This blog (or radio station for the hearing impaired) is one one the heaviest users of pa(ren)thetic expressions we know.
In part, that's because we don't know much else.
We use both the curved marks () and the variants amplification, interlude, and digression as defined by Merriam Webster. To make matters worse, we use brackets [ ] - a special type of curve - as well as the dash symbol.
A request: we are aware of the variants of dashes and have suffered from dashing editors. Please do not dash our hopes for only nice posting comments.
In return for our readers refraining from explaining subtle parenthetical differences, we promise not to explore whether the K-Landnews has been the force behind the return of the parenthesis in German public speech.*
The return is visible in the media but above all on big billboards by the side of the roads.
An example:
The billboard shows a grey haired woman above the line
50plus (un)willig zu lernen**
The translation would be: 50plus (un)willing to learn
The particle "un" is rendered in grey and has an overlaid red x. The rest of the text is white.
What's wrong with the billboard?
1. The grey hair. Few women over 50 in Germany sport grey hair. Same reasons as everywhere.
2. The "un", despite the overlaid red x. Yes, we can see the good intention, stamping out prejudice. We would simply like a more optimistic version. Psychologically, making the x-ed "un" stand out as on this billboard may not be a great idea.
But the parenthesis around (un) are funny. Yes, funny.
Because the 50plus workers are indeed the parenthetical generation of the workforce.
* Not our fault or idea.
** We could not find an image, and you must not do a web image search with this string "50+ willig anzeige". Don't!
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