kolossalische Skandal

[Helen Halva]

Here is a potential answer from my personal German-language 
consultant:   (There may be other takes on this as well)
Helen Halva




I do not know anything about Chekhov's "The man in a case", but 
"kolossalische Skandal" is not a correct German expression.
 From my (totally unprofessional) experience with German and 
neighbouring literature, I could imagine two possibilities
 
1) it is a Dutch phrase, either old-fashioned or contemporary
2) it could be a phrase used around 1900, but mocking the (grammatically 
correct) expression "kolossaler Skandal"
The word "kolossal" (meaning the same as "colossal") was used mainly in 
Berlin and surrounding areas at the beginning of the 20th century. 
Nowadays, it would be used in a non-serious context only.
It is possible that the expression "kolossalischer Skandal" in a book 
would be used by a lower-class (uneducated) person, who would have 
misconstructed the correct expression in a vain attempt to use a 
fashionable term. By making this mistake, the person's low level of 
education would have become obvious to everybody.


 


Wladimir Shatsev wrote:
> Dear
> Seelangers,
>
>
>  
>
>
> Does anyone
> know about the German or pseudo-German phrase  from Chekhov�s The Man in a Case?  �
>
>
> < �>����
> �� ����� �� ��������� kolossalische  
> Skandal�.
>
>
>  
>
>
> Do you think
> it can be a quotation or whatever? If this is a quotation where do you think it
> is from? Any suggestions about the origin of the phrase? How this could
> charcterize the person saying it?
>
>
>  
>
>
> I
> understand that  
> Dear
> Seelangers,
>
>
>  
>
>
> Does anyone
> know about the German or pseudo-German phrase  from Chekhov�s The Man in a Case?  �
>
>
> < �>����
> �� ����� �� ��������� kolossalische  
> Skandal�.
>
>
>  
>
>
> Do you think
> it can be a quotation or whatever? If this is a quotation where do you think it
> is from? Any suggestions about the origin of the phrase? How this could
> charcterize the person saying it?
>
>
>  
>
>
> I
> understand that  kolossalische   Skandal sounds not quite Grammatical.
> Is such an expression as kolossalle Skandal really exist ? 
>
>
>  
>
>
> Thank you in advance. 
>
>
> Regards, Vladimir Shatsev.
>
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Vladimir Shatsev
>  sounds not quite Grammatical.
> Is such an expression as kolossalle Skandal really exist ? 
>
>
>  
>
>
> Thank you in advance. 
>
>
> Regards, 
> Vladimir Shatsev.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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