I’m not sure if it’s a final, unconscious acceptance that I don’t live there any longer, or just that I don’t have the requisite motor abilities to type and drink coffee at the same time, but I’ve got rid of my German “QWERTZ” keyboard. Despite cleaning it in the dishwasher, it still didn’t work, so, in a act redolent with symbolism, I wrapped it in newspaper, hid it in the recycling bin and this morning it was taken away to be recycled at an incinerator (the local council is very proud of its Green credentials).
I now have a shiny, new, non-German keyboard. It even has a £ sign on it. And, as you can see from this photograph, more accented and umlauted keys than you can shake a stick at (although what combination of Ctrl-Shift-Alt Gr one has to press in order to get the fifth symbol on a key, I have no idea). I still wanted to be able to write in almost-comprehensible German, you see - and obviously, a Swiss keyboard would be best for that.
Song playing as this was published: Kaiser Chiefs - “Born To Be A Dancer”
Hehe. I get it.
Ms Mac: That was one for the Germans to laugh at their Southern neighbours… And what happens? I chose to post it on a Monday when they’ve all taken the day off - because tomorrow’s Happy Helmut Day - they want a four day weekend and normally only read this blog to skive off work….
Well, a Swiss keyboard is a really nice choice. All the little French and German extras that one needs. But what about our famous “sharp s” (ß) that the Swiss got rid off (usually on the same key as the question mark)? By the way, where did you get this keyboard in the UK? Dell? I was told they can even deliver French Canadian keyboards here in Europe.
And OK, so I took the day off. But I came in to look after my mice and my cells and will do the same thing tomorrow.
JCS: Is it scharfes S or Eszett? I’ve always said (and eaten on bread for breakfast, whilst reading the SZ) Eszett. This could be down to the Germanistin who taught me German though (wasn’t allowed schokolade-schnitten as a child, you see). As I’m never sure when to use ß (and have a pre-Rechtschreibreform Duden), I generally always type ss anyway (but ß in SMS messages - one extra character, free).
It is indeed a Dell keyboard - £3.95 boxed and new from E-Bay - which was cheaper than an equivalent, decent UK one (you can take the boy out of Swabia, but…). Basically, I get öäüéàè磀$¢ as proper keys in exchange for having to type out Alt + 225 for “ß”. I also get to be able to directly access “¬” on the “6″ key. No idea what that’s for…..
You’re allowed the day off (well so long as you come in to do the serum, obviously) - it was just that I remembered: “Überbrückungstag”.
Is that like faire le pont?
I just checked my well-tumbed copy of the Duden. Both expressions are correct, Eszett being the more formal one in my view.
That’s the one thing that the Swiss did right with our language: Get rid off the Eszett. The Germans couldn’t just get over themselves and lose this ridiculous character during the last reform.
By the way, I sent a job ad to your “NASA account”. I saw a few job offers in PR at Roche and Novartis at the respective Basel HQs, this is one of them. I know you’re aiming for London, so if lovely Switzerland is completely out of the question, please let me know and I won’t forward stuff like this anymore. But it would be the right place for your keyboard, wouldn’t it?
INOAP: Exactly like faire le pont, but more efficient and with less shoulder-shrugging.
JCS: Thanks - it’s much appreciated. Basel is absolutely fine. Perfect in fact and it’s almost Deutschland anyway. The logical NASA account is frozen at denic.de at the moment, so I’m not receiving mails (if you search hard enough you can see whereabouts in Landkreis CW I live though…..) London would be nice for a while, but I’m looking at most countries (you don’t think I went to NL just to eat the Matjes - good as they were - do you?)
The Eszett reform - sounds good to me - do away with them, evil, nasty confusing things. By the way have they really taken the last Rechtschreibreform to its logical conclusion about the form of an imperative of a verb and made STOPP signs yet?