Sauregurkenzeit

[trekkiedane]

Sauergurkenzeit is a German expression for this quiet period in the midst of summer where nothing really happens.

Danish: Agurketid.

French: Morte-saison or période creuse.

Italian (Tuscany): Stagione dei cipolloni.

Portuguese: Ranicula.

Russian: Satisje (probably spelled with their own letters though)

Spanish: La época de la serpiente de mar.

Swedish: Rötmånad.
​

When politicians (and everyone else, of course) go off on their holidays, the media has a hard time finding things to report. This results in 'news-items' not really being news.

One such 'non-news' item could be reporting what other media reports.

I had not noticed the beginning of the season (or should I rather call it 'the end of the news-season'?) before I saw Danish media reporting on a small segment on CNN: Copenhagenisation.




What made you notice the start of the Sauergurkenzeit?

 

[{ Emilia }]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Anthony Weiner

 

[SmoothieX]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Unfortunately us folks in the US don't get the summer off...

 

[trekkiedane]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Unfortunately us folks in the US don't get the summer off...

Sounds like { Emilia } is on to something though...

 

[Goliath]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Sauergurkenzeit is a German expression for this quiet period in the midst of summer where nothing really happens.

In English, it's often referred to as "the Silly Season."

What made you notice the start of the Sauergurkenzeit?

I'd have to say it was RevdKathy's link to a story about zombies invading Leicester, England.

The best part of that story was the local government responding to an FOI request by admitting they had no specific contingency plans for dealing with a zombie apocalypse.

 

[SPCTRE]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Sauergurkenzeit is a German expression for this quiet period in the midst of summer where nothing really happens.

Nobody uses that, that's actually kind of an obscure term.

Sommerloch is more common in the context of mass media.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Sauergurkenzeit is a German expression for this quiet period in the midst of summer where nothing really happens.

Nobody uses that, that's actually kind of an obscure term.

Sommerloch is more common in the context of mass media.

Yeah, and actually the spelling is Sauregurkenzeit.

Sommerloch (summer hole) is much more common, though.

 

[Jadzia]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

I'd have to say it was RevdKathy's link to a story about zombies invading Leicester, England.

The best part of that story was the local government responding to an FOI request by admitting they had no specific contingency plans for dealing with a zombie apocalypse.

No specific plan, for all legal purposes zombies wouldn't be recognised citizens, so they'd probably become the responsibility of the immigration department. And since there's nowhere to deport them to, they'd have to be granted asylum.

 

[trekkiedane]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

Sauergurkenzeit is a German expression for this quiet period in the midst of summer where nothing really happens.

Nobody uses that, that's actually kind of an obscure term.

Sommerloch is more common in the context of mass media.

Yeah, and actually the spelling is Sauregurkenzeit.

Sommerloch (summer hole) is much more common, though.

I was going towards something about the origin of the term when I started writing -but that spello (can't realy call it a typo ) might explain why I couldn't find anything about it anywhere

 

[iguana_tonante]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

I've never head of the "stagione dei cipolloni" (literally, "season of the big onions"), but I don't live in the Tuscany region, so it might me just that. However, I found no instances of that in any of my Italian dictionaries, and a quick google search found only reference to the original Danish article.

So my guess is that it's a mistranslation of something, or they just made it up.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

In the U.S. this is called "reality TV season." Seriously though, I've never heard of an actual term for it. Everyone knows that summer has more down time than other seasons (not necessarily time off work, but more time on vacations, outside, no school, barbecues, camping, nothing on TV), but I haven't heard a particular phrase or word for it. Since I'm not working right now and I've finished all of my schooling, the biggest difference for me now has been the lack of anything good on TV. This past month has been the worst because the regular shows have ended their seasons and even the crappy new summer shows haven't started up yet.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

In the UK it's called Silly Season

 

[trekkiedane]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

I've never head of the "stagione dei cipolloni" (literally, "season of the big onions"), but I don't live in the Tuscany region, so it might me just that. However, I found no instances of that in any of my Italian dictionaries, and a quick google search found only reference to the original Danish article.

So my guess is that it's a mistranslation of something, or they just made it up.

Well, it's written by someone who's professionally engaged with language -my guess would be that it's an obscure expression (in that dialect) -possibly as unused today as the one I used for a title.

The article also mentions that it could be month/months of the big onions. I only chose the one I posted because it wasn't limited to a month... (Should've used the other Swedish expression, dödsäsong, then I suppose)

 

[Omnius]

In the Netherlands we call it cucumber time. Which was kinda funny with the EHEC panic and all...

 

[scotpens]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

In the U.S. this is called "reality TV season." Seriously though, I've never heard of an actual term for it. Everyone knows that summer has more down time than other seasons (not necessarily time off work, but more time on vacations, outside, no school, barbecues, camping, nothing on TV), but I haven't heard a particular phrase or word for it.

I believe the nearest English term is "dog days." You know, like in that movie with Al Pacino.

 

[trekkiedane]

Re: Sauergurkenzeit

In the Netherlands we call it cucumber time.

Same as in Danish.

I believe the nearest English term is "dog days."

This also is the translation of the Portuguese term.

 

[Avon]

i name this phenomenon: 'Temporal Pillowing'

 

[Amaris]

In the US we call it "what the hell are you talking about? Our shit's always this stupid."