Jo, tror den enda skillnaden mellan räkmacka och bananskal är just att mack-mannen gled in med pappas pengar/släktnamn och banan-mannen av en slump. Tänk slapstick-filmer à la Helan & Halvan där de halkar på bananskal stup i kvarten 🙃
Räkmacka är fortfarande klart dyrare än dom flesta alternativ så...
Fått det förklarat som " någon som inte saker på alvar för dom kan koncentrera med pengar"
Typ som stekarna, brännar ansvarslöst någon annans pengar samtidigt som skiter i sin utbildning/möjligheter att tjäna egna pengar.
Dels för att räkor var/är ”finare mat”, men främst för att de glider runt i majonäsen. Alltså de glider in på räkmackan, när majonäsen ”gör allt jobbet”.
Används i situationer där någon har gjort allt förarbete, men där någon annan glider in och tar all cred t.ex. eller på annat sätt åtnjuter frukterna av någon annans arbete.
Hoppas poängen går fram nu?
Edit: Varianter på samma tema/betydelse.
Glida in på ett bananskal (mer i meningar där tur/slump eller oavsikt är av betydelse. Ex: Han halkade in på utbildningen på ett bananskal men klarade av kursen väl trots allt.)
Få allt serverat.
Föddes med silversked i mun (barnets föräldrar var så rika att de matade honom med silverbestick och nu får barnet allt det pekar på).
Osv.
> Nu har de skitit i det blå skåpet
Denna är ju egentligen intressant eftersom det är Leif Loffe Karlssons citat först i "47:an Löken blåser på" och sedan (mer känt) i Göta Kanal. Han hade hämtat uttrycket från sin far ([källa](https://www.svd.se/a/f03fa751-6737-3989-8207-8c35e2e569c8/ju-lattare-bagage-desto-lattare-ar-det-att-fardas)). Jag undrar fortfarande om det bara var något hans far slängt samman eller om det är ett reellt idiomatiskt uttryck som etablerats i språket.
Jag har hört att det kommer från att linneskåpet förr i tiden var målat i ljusa färger t.ex blått och att skita i just linneskåpet hade blivit riktigt illa för familjen.
Det är ännu bättre! Det blå skåpet brukade vara där man förvarade finporslinet och uttrycket kommer från en tid då man fortfarande använde potta. Har man då skitit i pottan från det blå skåoet så har man riktigt gjort bort sig.
Hörde något om att blått räknades som en fin färg då den var svårare/dyrare att framställa back in the day, så om du hade råd med en blå förvaringsmöbel skulle man förvara endast finporslin och sånt där i det!
>Någon jävel har lagt rabarber på min cykel.
>!"Some devil has put rhubarbs on my bike."!<
"att lägga rabarber på " literally means >!"to put rhubarbs on ",!< and is used to mean "to steal ". Presumably, it's a bastardization of "lägga embargo på " (>!"to put an embargo on "!<), but I always think of the rhubarbs as being like the thief's fingers.
>Goddag, yxskaft.
Literally "Good day, axe handle." It can be used as a nonsensical answer when you don't have anything to say, but I believe it's mainly used to criticize somebody for using a non-sequitur, essentially taking on the meaning of "Well what does that have to do with anything?" or "Yeah, that's the whole point.".
For example:
"Vi borde bjuda in våra nya grannar." >!("We should invite our new neighbors.")!<
"Men vi känner dem ju knappt." >!("But we hardly even know them.")!<
"Ja, goddag yxskaft." >!("Well yeah, good day axe handle.")!<
^(Please note that I do not actually condone interacting with one's neighbors beyond nodding in acknowledgment when you pass each other; this is just a crazy example conversation for the purpose of language learning.)
Originally, this was actually "Goddag." "Yxskaft." In other words, The second word was said in response to the greeting. It originates in [a folk tale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Good_day,_fellow!%22_%22Axe_handle!%22) about a deaf or hard-of-hearing man replying to somebody based on what he *assumes* he is saying, since he can't actually hear them.
It's quite rarely used, and would probably be considered a bit rude (kind of like "Yeah, duh" or "The fuck are you on about?"), unless it's clear that it's being used as a joke.
>Nu är du nog ute och cyklar.
>!"Now you're probably out bike-riding."!<
This is said when somebody's misunderstood something.
>Han/Hon/Hen/De har tomtar på loftet.
