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March 2000

Green Piece

A discussion on colorful language

With St. Patrick’s day upon us, it seems fitting to honor Ireland’s patron saint with a wee bit o’ the wearing o’ the “green” — linguistically, of course. The word green (grün in German) in any language, after all, is used in many more contexts than a mere reference to color. The Emerald Isle — die Grüne Insel (the green island) — has certainly provided us with colorful tales of leprechauns, shamrocks and pots o’ gold. But you won’t need the luck of the Irish to spot some equally entertaining expressions in the German language. The Irish-sounding “jemanden/etwas über den grünen Klee loben” (to praise someone/something over the green clover), for example, means to praise someone or something excessively. “Ach, du grüne Neune!” (oh, you green nine!), on the other hand, is typically shouted or cried out when one is surprised by something. A good example would be if an overly animated friend just knocked over your newly poured pint of Guinness! A drive into the countryside is “ins Grüne fahren” (driving into the green). “Grünfläche” refers, generally, to green spaces or areas with grass and trees. The idiom “die grünen Lungen der Grossstadt” (the green lungs of the big city), however, refers to the breathing spaces of a big city — like New York’s Central Park or the English Garden in Munich. If someone mentions the phrase “auf der grünen Wiese” (on the green meadow), this is not a grassy city oasis, like the one behind the Neues Rathaus. It means, instead, areas outside a city that are still undeveloped. “Es ist alles im grünen Bereich” (it is all in the green area) means that a situation is under control. When someone has a knack for plant growing, we say they have a “green thumb” which is the same in German “einen grünen Daumen haben.” Both languages describe someone who’s nauseous as “grün im Gesicht sein,” or appearing a bit green around the gills. In the office, you might hear the English equivalent phrase “grünes Licht geben/haben” (to give/have a green light). Another useful expression, “auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen” (to come upon no green branch), means something, for instance a business, is getting nowhere. Getting somewhere without the continuous frustration of stop-and-go traffic is what is meant by the term “grüne Welle” (green wave) — a colorful way of referring to phased traffic lights. A “grüne Hochzeit” (green wedding) is one’s wedding day. But don’t let that mislead you when you hear someone described as a “grüne Witwe.” This is a lonely suburban homemaker, who, like a widow, does nearly everything alone because her husband works in the city. “Ein grüner Junge” (a green boy) might conjure up thoughts of those mysterious Irish leprechauns, but it’s actually a greenhorn, someone who’s a novice or a newcomer. The alternative, and more amusing, “Grünschnabel” (green beak) means the same thing. Finally, even well-versed German speakers might get the jitters from the peculiar-sounding request “komm an meine grüne Seite” (come to my green side). “Hmmm,” you’re thinking, “Body paint? An ecology freak, maybe? A half Martian? Or (gulp!) worse!” Relax. It’s merely a verbal invitation, meaning “come and sit close to me” — a good saying to use the next time you’re in an Irish pub! <<<

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