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Advanced German Word of the Day > Today’s Word (Hear it!)
das Lametta (no pl.)
(Christmas) tinsel; (slang, hum.) military medals/regalia, gongs (Br.)
"In diesem Jahr brauchen meine Bäume viel Lametta," scherzt Fengler und zeigt auf die verkrüppelten Überreste der Küstentanne vor ihm.
"This year my trees need a lot of tinsel," jokes Fengler and points to the mangled remains of the coastal fir in front of him. [in a Christmas tree plantation damaged by hail and ice]
«Früher war mehr Lametta» ist einer der klassischen Loriot-Sätze und war nie wahrer als heute. Junge Deutsche mögen kein Lametta mehr, nur ältere Jahrgänge kaufen es noch.
"There used to be more tinsel" is one of the classic Loriot* phrases, and it was never more true than today. Young Germans don't like tinsel any more. Only older folks still buy it.
*Loriot (Vicco von Bülow, born 1923) is a well-known, popular German cartoonist, humorist and writer.
Wie das Internetauktionshaus Ebay vermeldet, knausert der Hamburger an sich mit schnöden 103 Euro für Lametta und Lichterketten, während der Brandenburger für selbiges satte 169 Euro raushaut.
According to the Internet auction house eBay, the tightwads in Hamburg spend a contemptible 103 euros for tinsel and strings of lights, while those in Brandenburg fork over a cool 169 euros for the same thing.
Related:
das Eis-Lametta icicle tinsel
die Lamettabrust (slang, hum.) chest full of military medals/regalia
wie ein Sowjetgeneral mit Lamettabrust like a Soviet general with a chest full of medals
das Flittergold gold foil
der Flitter spangles, sequins
das Stanniol silver foil, tin foil
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NOTE: Tinsel (Lametta), originally made of silver and later tin, was probably invented in Germany in the early 1600s. Ironically, many German communities began banning the use of tinsel (now made of non-biodegradable plastic) for ecological reasons in the 1980s, but tinsel is no longer a very popular tree decoration anyway.
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