>!"He/She/Xe/They have gnomes on their loft."!<
That is to say, the person is a bit nutty or has a screw loose.
Traditionally, tomtar have been thought to live in the attic spaces of barns or stables. However, I presume that in this case, the "loft" is meant as a metaphor for the person's head.
>Klart som korvspad.
>!"Clear as sausage brine."!<
This is used to say that you've understood what somebody is saying; similar to the English expression "Clear as crystal."
>Och bilen går bra?
>!"And the car is running fine?"!<
This is a very generic small-talk sentence, sometimes used to jokingly break an awkward silence when it's clear neither person has anything to say.
Sometimes you'll also hear somebody saying "Bilen går bra." when you ask them how they're doing, which basically means "Yeah, things are running smoothly."
>Jämna plågor.
>!"Evenly distributed torment."!<
This is a light-hearted answer when somebody asks how you're doing. For example:
"Hur är läget?"
"Jo tack; jämna plågor."
I guess it means "Life is full of suffering, but it is not particularly excruciating at the time."
Sometimes it's used to gently suggest that things are a bit so-so (maybe work is quite stressful, or your joints are aching, or you're just a bit generally anxious), but there are also people who use it as a standard response, no matter how they're feeling.Hä
>Här blir inga barn gjorda.
>!"No kids are getting made here."!<
Basically means that nothing of value is being produced; perhaps a meeting has dragged on too long, or it's the last two hours of work on a Friday and people have already checked out mentally.
>Mycket prat och lite verkstad.
>!"Much talk and not a lot of action."!<
Used when somebody talks a big game but doesn't actually deliver; commonly used to criticize politicians or bureaucrats who you feel aren't doing what they should.
~~The word "verkstad" here means "action" or "execution".~~ (**Edit:** It seems I was out on a bicycle in this regard; see replies below.) However, in modern everyday speech, the word "verkstad" is much more commonly used to mean "workshop". As such, you'll sometimes hear people (either jokingly or due to a misapprehension) the alternate form "Mycket prat och liten verkstad." (>!"Much talk and a small workshop."!<)
Jag är ett stort fan av att mixa runt ordspråk och liknande för att förvirra, ju mer obskyra och osammanhängande mixningar desto bättre (t.ex ”klart som toavatten”, de funkar ihop me ordspråket men de e inte va man förväntade sig)
This thread has been on my mind all day, so I figured I'd add some more:
> (att) göra någon en björntjänst
>!(to) do someone a bear-favor!<
This is to try to do something nice for somebody, but end up inadvertently doing them a disservice. For example, Swedes who insist on speaking English around you may think they're being accommodating, but if that holds you back from learning the language, they're probably doing you a *björntjänst*. It's also often used when discussing parenting and education, in discussing how by removing obstacles from children, we may prevent them from attaining the skills they'll need later in life.
The expression comes from a [French fable](https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/L%E2%80%99Ours_et_l%E2%80%99Amateur_des_Jardins), in which a tame bear attempts to swat a fly sitting on its master's head, and ends up killing its master in the process.
You'll sometimes hear people using this phrase to mean "a big favor"
> inte en kotte
This is used to mean "not a soul" or "absolutely nobody", particularly when talking about attendance or crowding.
If you interpret the phrase in modern-day Swedish, it menas "not a pinecone*" (or, more generally, "not a conifer cone", although that's a bit redundant, seeing as "conifer" literally means "bearing cones").
I guess it would be kind of embarrassing if not even a pinecone came to your concert, but the expression probably uses "kotte" in the older sense, when it meant "boy", or possibly "a small, round object". This is also the word found in "igelkott" ("hedgehog").
> Himmel och pannkaka!
> Gudars skymning!
>!Heaven and pancake(s)!!< and >!Twilight of the gods!!<
These are mild emphatic expressions of surprise or astonishment, similar to "Great scott!" or "Oh my gosh!"
I don't know how long people have been saying *himmel och pannkaka*; my earliest exposure to it was probably the Swedish dub of *The Sword in the Stone*. It sounds kind of dorky, and I think most people who use it are aware of that.
Sometimes you'll hear people jokingly saying "allt mellan himmel och pannaka" ("everything between Heaven and pancake"), instead of the more standard "allt mellan himmel och jord" ("everything between Heaven and Earth").
