ob's
German
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]- obs (chiefly colloquial or dated)
Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Contraction
[edit]ob's
- (chiefly informal or dated or poetic) Contraction of ob es: whether it, whether't; if it (the latter only in als ob's "as if it")
- 1970, Deutscher Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll Nr. 06/25 vom 21.01.1970[1], page 1066:
- (Zuruf von der CDU/CSU: Warum reden Sie dann?) — Ich habe das Recht, hier zu reden, ob's Ihnen paßt oder nicht. Merken Sie sich das! (Lachen bei der CDU/CSU.)
- (Interruption from the CDU/CSU [faction]: Why are you speaking then?) — I have the right to speak here, whether you like it or not [literally: whether it suits you or not]. Remember that! (Laughter from the CDU/CSU [faction])
Usage notes
[edit]Like many other contractions, this is common in speech but uncommon in formal writing.