Schlemihl

[KXX4493553 at aol.com]

In einer eMail vom 10.08.00 10:00:42 (MEZ) - Mitteleurop. Sommerzeit schreibt 
matzig at gowebway.com:

<< 
 In German, a Schlemihl (Schlemiel) is an unlucky fellow who despite a string 
of personal desasters remains patient, even optimistic. It's this 
characteristic that makes Schweijk a Schlemihl. Also see Adalbert von 
Chamisso's phantastic novella of the man who sells his shadow to the devil, 
"Peter Schlemihl's wundersame Geschichte" (ca. 1810). St. >>
But is it really the opposite of my definition? The Schlemihl is an 
ambivalent character, and in every-day-speaking it's a synonym for "sly dog", 
Schlitzohr. It's not a "Hans im Glück", "Jack-in-luck", who's really a silly 
person and who is happy even he's the dupe. 
kwp