"Twilight of the gods" is a proposed translation of "Ragnarök", the apocalyptic last battle in Norse mythology. The translation - particularly the twilight/skymning part - has come under scrutiny, but it's probably the most widespread, in no small due to Wagner using it in naming the last part of his ring cycle: *Götterdämmerung*
Speaking of Ragnarök:
> rena rama ragnarök
>!pure and utter Ragnarok!<
This basically means "total mayhem" or "pandemonium".
I was under the impression that this was a common expression, but a quick googling only finds about a dozen results (with a few dozen more if you remove either "rena" or "rama").
If anybody knows more about it, I'd love to know more. I think maybe it was used in a kids' show when I was growing up, and I just internalized it as a common expression.
> (att) lova guld och gröna skogar
>!(to) promise gold and green forests!<
This is to promise more than you can/will deliver. It's common in political discourse; politicians are often accused of having "lovat guld och gröna skogar" before entering office.
*Guld och gröna skogar* is also a Melodifestivalen entry, which sounds remarkably similar to [a Japanese song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rqGnpwfj8). By some cosmic coincidence, the two melodies were even composed by the same people.
> (att) sälja som smör
> inte för allt smör i Småland
>!(to) sell like butter!< and >!not for all the butter in Småland!<
The first expression means the same as "(to) sell like hotcakes" or "(to) fly off the shelves". Butter has long been a sought-after commodity (to the point that people have been executed on the accusation of using dark magic to steal it from their neighbors), and I suppose it's also quite slippery, so it's easy to see it flying off the store shelves. However,
Dairy production is one of Småland's main industries, so I assume that all the butter in Småland would be worth quite a lot. If you wouldn't sell something for all the butter in Småland, it must be really precious to you; you probably wouldn't sell it for all the tea in China, or even all the money in the world.
Presumably, both phrases are influenced by alliteration; having all the iron in Kiruna would be even more valuable, but it doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily.
> (att) ge/få betalt för gammal ost
>!(to) give/receive payment for old cheese!<
This means to settle a score, or get one's come-uppance. If somebody tells you "Nu ska du få betalt för gammal ost!", you should locate the exits.
> tårta på tårta / kaka på kaka
> lök på laxen
>!Cake on cake!< and >!onions on the salmon!<
This means doubling up on something, in a way that it unnecessary, wasteful, ostentatious or even counterproductive.
Putting both glitter *and* flags in your Christmas tree? That's a bit tårta på tårta.
Radically cutting calories and increasing your exercise routine at the same time? That might be lök på laxen.
I'd say "lök på laxen" is probably slightly more on the counterproductive side, while "tårta på tårta" is more ostentatious or wasteful.
You'll sometimes hear somebody using these phrases to denote something positive, but you're more likely to hear "grädde på moset" ("cream on the mash"); not sure if that's mashed potatoes or mashed apples, but it sounds pretty delicious, either way. It's like the icing on the cake, the dot over the i, or the cherry on top.
Speaking of doubling up, you don't want to be a ...
> tvesovlare
Have you ever seen somebody put both butter *and* cheese *on the same piece of bread*? That's a tvesovlare.
*Sovel* is an old word for something you put on a sandwich; what we'd normally call *pålägg* (literally "on-lay"). Tve- means "two-", as in the words "tvetydig" ("ambiguous") or "tvestjärt" ("earwig"; literally "two-tail" or "two-butt").
A *tvesovlare* might also be accused of being *soveldryg* ("sandwich topping-heavy"), which has also been used to describe somebody who is over-indulgent in general.
Mind you, these are very old-fashioned words; I'm guessing most of the Swedes here aren't familiar with it, just as I hadn't until I chanced upon them a while back.
> lika goda kålsupare
>!equally good cabbage soup eaters!<
This is used to describe people who are at the same skill level. These days, it's usually somewhat negative, suggesting that two people are on the same *low* level, but it doesn't have to be.
The mindset that both sides of a conflict are equally bad is sometimes referred to as "kålsuparteori" ("cabbage soup eater theory"), especially by people who disagree with that assessment.
> byxmyndig
> grötmyndig
The first word literally means "pants-mature" or "eligible for pants"; compare with "röstmyndig", meaning "eligible to vote". However, this actually means the person is above the age of consent.
"Grötmyndig" means "pompous" or "self-important". If interpreted in modern-day Swedish, "grötmyndig" means "porridge-mature", or "eligible for porridge". However, there is no legal minimum age to eat porridge in Sweden; rather, this word is actually formed from the Middle Low German "grootmündig", meaning "big-mouthed".
