ach du grüne Neune

German

Alternative forms

• ach du grüne Neun

Etymology

Literally, “oh you green nine!”

Grüne Neun means “nine of leaves” in the traditional German card deck, where Grün (“green”) or Laub (“leaves”) is the equivalent of spades. The nine of spades is a negative card in tarot card reading, traditionally associated with death.

The form Neune suggests origin in East Central German, where such nominalized numerals in -e are common, perhaps specifically Berlin. Accordingly, one theory links the phrase to a popular theater in 19th-century Berlin called “Grüne Neune”, evidently because it was located in a green house at number 9, but possibly also alluding to the tarot card. The semantic connection is not apparent, however. (The theater, while playing mainly comedies, seems to have been well respected.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌax du ˈɡʁyːnə ˌnɔʏ̯nə/ (strongest stress always on grüne)

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

ach du grüne Neune

1. (dated) Used to express surprise, shock or confusion.

   Synonyms: ach du liebe Zeit, ach du meine Güte