{"id":5602,"date":"2014-09-29T08:30:05","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T08:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=5602"},"modified":"2017-11-16T11:10:39","modified_gmt":"2017-11-16T11:10:39","slug":"sayings-expressions-9-the-spanish-vitamin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/sayings-expressions-9-the-spanish-vitamin\/","title":{"rendered":"Sayings + Expressions 9 – The Spanish Vitamin"},"content":{"rendered":"

After some absence, I am back with a new Sayings + Expressions! This week – a Spanish vitamin\u2026 Does that make sense? Read on to find out\u2026<\/p>\n

Vitamin B(eziehungen)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin C(ontacts) <\/em>(good connections)<\/p>\n

As we all know, vitamin B is a very important vitamin that we need to survive. It regulates certain vital parts of our metabolism. In German everyday speech, this fact quickly transformed into Vitamin B<\/em>, where the B <\/em>stands for Beziehungen <\/em>(contacts\/relationships).<\/p>\n

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Vitamins (Image by Steven Depolo at Flickr.com under CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

Vitamin B is a widespread metaphor to express that someone got a job, for example, because of certain relationships. It may be seen as a euphemism, as it is not often seen as positive when you got a position just because of vitamin B<\/em>. Of course, it is very possible that somebody has the contacts and is qualified as well, but the importance of the vitamin cannot be denied. An example:<\/p>\n

Stefan hat den Job nur bekommen, weil der Chef ein guter Freund seines Vaters ist! Ohne Vitamin B h\u00e4tte ich ihn mit Sicherheit bekommen!<\/em><\/p>\n

Stefan only got the job because his father is good friends with the boss! Without vitamin C I would have got it for sure!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Das kommt mir Spanisch vor<\/strong><\/p>\n

That seems like Spanish to me (that’s Greek to me)<\/em><\/p>\n

As in English, das kommt mir Spanisch vor<\/em> means that something strange or fishy is going on. You don’t trust it. But why Spanish? And why Greek?<\/p>\n

In German, the association of Spanish with strange or fishy originates in the sixteenth century, at the time of King Charles V, who also was Charles I of Spain. Under his reign, Spanish Sitten<\/em> (customs) slowly entered German culture. They were still seen as alien and new. And, wary as people were, probably also as fishy.<\/p>\n

In English, Shakespeare started it in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar <\/em>from 1599. This is the passage:<\/p>\n

CASSIUS: Did Cicero say any thing?
\nCASCA: Ay, he spoke Greek.
\nCASSIUS: To what effect?
\nCASCA: Nay, an I tell you that, I’ll ne’er look you i’ the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part,\u00a0it was Greek to me<\/strong>. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Caesar’s images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And Shakespeare probably got it from the Romans: Graecum est, non legitur <\/em>(is it Greek, it cannot be read). In the Middle Ages, this was used as Monks got used to Latin, but less and less to Greek.<\/p>\n

To wrap up: it is important to have vitamin B<\/em>, as you want to get somewhere. Though, if you are not qualified, and only got the job through vitamin B<\/em>, then I can imagine: das kommt mir Spanisch vor!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Example:<\/p>\n

Peter ist gerade in China auf “Gesch\u00e4ftsreise”, aber das kommt mir Spanisch vor. Ich glaube, er macht sich einen sch\u00f6nen Urlaub!<\/em><\/p>\n

Peter is on a business trip in China right now, but that’s Greek to me. I think, he’s having a wonderful vacation!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

After some absence, I am back with a new Sayings + Expressions! This week – a Spanish vitamin\u2026 Does that make sense? Read on to find out\u2026 Vitamin B(eziehungen)\u00a0 Vitamin C(ontacts) (good connections) As we all know, vitamin B is a very important vitamin that we need to survive. It regulates certain vital parts of…<\/p>\n

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