I had to look this word up. In German it seems to carry the meaning "girl" also (besides the more common "(Tiroler)dress"). This would make a great name for a daughter of mine. Next: look up the pronounciation.

spelling

Dens, please don't call any daughter of yours 'Dirndl' !
It's like calling her 'Skirt'. Although 'Skirt Powells' sounds nice, think of what might happen to her in primary school, i.e. in America or England or in any English speaking classroom.
And 'Dirndl Powells' really sounds like scratching your fingernail on a blackboard.
For the pronunciation of words see:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dirndl

Compared to the American champion I am a real third grader.
(The American champion could be a third grader)

Arnon, who were the more or less famous authors?
Did you participate?

For all those on this blog who would like to improve their spelling:
http://www.timesspellingbee.co.uk/

Mr. Hesper

Arnon was one of the less famous authors. It is America we are talking about.

dens

i don't know where in germany dirndl should mean girl...
it's a traditional dress espacially worn in bavaria. i worked in a dirndl in baden-wuerttemberg. it used to be quite oldfashioned but it got kind of hip the last years. some women look really good, even sexy in a dirndl.

arnon

do you like women in dirndls?
you met some when you worked as a "zimmermaedchen", right?

Ms. Dutoit

So he did participate?
Yes, it's America, but still, AG is world famous in The Netherlands, isn't he?
That's why I asked the question: Who were these writers?
Old or young, any I might have read? I need names.

Dutoit/Hesper

I was not a contestant. I was an attentive member of the audience.

Mr Grunberg

What was the most difficult word to spell?
Do you remember?

beata b.

I don't know where dirndl would mean girl.. Van Dale 2008, a dictionary, told me so.
As a proof, I included the picture.
http://i33.tinypic.com/2j0jqdj.png

I loved to dress in a dirndl when I was young. And I find men in "Lederhose" very attractive.

Bert Hesper

The combination of world famous and writer almost sounds like a contradiction in terms to me. Most people don't read and have no idea who Coetzee is, or Ph. Roth or Pamuk, etc. . The fame of lesser gods -like Arnon- is all very relative.

Picture.

The girl with the short hair should go on a diet.

Hamster weeks at AG

http://www.marktplaats.nl/index.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fboeken.marktplaats.nl%2Fliteratuur%2F291629815-arnon-grunberg-printer-massageset-dvd-gesigneerd.html

Dirndl can be the dress and in Soutern Bavaria also the girl in the dress. This is my favorite dirndl in a dirndl:

http://tinyurl.com/yjgawxm

Sander

That night she was raped by 7 different youngsters.

Dens

Then it's a good thing she doesn't remember...

beata

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirndl

Beata

I love dirndls.

Bert

I don't dare to mention that word. Forgive me. Let me say this: it starts with a "c", it sounds like carrot and it's often used in copyediting.

juliane

wie immer grossartig recherchiert!
haettest du als norddeutsche gewusst, dass man ein junges maedel in bayern dirndl nennt?
ich als mitteldeutsche nicht!
gruesse

Arnon

Do you mean the dress, the girl or both?

Beata

In Dutch we know the word 'deerne'. That clearly speeks about the girl.

beata

Since my grandfather uses the Low German expression "mien deern" from time to time it's probably easier for me to see that both words are related.