Nigel - yes, it is a symbol similar to the tilde; it sometimes appears on website addresses, for some reason. Strange thing is, I have it on my keyboard, but when I type it, it comes out as : |

Wolfgang - apart from the word being used on the site I already quoted, it is also in a rap on www.hose94.de/schwalle "mit dem Piedel spielen". No time now, but I'll look up my Old High/Middle High German and Old Norse dictionaries to see where this originates from.

- jeanie