Wave the fence post

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Wink with the fence post is a proverbial expression that is used to describe the overly clear, rough or clumsy indication of a situation. This is based on the pictorial idea that a fence post is so big that the waving with it cannot be overlooked.

In this form, the phrase is only documented from the 19th century. The idioms “wave with the lamppost” or “wave with the barn door” are used in a similar way.

Story of the proverb

It can be assumed that the "waving" was originally meant ironically, because two similar expressions from the Middle Ages, but with stones or rods, are used. In Willehalm Wolframs von Eschenbach , a work from the first third of the 13th century (90, 8), it says: “With eime steine ​​sol iu be waved” (“With a stone you should be waved”) and in Willehalm von Orlens Ulrichs von Türheim , the continuation of the first mentioned from the middle of the 13th century (244b): “Im wirt winket mit der rod” (“He is waved with the rod ”). Rather, the aspect emphasized here is that someone is threatened with a beating with a stone or a rod.

Even today there is still the saying in Saxon "The hot mer waved with a fence stick" , which means "he threatened me with blows".

"Waving with the lamp post"

Somewhat coarser than waving with the fence post is the saying “ waving with the lamppost” , which only appeared in the second half of the 18th century with the introduction of street lighting . In Upper Saxon, for example, the innkeepers said to guests who did not want to leave the restaurant: "The lantern is on" .

In an exchange of letters between Adelbert von Chamisso and Helmine von Rogge, the sentence "The Staël ... beckons me flatteringly with a lamppost" is passed down.

"Waving at the barn door"

In Bavarian the phrase "waving with the barn door" is common. Here the hint again refers to the size of a barn door, which under no circumstances can be overlooked. In Westphalia one knows this phrase also ( "met the Schüerdör toss" ), as they are in Swiss francs ( "The mou mer mit'n Scheurator waving" used) for someone who pays no attention to subtle clues.

From Bedburg the saying is known as "Dä falls met der Schürendür en et Hus" ("He falls into the house with the barn door").

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Lutz Röhrich: Lexicon of proverbial sayings , 5 volumes, Freiburg i. Br. 1991, volume 5, page 1761; Lemma: "fence post"
  2. ^ Lutz Röhrich: Lexicon of proverbial sayings , 5 volumes, Freiburg i. Br. 1991, volume 3, page 932; Lemma: "lamppost"
  3. ^ Lutz Röhrich: Lexicon of proverbial sayings , 5 volumes, Freiburg i. Br. 1991, volume 4, page 1324; Lemma: "Barn door"

literature

  • Anonymous: Wink with the fence post , in: Sprachpflege 10/1961, page 254