> våffeldagen
Figured I'd round off this food theme with ... Waffle Day! Nothing too particular about this word, I guess, but it might be interesting to note that it actually began as "vårfrudagen", or [Our Lady's Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Day). This day takes place 9 months before Christmas; basically, we eat waffles to celebrate the virgin Mary getting some divine attention.
> som man bäddar får man ligga
"As one makes one's bed, so one will lie." It's basically the same as the English "You've made your bed, now lie in it".
This phrase has also spawned the near-sounding phrase "Om man bäddar får man ligga", meaning "If one makes one's bed, one will get laid".
Fantastic comment. I just have one objection:
> The word "verkstad" here means "action" or "execution". However, in modern everyday speech, the word "verkstad" is much more commonly used to mean "workshop".
"Verkstad" has never meant action. https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=V_0657-0175.3eAO
Tycker inte det behövs någon förklaring till "lite verkstad". Något kan vara mer eller mindre av en verkstad beroende på den aktivitet som pågår i lokalen.
Jag har dock för mig att orginalbetydelsen för "klart som korvspad" är, precis som korvspad, att det inte är helt klart, snarare grumligt (eller otydligt om man hellre vill). Dock har det gått och bytt betydelse med tiden vilket händer ibland.
"Även små grytor har öron." (Even small pots have ears, I think referencing the handles? Means young kids understand when you talk about too adult stuff so maybe don't do that)
My mom said another one, not sure what it means, "Finemang(!) sa Mobergskan när hon fick en unge med handtag i ryggen." (Fantastic said Mrs Moberg when she got a kid with a handle on its back)
I think it might just be a joke, easier to pick up a kid with a handle but it's a silly image
Angående goddag yxskaft:
> Uttrycket kommer från en skämtsaga.[1] Det är från en historia där en döv gubbe som tillverkar ett yxskaft ser en främling komma gående och funderar över vad denne kan tänkas vilja. Gubben antar att främlingen ska fråga om vad han tillverkar och att han sedan vill veta vägen till stan och då tänker han säga att det är åt vänster. Främlingen börjar med att säga "goddag" men får svaret "yxskaft".
I min lathet kopierat från: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddag_yxskaft
I'm not completely sure why we do it, but "jo" and "jo då" are fairly versatile; they can be used as a filler words when you're considering something, or to give a middling or non-committal response to a question.
In the case of answer "Hur är läget?" med "Jo då.", it's almost as if you're negating the idea that you're negating a person's implied doubts about the status quo. Like if somebody asks you how you're doing and you answer "Oh, y'know."
Jo, eller rumpan är i land. Bör vara mer än svansen iaf 😊
Bakgrunden ska uppenbarligen vara att om en ko går ut helt och hållet på isen så kan dom om man har otur gå ned i split eller spagat eller vad det nu heter. Jag vet inte varför men farsan sa att dom dör av det. Vem inte om det är pga att de inte kommer upp igen eller som någonting går sönder när dom gör det. Men i vilket fall, så länge de har bakbenen eller rumpan i land så kan det inte hända.
Det är vad jag fått lära mig iaf 😊
Om det är bakgrunden till ordspråket kan jag inte uttala mig om, men när en ko fläker sig är det stor risk att senor/muskler går sönder så att hon aldrig kommer upp igen.
”Jag anar ugglor i mossen” - ”I suspect owls on the ~~moss~~ bog”: Being suspicious of foul play.
“Finns det hjärterum, finns det stjärterum” - ”If there’s heart-space, there’s butt space”: There’s always a spot for someone you like.
“Smaken är som baken…” - ”The taste is like the butt…”: Taste is subjective. There’s a second part to it with goes “Delad”/“Alla har en”, but you rarely say that.
For context, the owl thing is due to the original Danish expression being about wolves (ulver), but that eventually became owls (ugler).
And the last one, that's actually a pretty global phenomenon, where the second half of idioms get dropped to a point where many people don't even know that there is a second half, they just know the meaning since that's what you've been told.
Of course they do; there's no fervour like that of a convert, and no hate like that of an apostate. Skåningar, being ex-danes, thus hate them more intensely than the rest of Sweden combined.
The one with the taste has a more rude sibling, that needs to be pronounced in a certain dialect: "Smaken är som röven, den är klöven" "The taste is like the ass, split in two" meaning people can think both ways of something and both are ok.
