Trompetensprache is a New German word that one of my favorite columnists, Florian Harms, propagated. According to him, this language is used if something
uncommonly changes our everyday life profoundly.
Yesterday, Monday, was a highlight of the trumpet language. The onset of winter was hyped up as a "snow catastrophe," having the whole of Germany "firmly in its grip."
This time the weather cut the country into North and South. A cold front
from the Pole met with warm dust from the Sahara over Germany, causing lots
of precipitation as freezing rain or snow.
Looking like nickel-and-dime stuff to my blizzard-accustomed friends in New York and Wisconsin |
There was "chaos on the highways," "chaos in train traffic," and possibly also chaos in the heads of some reporters when they headlined "Snow! Snow! Snow!" followed by a disappointing trumpeting "... so far only fender benders and car body damage".
Given the media excitement surrounding the weather, one might think we were the first bipeds to have a few flakes fall on our heads. Wasn't there such a thing as snow ten, twenty, or thirty years ago? As one experienced journalist said, "We should report in detail on the weather situation, but keep our language moderate. "
"Grandpa, were there past weather disasters with snow and ice and icy roads? " "We called it winter. "©Mario Lars |
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