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#33643 07/09/01 01:00 PM
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Once again AWADtalk shows its vitalilty by morphing a thread into something quite different and equally delightful.

When I first started learning German in 9th grade, we were taught the proverb, Wer A sagt muss auch B sagen -- Whoever says A must also say B. This was translated, In for a penny, in for a pound, which was singularly unhelpful if you didn't know about English money. I always thought it was a very cryptic expression.


#33644 07/09/01 01:12 PM
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muss auch B sagen

But isn't that a pun on besagen, Bob?


#33645 07/09/01 01:58 PM
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"But isn't that a pun on besagen, Bob?" Not much of a pun. The impression I have of the proverb is that if you start something, you have to finish it, or take the consequences.

to mean -- besagen
to prove -- besagen
to prove -- beweisen; erproben; besagen
to say -- besagen
to signify -- besagen


#33646 07/09/01 02:46 PM
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The pun is indeed achieved if besagen is understood to mean 'to imply'.


#33647 07/09/01 03:16 PM
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I remember some new math "A implies B" . But I still don't see the pun. Please spell it out.


#33648 07/09/01 04:03 PM
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Hey, Bill - give 'em a break - it's a German joke, after all! [runnink für mein life, leiblings]


#33649 07/09/01 04:12 PM
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Dear Mav: I'm just giving them a golden opportunity to demonstrate my inferior comprehension.
And the German-English draws a blank on "leibling". Presumably typo for "lieblings"? Or subtle coinage?


#33650 07/09/01 04:37 PM
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Dr Bill, you mean coinage as in "in for a penny, in for a pound"?
[ducking for cover emoticon]


#33651 07/09/01 04:51 PM
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Dear Marianna: I have learned to be on my guard with Mav. He sometimes hits below the belt in clinches.


#33652 07/09/01 04:59 PM
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I cannot tell a lei


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