In German, the word "doppelgänger" means "double gang."

Or, more literally, "four's a crowd."

It is a concept without a direct analogue in English, although there are a few limericks in the canon that come close.

A little explanation: German is a languid, silky tongue, one layered through and through with the sultry perfumes of seduction. It is rich and gentle and nuanced, indeed, and to speak it is to stir desires one may not wish stirred. To be blunt, it is very difficult to keep one's trousers on when one is speaking German.

This is how the word "doppelgänger" came to be. To put four German-speakers together is, more often than not, to invite an unseemly round of pairings-off. And while that sort of thing can prove quite gratifying in the short term, it contributes little to the overall health of the economy.

Now, this is a sensitive issue, and discussing it without descending into childish bouts of snickering can prove challenging, even for scientists. But we're all grownups here at strongsmell.com.