A und O
German
Etymology
From Ancient Greek. From the biblical book of Revelation, verses 1:8 and 22:13. The expression refers to God as “the beginning and the end”, the letter omega being the last of the Greek alphabet.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
A und O n (strong, genitive A und O, no plural)
- (colloquial) that which is important; that which matters; a sine qua non
- Gute Kohle ist das A und O beim Grillen.
- Good charcoal is the most important part of barbecuing.
- (biblical, possibly dated) alpha and omega
Usage notes
- The biblical expression is not usually translated with these words now. For example, in the Einheitsübersetzung verse 22:13 runs: “Ich bin das Alpha und das Omega, der Erste und der Letzte, der Anfang und das Ende.”
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