If we don’t have a word for something in English, chances are good there’s a word for it in German. Case in point: “zeitgeist,” which refers to a particular mood or the characteristics of a certain era. In German, “zeit” means “time,” and “geist” is “spirit.” Flapper dresses, for example, were part of the 1920s zeitgeist. Hippie bell bottoms bring to mind the 1960s, and hoop skirts place a woman in the mid-19th century. Articles of clothing can quickly identify a period of time, but other things, such as music, political ideas, and cultural philosophies, also define the zeitgeist of a generation.