Wednesday, July 19, 2017

German Sayings


It's time for another instalment of my proverb series. Here's a nice German saying that I really like: "My name is rabbit."

Now, what would you think this signifies?

It's an allusion to a young lawyer born 1834 who did some illegal stuff and later denied knowing anything about it. His name was "Hase", i.e. rabbit. His official letter "My name is rabbit, I know about nothing" became a well-known saying that is still being used today. You spread your hands, you look innocent, and you say with a shrug, "My name is rabbit".

That the background story . . . and I always thought it's because rabbits look so innocent!


Do you have a similar expression in English? "I'm innocent" would be the straightforward translation, but that's a bit bland. Do you know something a bit more colorful?


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Beate Boeker
www.happybooks.de
Mischief & Humor from Page 1

1 comment:

  1. Hi Beate, I've spent a lot of time in Germany and even hosted a German exchange student for a year. However, I've never come across that saying. Fun, and thanks for sharing.

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