Vorführeffekt - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From vorführen (“demonstrate”) +‎ Effekt.

  • IPA(key): [ˈfoːɐ̯fyːɐ̯ʔɛˌfɛkt]
  • Hyphenation: Vor‧führ‧ef‧fekt

Vorführeffekt m (strong, genitive Vorführeffektes or Vorführeffekts, plural Vorführeffekte)

  1. The phenomenon that a functionality, effect or issue suddenly fails to appear or work as planned when one tries to demonstrate it to others.

    • 2013, Konrad Zuse, Der Computer — Mein Lebenswerk, Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, page 204:

      Dem Erfinder Zuse kam dieses Glück gelegentlich zu Hilfe, wenn Geräte bei wichtigen Vorführungen wider Erwarten fehlerfrei liefen, und er bekennt freimütig, daß ihm dieser „inverse Vorführeffekt“ öfter geholfen habe.

      The inventor Zuse was occasionally helped by this good fortune when, contrary to expectations, devices ran without any errors during important demonstrations, and he freely admits that this "inverse demonstration effect" has often helped him.

    • 2018 July 18, Felix Dachsel, “Automechaniker: Detektiv im Motorraum”, in Die Zeit‎[1], number 30/2018, archived from the original on 19 July 2018:

      Das Auto gibt Rätsel auf, weil es immer nur dann Wasser verliert, wenn es gerade nicht in der Werkstatt steht, Vorführeffekt, als nehme es sich unter Beobachtung zusammen.

      People are scratching their heads over the car, because it only loses water when it isn't in the workshop, demonstration effect, as if it got a hold of itself whenever someone is watching.
  • The term is applied both to the sudden failure of something that was expected to work, and to the sudden disappearance of problems (e.g. with technology) that one wanted others to have a look at.

Declension of Vorführeffekt [masculine, strong]