standard German for "I am a Berliner", meaning a person from Berlin. Mentioned in Len Deighton's 1983 novel Berlin Game, an urban legend has it that due to his use of the indefinite article , is translated as "jelly doughnut", and that the population of Berlin was amused by the supposed mistake. This is incorrect, insofar as when leaving out , the meaning only changes slightly (compare I am Berliner and I am a Berliner). The normal convention when stating a nationality or, for instance, saying one is from Berlin, would be to leave out the indefinite article . However, Kennedy used the indefinite article here correctly to emphasize his relation to Berlin. Additionally, the word is not used in Berlin to refer to the . These are simply called there and therefore no Berliner would mistake Berliner for a doughnut. Throughout the 1980s, the legend was spread even by reputable media like The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC and NBC. See also Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria List of doughnut varieties List of German desserts Pączki, traditional Polish pastries References Culture in Berlin Custard desserts German doughnuts German cuisine German pastries Carnival foods New England cuisine Portuguese cuisine Uruguayan desserts