LL-L "Travels" 2010.08.07 (03) [EN]

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*L O W L A N D S - L - 07 August 2010 - Volume 03
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From: M.-L. Lessing <marless at gmx.de>

Subject: LL-L "Travels" 2010.08.06 (11) [EN]



Dear Luc,



I think the "Frühaufsteher" on the billboard Paul saw were meant somewhat in
an abstract sense. Otherwise it would be no good to mention such a local
peculiarity (if it really be one there), there might be many more which
could be funnier or more worth mentioning. In Germany to rise early is
somehow connected with smartness, at least idiomatically. If you try to play
a trick on me and I find you out on it, I might say to you: "Ha, you wanted
to trick me?! *Da musst du aber früher aufstehen*!" Which means, you should
think sharper or just trick me more deftly. There also is a saying "Der
frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm" ("The early bird catches the worm"). Now I think
with that billboard they just wanted to underline the intelligence of their
people. It's just another way of saying "Wir können alles außer
Hochdeutsch", which has, in Schwaben, a clearly economical accent. Every
german Land tries to say "Invest here, we are clever and work hard!".



To re-install the confusion we are used to in languages (and the absence of
which might make us quite confused :-)), there is another saying in German
wich seems to contradict the rise-early-thing: you say "Das ist ein
ausgeschlafener Junge", when you mean somebody has his wits about him or is
really clever. You can also say "Das ist ein aufgeweckter Junge." So now,
when I myself am *ausgeschlafen*, it is usually 11 a.m. So an early riser
can not be clever in *this *sense, hm? But when i get wakened up (*
aufgeweckt*), I cannot be *ausgeschlafen*, for when you sleep out you wake
up by yourself. It is all a mess, and my conclusion is: Be as clever as you
can and rise whenever you want! ;-)



Hartlich



Marlou (an owl of owls...)



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