kolossalische Skandal

[Peter Houtzagers]

There is nothing Dutch about "kolossalische Skandal". My Duden lists 
"kolossalisch" as a synonym of "kolossal", qualifying it as "gehoben". 
The only "strange" thing is the lacking final -r, which is no problem if 
the adjective is preceded by a definite article. Why shouldn't it just 
be German?

Peter Houtzagers

>
> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Express yourself with free Messenger emoticons. Get them today!
>> http://g.msn.ca/ca55/207
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>>   options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>>                     http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>
>>   
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------