Named for the action of Hansel (and Gretel) from "Hansel and Gretel," the Grimms' fairy tale, as they dropped stones or bread, in turn, to mark their path through the forest.

Forms may include: Hanseling (or lower case, hanseling), a verb; to hansel, a verb; or Proper noun, Hansel (meaning one who drops carelessly in described manner, or any variation of such).

Hanseling is the term used when items, carelessly or purposely, are dropped (possibly in a meandering or careless path-like manner) as a man or boy walks; Greteling is the identical term when a woman or girl walks and drops items in similar manner.

So there is the male version: Hanseling. The female version: Greteling. Either caps or lowercase: Hanseling or hanseling; Greteling or greteling.

The term was initially used years ago when small boys would fail to stay put at meals, and would carry their meals or snacks around the house, haphazardly dropping crumbs or chunks of food in paths around the house.
The term not only includes eating and dropping crumbs, but can broadly include dropping any item (such as clothes, paper, trash, etc.), often in an unthinking or inconsiderate manner.

It can further include not wiping ones' feet at the door, and hanseling mud throughout the home. Etc.

Stop the messes Hansel! No more hanseling around the house eating handfuls of Fruity Pebbles!

Hanseling by Candycasa November 24, 2009

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Hansel

A Hansel is. Friend who is kind helpful and trust worthy , he can be mad sometimes but he is also nice and super chill ,

Hansel knows everything

Hansel by Emma Lin September 23, 2018

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Hansel

Hansel is a german name,Hansel is also a nice person and likes to gets a along with a lot people .Hansel has a lot of anger issues especially when people mess with him.Hansel has OCD which sometimes never pays attention to others and it also make do things that he doesn’t want to do.

Hansel is so nice

Hansel by Alex1332 May 27, 2020

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Hanselgruber

A VERY stereotypical german person, but not a nazi. Like, a brautwurst eating bavarian type motherfucker.

Man, that Otto from Malcolm in the middle was such a Hanselgruber.

Hanselgruber by Rickey Astley March 8, 2010

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fauxstalgia

Faux nostalgia. Faking old things in an attempt to recapture the feeling of times gone past, especially of technology that has passed.

Hipstamatic pictures, just like the vinyl-static added to digital recordings, is prime fauxstalgia

fauxstalgia by scotte61 December 16, 2010

Word of the Day on October 15, 2026

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pajama casual

Pajama casual is a term used when working from home and preparing for a video conference. All business above the waist and your pajama pants down below.

We have a Zoom meeting in a few minutes and I’ll probably go pajama casual.

pajama casual by jrod-knows March 31, 2020

Word of the Day on October 14, 2026