growstuff
Josieann
I'm sure someone German can help JackyB?? here, but if you break Schade and Freude you do get shame and joy, a bit like an oxymoron. The shame bit means almost damage and suffering and you get it a lot in German literature, all very dark.
But I agree with Peasblossom that in this context it means that something comes back to bite you on the bum!
It's actually Schaden + Freude. Schaden means damage or harm, not shame. The German for shame is Schande, which has a different etymology.
Got it!
So in other words we enjoy the damage our fellow human being is suffering like I said above, (more than our own pleasure). I've added this last observation here because often people would rather see an opponent fall flat on her face, than actually succeed themselves, say in business or sport. So if in Bake Off a competitor's cake falls on the floor another contestant might feel joy! [grin}
So when Germans say, "wie Schade" does that not mean what a shame? Both truthfully and sarcastically?
What a shame LF is ill, NOT.