Origine della frasegologia verde: spiegazione delle sue origini
In 1924, la casa automobilistica tedesca Opel presentò l'Opel "Laubfrosch", un veicolo che presto si sarebbe trovato al centro di una causa legale. L'Opel "Laubfrosch" era una copia esatta della Citroën 5CV, un popolare e accessibile due posti francese. Questa situazione era un esempio perfetto dell'idioma "Das Gleiche in Grün", che significa che due cose sono sostanzialmente le stesse ma differiscono solo in dettagli minori.
I francesi, comprensibilmente, non erano contenti della evidente copia di Opel e avviarono una causa a Berlino per bandire l'Opel "Laubfrosch". Tuttavia, la decisione dei tribunali fu influenzata da un fattore unico: la differenza di colore tra i due veicoli. Mentre la Citroën 5CV era gialla, l'Opel "Laubfrosch" era verde. Questa differenza di colore fu utilizzata come difesa nella causa contro l'Opel "Laubfrosch" e il motivo della vittoria di Opel fu che i colori diversi avrebbero evitato possibili confusioni.
Despite being considered a direct copy, the Opel "Laubfrosch" was not banned. The lawsuit added to the legal issues surrounding the vehicle's production, but it did not deter Opel. The phrase "Das Gleiche in Grün" gained nationwide popularity in 1924, and the idiom remains relevant today, often used in response to an alternative suggestion that is essentially the same as the original but presented in a different form.
In a new usage of the idiom, the phrase "That's the same in green!" means that hardly anything has changed or improved from the original state in the course of modifications, or that an object or action resembles the other in almost every way. The Opel "Laubfrosch" and the Citroën 5CV remain examples of this idiom, serving as a reminder of the fine line between innovation and imitation.
Interestingly, the Citroën 5CV, also known informally as the "Zitrone", is still used as a nickname for the Citroën brand today. The idiom "Das Gleiche in Grün" originates from a phrase used to describe something that is essentially the same but presented in a different, typically more socially acceptable or politically correct, form. It literally means "the same in green," with "green" symbolizing the colour of the Green Party or environmentalism in Germany, implying a superficial change without substantive difference.
The lawsuit over the Opel "Laubfrosch" being a direct copy of the Citroën 5CV was decided in Berlin, and Opel emerged victorious. The production of the Opel "Laubfrosch" led to legal issues, but it did not deter Opel from continuing to produce vehicles that would capture the public's imagination. The Opel "Laubfrosch" may have been a controversial copy, but it undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the automotive industry and the German language.
