December 20, 2001
From the desk of Mindles H. Dreck:I am a donut
This picture of a Euro protester dressed as Satan, on a bicycle, dragging a sign sayin "Ich bin ein Euro" reminded me of the famous Kennedy speech.
I only know a bit of German. Enough, however, to understand that the use of articles can make a significant difference in meaning. In fact the same is true here, as I'll demonstrate. My understanding (courtesy of several people, most recently Eddie Izzard) is that ein Berliner is a pastry. The use of the article ein ("a"or "one") makes it so, vs. the article-less Berliner meaning "person from Berlin". Imagine for a moment the difference between "I am Danish" and "I am a Danish".
So, Izzard insists, Ich bin ein Berliner means "I am a donut". Izard goes on to give thanks that Kennedy didn't go to Frankfurt and Hamburg on that famous trip or he would have likened himself to the entire American Diet: "I am a hamburger, a frankfurter and a donut."
However, learned sources say this is "the gaffe that never was". Too bad, because it is a beaut.
So my question is - what are the overtones of Ich bin ein Euro, if any? Thomas, are you there?
Posted by Mindles H. Dreck at December 20, 2001 09:06 AM | Technorati inbound links