„Die Kürze würzen“: Zu den sprichwörtlichen Aphorismen von Alexander Eilers
“Spicing up Brevity”: The Proverbial Aphorisms by Alexander Eilers

Summary/Abstract: Alexander Eilers (born 1976) has not only made a name for himself as an aphoristic writer of several volumes but has also assisted younger aphoristic authors whose aphorisms he has edited. With a doctorate in English language and literature at the University of Gießen he has occupied himself with the genre of aphorisms and written several meta-aphorisms. Repeatedly his texts start with an individual word that in turn is defined by the addition of a proverbial expression. Other aphorisms begin with an expression that is expanded by a short commentary. Again and again expressions are questioned which at times leads to innovative statements by the mere substitution of a letter or word. Not only classical, biblical, and folkloric expressions appear, but Eilers also exhibits an extensive repertoire of quotations and proverbs. This traditional language material is manipulated and at times leads to expressive antiproverbs. 386 texts of the 2142 aphorisms or 18% start from such formulaic expressions. They show that Eilers occupies himself intensively with proverbial language that he changes linguistically and thematically to insightful statements about the modern world.

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