Oh you green nine: origin and meaning

"Oh you green nine": examples

  • Oh green nine, what happened to our mayor? He has increased noticeably and looks very stressed. Is it because of the new debt package that the municipality had to borrow?
  • When Franz is on the phone with his grandmother, as he does once a week, she suddenly says: "Oh you green nine, I forgot my food on the stove. I have to go quickly to the kitchen and see if hops and malt are lost is. "
  • Oh you green nine, that was a catastrophic theater performance. First the main actor forgets his text several times and then the stage set is also defective. I hope we get the very expensive ticket for the piece replaced by the organizer. I would have preferred to use this time better.

"Oh you green nine": meaning

The phrase "oh you green nine" expresses amazement or even dismay. It is often used very spontaneously, in a moment of shock or surprise. It is therefore not an encouraging announcement.

"Oh you green nine": origin

The origin of the phrase "Oh you green nine" cannot be deduced perfectly. They exist several stories about how she found her way into language use.

One theory says that it was in the 19th century because of a place in Berlin could have arisen. The Berlin eatery had an address that could be reached via a green path and it was number 9 on the Blumenstrasse. In the restaurant it was always very high, so that the Expression as indignation was pronounced.

Other voices claim that the phrase "Oh you green nine" had existed long before. It is said to have originated at the fairs, where with Playing cards predicted the future has been. In German playing cards, the "nine of spades" is known as the "green nine". The card means nothing good at all, so that the expression could have been memorized as a call to fright.

Similar or related phrases:

  • Oh dear
  • All nine! (Direct hit)
  • Don't come on a green branch (find no agreement)
  • Green and yellow with envy (feel great envy)
  • Not being green (not understanding each other)

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