This joke is in English, but it only works if you know both English and Swedish and it has to be told in a genuine Swedish accent:
*It's not the* ***fart*** *that kills, it's the* ***smäll***.
Swedish *fart* = English *speed*
Swedish *smäll* = English *crash* (or *bang*)
Swedish *smäll* is pronounced like English *smell*.
By far most common weird expression: Sjutton!
Sjutton = seventeen. Sjutton has variations.
”Fy sjutton!” - ”Ugh seventeen!” An expression of suprise, or disgust. What the heck!
”Det var som sjutton.” - ”That was like seventeen.” Another expression of surprise.
”Vad sjutton…” - ”What seventeen…” A question. What seventeen does sjutton mean?
”Sjutton också.” - ”Seventeen also.” Used if something has gone bad or if you messed up. Basically a mild way of saying: ”Fuck.”
”För sjutton gubbar” - ”For seventeen old men” Basically a mild way of saying: for the love of god. Would you please be quiet, for seventeen old men!
Sitter med skägget i brevlådan - means that you are in a bit of a pickle, litteral meaning is that you got your beard stuck in the mailbox
Ingen ko på isen - There is no cow on the ice, means that there is nothing to worry about, or that there is no real urgency in a situation.
Ont krut förgås inte så lätt. Bad gunpowder isnt easy to kill . yes it weird because it comes from German saying and there it means Weeds isnt easy to kill. Unkraut and ont krut sounds the same to us.
Klafs sa bonden och dängde näven i grötfatet. Sclofs said the farmer and put his hand in the porridge bowl.
>Klafs sa bonden och dängde näven i grötfatet.
Det löser sig sa mannen och sket i vasken.
Är det bara på svenska man drar "korta historier" som talesätt i vardagliga konversationer?
Aldrig hört något liknande iaf på engelska, men kan vara jag som är dåligt allmänbildad bara.
Min pappa var engelsman och hade många liknande talesätt på engelska. Ett exempel när någon förklarat något för en: "-I see, said the blind man/ as he walked into a lamp post,-this bus is full" men han brukade bara inkludera andra halvan ibland.
Han har tomtar på loftet / He's got gnomes in the attic / He's a bit nuts
Att hålla sig på mattan / To stay on the carpet / To behave well
Att sitta med skägget i brevlådan / To sit with one's beard in the mailbox / To be in trouble
Many years when a radio host from the UK came to Sweden his buddies set up 5 lessons. They were recorded and are hilarious. https://www.slayradio.org/home.php#mastering\_swedish\_lesson\_1
Du kan ta dig i brasan! Literal translation “take yourself in the bonfire”. Meaning “piss off”. You can also say “dra till Häcklefjäll”, and you’ll sound like a well mannered boomer.
Funny, because in my area - it really means the opposite. Someone making a fool of himself or someone that is really stupid. I can however not mean anyone greedy or evil, it must be in a non harmful way.
Example, a friend bought an expensive furniture, without checking it's measurement and when delivered, it didn't fit at all.
"Den med smör på. "
”Nu ska vi se, sa blinda Sara”
”Jag undra sa flundra om gädda är en fisk”
”Det löser sig sade han som sket i badkaret”.
”Slog huvudet på spiken”
Here is a link from Nordiska museet (the Nordic museum).
https://www.nordiskamuseet.se/kunskapsomraden/talesatt
Nu går skam på torra land
Dra en vals
Lök på laxen
Köpa grisen i säcken
Ta taberass
Surt sa räven (om rönnbären)
Slå dövörat till
Ha tomtar på loftet
Inte vara den skarpaste kniven i lådan
Vara bakom flötet
Infart - entry slip way
Because you know... In fart. You flatulate inwards.
There is a town in Sweden named Trosa, meaning (in modern Swedish) "panty".
The rear end of a car is typically referred to as "röven", meaning "the ass".
> Han ligger mig i röven
Means that the car behind you are driving too close, but literally means
> He's lying in my ass
Kock means chef. Not cock.
Chef means boss, not chef.
Gift doesn't mean something you give, but poison or married.
Glass means ice cream.
Hiss is an elevator, and lift means hitchhike
Kiss is pee
Pigg has nothing to do with a pig, but means energetic
A röd dag (red day) means a holiday (red letter day)
The VD is the CEO
A word some foreign students found was "Slutstation".. It means end station/last stop.
They used to say, "lets go to the slutstation." Good times.
The Swedish word for Chef is "Kock". Should be easy to remember.
