LL-L "Etymology" 2007.10.09 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  09 October 2007 - Volume 06
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Arthur Jones <arthurobin2002 at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.10.09 (05) [E]

Liobotheis meineis ibnagaujeis,
I just knew that something would happen to wake me from my rest in the
Kyffaeuser Cavern. I cannot sleep without completing Ron's rustic attempt to
explain the ancient and sacred greeting that graces the soul of Hamburgers
everywhere.

Nor can we --any of us-- rest without rectifying the wrong that has been
done to the immortal Johann Wilhelm Bentz. We should begin by asking the
social scientist's question: What made him so angry? What made him "Hummel"?

There was, alas!  a fair maid behind it all ("Cherchez la Femme"). Our Bentz
fell deeply in love with a true Hamburger Deern who plied her trade in Sankt
Pauli's golden streets, under the *nom d'amour *of "Bumblebee", viz.,
"Hummel". So Bentz was smitten with her golden hair, her fair skin, her
caresses, and so he --Aquarian that he was-- bore her water and other
liquids.

Then, after exhausting all his money, his stock in trade --water-- and other
liquids, he became a mad, broken Obdachloser, wandering the streets
(especially Reeperbahn), muttering disconsolately to himself.

So it became a sport, a jest, among the Hamburg youth, to tease the poor
lost loving soul with taunts of "Bumblebee! Bumblebee!", to remind him, like
Marlene Dietrich in "The Blue Angel", of the cause of his downfall. The
ultimate torment.

Hummel Hummel!
Mors. Mors.
But our Ron is correct in recognizing the Hamburger as being "highly
refined, cultured and genteel". The coarser greeting is usually
"Schlappschwanz".

With fondest greetings from undisclosed locations, I remain

Arthur

arthur.jones at yahoo.com

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Etymology

Hello, dear Arthur!

I just knew that your return would come with a Schisslaweng ("flourish").
How could it not?

Your Spökenkieker ("spook-looker" = psychic) prowess is impressive, if not
uncanny, perhaps boosted by the Halloween season.

Low Saxon Hummel ("bumblebee") can indeed denote something like ... well, to
put it delicately ... 'slut' or 'whore'. But Hans did not get hung up on so
small a detail now, did he?

But our Ron is correct in recognizing the Hamburger as being "highly
refined, cultured and genteel".

Thank you for acknowledging and reaffirming this. Proof can be found
everywhere. There are many fine streets, such as Große Freiheit and
Herbertstraße, brimming over with gentility and entertainment of the utmost
of refined taste.

Several summers ago, while canoing on Lake Washington here in Seattle, I
came close to a sailboat that was flying the Hamburg flag (
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Flag_of_Hamburg.svg) and bore the name "Hamborger
Deern." I shouted "Hummel, Hummel!", promptly got "Mors, Mors!" back, and I
gilded the lily by shouting back (in Low Saxon) "Jo, dat kannst wull
seggen!" (something like "Yes, you might say that" or "How appropriate!").
You see, the guy was partly hanging out of the boat holding on to some rope,
and he was sporting shorts that in that position were of what you might call
the "plumber's low-cut" style. He looked at me blankly, but his female
companion gave me what looked like an understanding, if not appreciative
grin. Subtle, high-brow humor is never far away when Hamburgers encounter
each other in faraway place.

Mors, Mors!
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: For your edification the Low Saxon equivalents:
Obdachloser = Dacklosen (daklosen = "roofless (one)" = homeless (person))
Schlappschwanz = Slappsteert (slapsteyrt "floppy tail" = wimp)
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