks and stories are even connected to a larger purpose. He is a kind of penniless Robin Hood: His amusing pranks are only felt by the particularly wealthy, such as the nobility, or the clergy—the church nobility. The aim is actually to criticize grievances and package them in a humorous way.2
Whether the dog that went crazy in the pan is also a metaphor can no longer be determined today. However, it certainly hasn’t hindered the success of the saying.
Fun Fact: The word Eulenspiegel comes from Low German and was formerly spelled “Ulenspeygel.” It is composed of the words “ulen” for “clean” and “spiegel,” which is used in hunting language and means something like “hindquarters.” Together, it forms a rather vulgar saying related to licking a hindquarters.3, 4
Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt – Saying or Proverb?
Next time you hear this saying, you’ll know where it comes from. But is it really a proverb or perhaps an idiom? The answer is quite clear: “It depends.” It would be a shame if the German language made it easy. And since we’re talking about dogs in pans and their origins, let’s also take a look at the terminology behind it.
Proverbs are fixed sentences: They are complete and stand alone. Idioms, on the other hand, are word groups that can be inserted into sentences. “Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt” is a hybrid.5
Examples:
Proverb: Julia says, “I won the lottery yesterday.” Romeo responds in astonishment, “Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt!”
Idiom: Julia says, “Ostriches find humans attractive? Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt, what a world!”
Whether the thing about ostriches is true, you can find out here: Studies prove that ostriches actually find humans attractive. And if ostriches start driving dogs crazy in pans—then it’s definitely time to pinch yourself.