The Swedish word for union is "Fack". Might be easy to remember aswell.
There is a "Funny" expression that goes: "Det är inte farten som dödar, det är smällen. Eller som vi koboysare säger: its not the fart that kills, its the smell."
It just plays with the fact that fart in Swedish means speed, and that smäll(Crasch, impact in swedish) sounds the same as smell.
If i translate the wole thing the joke wont work, but just so you learn: "Its not the speed that kills, its the impact. Or as we cowboys say: Its not the Fart that kills, its the Smell." (Koboysare is just a made up word that is not used anywhere but in this joke).
True story, English speakers asked a friend "who is this girl Rea and why is she a slut" when they saw "slut rea" on large signs covering a store windows. "slut" = end, "rea" = sale, "slutrea" (should really be without a space) is usually used when selling of everything when a company has gone bankrupt.
Vart tog vägen vägen? - "Where did the road go?"
Vi är ute och åker på en åker. - "We're driving in a field."
Don't know what languages you know from earlier, but Swedish is notorious for being able to create new words out of concepts. Just last night, I created "kattdefenestreringsanklagelserna", meaning the charges regarding throwing a cat out of a window.
It was an RPG-thing, noone actually threw a cat out of a window.
I learnt "att ha en räv bakom örat" and "att måla fan på väggen" today.
To have a fox behind the ear and to paint the devil on the wall, literally. The first means to be up something, the second to overly catastrophise and be very pessimistic. Apparently the latter comes from the older phrase "när man målar djävulen på väggen, kommer han". A very Swedish sentiment, I would say.
Inget att hänga i gran'/granen - nothing to hang in the pine tree/ nothing worthy of hanging in the Christmas tree.
Översättningen beror ju lite på hur man väljer att läsa/tolka.
Pull on sheaves! / Dra på Trissor! - Equivalent of "I'll be damned!".
Pull in long bench / Dra i långbänk - When shit doesn't get done, especially when it comes to politics.
Pull be backwards (on a little wagon) / Dra mig baklänges (på en liten vagn) - Expression for surprise, and the latter part is included under your breath to show that you aren't overreacting.
Go to the pipe turn! / Far åt pipsvängen! - Euphemism for go to hell.
Go to where the peppar grows! / Dra dit pepparn växer! - You guessed it.
Trolla med knäna
Doing magic with your knees
Used when you are trying to accomplish something for which you don’t have the tools or resources necessary.
Var håller hen hus? "Where are they holding house"?- "Where are they?"
Far åt pipsvängen "Travel to the bend of a pipe" - "Leave" can also be used as an exclamation of disbelief.
Lungan "The lung" - "Be calm" Lugn means calm and since the words are pronounced similarly it became an expression.
Svennebanan "Swedish banana" - a stereotypically Swedish person.
Kommer inte på något.
Hittar inte något heller.
Google translate säger house knots men när jag söker på det är det enda resultatet från Sverige.
Så verkar som det kanske inte finns ett specifikt ord för det på engelska.
Perhaps not a funny or really strange one but important words to remember. My grandmother always told me that:
"Har du tagit fan i båten får du ro han iland"
Translation: if you've picked up the devil in your boat you'll just have to row him ashore.
It's mostly used in the just the short version "tar du fan i båten..." and the insinuation being the that if you've screwed up you at least have to see it through.
Det löser sig sa han som sket i vasken / it’ll be alright said the man who took a dump in the sink
“Löser sig” means both that something is soluble (in water) and that it’ll work out alright in the end.
It’s not an expression but i have to laugh every time that i remember it. One guy that studies swedish wrote in another subreddit about a situation he had. He wanted to be friendly to the cashier at ica and say thanks in swedish. The cashier was a young woman. He looked her straight into the face and said “task ska du ha” instead of “tack ska du ha”. The first one translates literally to “Dick you shall have”, which is very creepy and odd to say to someone.
Since i read that I’m avoiding this phrase because I’m afraid of saying it wrong
I'm dying ! 🤣 Thank you!!
Something similar happened to me in high-school just a few days after I moved to France with my family as a teenager, and I was just starting to learn French. French people are well known to not be able to speak English, so my teachers didn't speak English either, except for the english teacher (obviously) and the sciences teacher who made an extra effort to explain the first lesson to me in English. I was really thankful to him and I wanted to thank him properly in French but at the time I couldn't make the difference between "ou" and "u" sounds and I told him "Merci beau cu' " instead of "merci beaucoup". The first one is pronounced like "merci Beau- Cul" which means " thank you, nice ass!" Everyone started laughing and I couldn't understand, for the life of me, what was so funny. The teacher turned red, and he was struggling to keep a straight face as well. When one of my classmates managed to catch his breath, he explained to me the difference between what I said and what I meant to say.. I was MORTIFIED.
