Wessi
[ˈwɛsi]Meaning
informal German name for a citizen of West Germany before reunification
Background Story
Wessi is the informal German name that people in Germany call former citizens of West Germany before reunification. The paired term Ossi refers to former citizens of East Germany, and the two names are the subject of Ossi-Wessi jokes and clichés. Besserwessi, a pun on Besserwisser, indicates a Wessi who feels superior to Ossis, and Wossi describes West Germans who moved to the East after reunification.