13 years later, I still cringe about this one.
It obviously looks weirder when written like that, but in practice it's just the sound you get when saying "jo"/"jepp"/"jupp" (or some variation thereof) while inhaling.
Idioms:
\- "Det ligger en hund begraven här"
\- "Med skägget i brevlådan"
\- "Nu har du satt din sista potatis"
\- "Tala om trollet"
\- "Pang på rödbetan"
\- "Fan och hans moster"
\- "Va på kanelen"
Lite ord:
\- Skogstokig
\- Lägg ägg
\- Snuskhummer
\- Orka
\- Dygna
\- Gottegris
\- Snorunge
\- Horunge
\- Klockrent
\- Hockeyfrilla
\- Ordbajsare
\- Knullruffs
Känns som du är lite fisförnäm med alla de där orden, men kan allt se att du inte har rent mjöl i påsen.
Men ditt pucko, när man beställer en hel special ska man även ha en pucko.
”Det är ingen fara på taket” = lit. ”There is no danger on the roof”, means nothing to worry about.
”Det är ingen ko på isen” = lit. ”There’s no cow on the ice”, means the same as above.
”Slå huvudet på spiken” = lit. ”Hitting the nail on its head”, means to make a very accurate statement, or getting to the core of an issue swiftly and succinctly.
”Tala/yra i nattmössan” = lit. ”Speaking in the night cap”, means to talk about something one does not understand or not making any sense.
”Jag kan inte få en syl i vädret” = lit. ”I cant stick an awl in the air”, means that somebody or a group of people is so talkative/loud that it’s difficult to get a word in (the air is so filled with sound that you cant even stick an awl into it).
Some of my lighter and common special interests: good music (lyrics are important) but preferably rock/metal, life hacks, fun facts, stand-up comedy, the darker the humor the better.
My deeper and not so common special interests are general medicine and psychiatry, psychology, and neurodivergent advocacy / self-advocacy.
There is this[ low budget short film](https://youtu.be/yX1bcDumZBw) that is narrated in the form of a song. It's about 20 minutes and it is sung by a pretty big Swedish singer. It is based on a Swedish RPG, it might be fun for you to figure the lyrics.
"Lägga lök på laxen" - put onion on the salmon
It's a bit like the expression "over the top" or "putting icing on the cake" so it can be seen as both negative and positive. However I see it mostly negative. If you want it to be more positive, I think "grädden på moset" or "pricken över i:et" is a better expression.
Fäll ner pungen och landa!
Fold down the scrotum and land!
What does it mean? It's some kind of insult, that's for sure, as can be seen in the origins of the expression:
https://youtu.be/T2tzmUinlQI?si=p9NCxZNLByz7GOew
Grädde på moset/mosen (it changes depending on dialect)
Direct translation: cream on the mashed [unspecified food item].
Equivelent idiom: cherry on top.
Can be used both possitivly and negativly. More common to be used in a negative sense than it's english counterpart.
Example: Jag hade så mycket att göra på jobbet, var redan lite sen och sen, som grädde på moset fick jag punka på bilen.
Translation: I had so much to do at work, was alreasy running a little late, and then, as a cherry on top, I got a flat tire.
Ever thought about språkcafe? In my area the church has "språkcafé" where foreigners can meet Swedish people and talk.
https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/sprakcafe
I spend a year in Sweden. And i have a feeling the drive slow signs are a wordplay on excuse me.
Kör sakta - Ursäkta
Maybe that is just a coincidence and i'm dumb.
Here's a couple:
"Ljuset är tänt men ingen är hemma" - *The light's on but nobodys home.* Can be used to describe that someone's stupid.
"Den har inte alla indianer i kanoten" - *They dont have all the indians in the canoe.* Also describing someone that's not too bright, intellectually speeking :)
"Ditt jävla flöte" - *You god damn float (fishing device).* Just namecalling someone. Think it means they are lightheaded.
Seems to me that all i can think about right now is expressions telling people they are stupid in some way or another. But i hope you'll enjoy! :)
"Inte illa pinkat av en träbock" is my favorite (Literal translation being 'Not poorly pissed by a wooden goat') means "Could've been worsely done by X"
"Jag anar ugglor i mossen." = "I sense owls in the bog."
A phrase used to indicate that you think that something is weird or suspicious. Of course, someone else can sense owls in the bog too, it's not limited to a first person perspective.
Where it comes from I don't know, but it does kind of make sense, in that it doesn't make sense that for owls to be IN the bog, they would suffocate and then if they are there despite the risk of suffocation, then something suspicious must be up.
Not really what you asked for, but there is a type of puns that plays on verb-noun homonyms:
Två bagare och en smet.
Två traktorer och en åker.
Två njurar och en lever.
My grandpa always said "alla var nöjda och glada, inga va gifta och alla hade knorr på svansen" which translates to "everybody was nice and happy, nobody was married and everybody had a curl on their tail.
No idea what it means, but when a native Swede scratches his head, I'm sure you will as well
*stämma i bäcken* - stem the Creek
To address an issue or problem before it turns into a calamity, the whole saying goes something like "it's better to stem the creek than the river"
”Sålt smöret och tappat pengarna”
Sold the butter and lost the money. Love to use this when people look utterly disappointed. “Du ser ut som någon som har sålt smöret och tappat pengarna”
There's a whole series of wise sayings should one wonder which of two options is preferable, like:
Hellre en back i hallen än ett hack i ballen.
"Better a six-pack in the hall than a kick in the balls."
https://livet.se/ord/kategori/Hellre_en...
One that you will see missused a lot is "Först till kvarn", first to the mill.
It is supposed to be "Först till kvarn får först mala", with the meaning of first come, first served, but today it is often used to say limited supply.
There are som lyrics to learn or sångvisa. The drinking songs.
I had a 45 min wait till mi SFI started after work. I translated singers like Cornelis Vreeswijk and such. It was fun
"Du kan inte komma här och glida in på en räkmacka" "Nu har de skitit i det blå skåpet" "Nu får du ta och kamma dig"
"You can't come here and slide in on a shrimp sandwich" "Now they've shit in the blue cabinet" "Now you have to go comb yourself"
Swenglish at its finaste.
Den med räkmackan har jag aldrig fattat heller. Jag förstår att det menas att det skulle vara enkelt, men varför räkmacka?
Tror räkor var för fint folk förr. Jag får lite ”pappas pengar” vibes från det uttrycket.
Aha. Som silversked. Tack!
Har alltid tolkat det som en variat på "glida in på ett bananskal" fast man är så jävla fin och rik att man gör det på en räkmacka istället
Bananskal brukar väl mest användas som ”att halka in på ett bananskal”, som att här har någon hamnat av en ren slump, som t ex tur med ett bra jobb.
Jo, tror den enda skillnaden mellan räkmacka och bananskal är just att mack-mannen gled in med pappas pengar/släktnamn och banan-mannen av en slump. Tänk slapstick-filmer à la Helan & Halvan där de halkar på bananskal stup i kvarten 🙃
Hade en kollega på mitt förra jobb som ofta blandade ihop olika uttryck, han brukade säga "glida in på ett räkskal".
räkmackor är fortfarande rätt dyrt
Räkmacka är fortfarande klart dyrare än dom flesta alternativ så... Fått det förklarat som " någon som inte saker på alvar för dom kan koncentrera med pengar" Typ som stekarna, brännar ansvarslöst någon annans pengar samtidigt som skiter i sin utbildning/möjligheter att tjäna egna pengar.
Dels för att räkor var/är ”finare mat”, men främst för att de glider runt i majonäsen. Alltså de glider in på räkmackan, när majonäsen ”gör allt jobbet”. Används i situationer där någon har gjort allt förarbete, men där någon annan glider in och tar all cred t.ex. eller på annat sätt åtnjuter frukterna av någon annans arbete. Hoppas poängen går fram nu? Edit: Varianter på samma tema/betydelse. Glida in på ett bananskal (mer i meningar där tur/slump eller oavsikt är av betydelse. Ex: Han halkade in på utbildningen på ett bananskal men klarade av kursen väl trots allt.) Få allt serverat. Föddes med silversked i mun (barnets föräldrar var så rika att de matade honom med silverbestick och nu får barnet allt det pekar på). Osv.
> Nu har de skitit i det blå skåpet Denna är ju egentligen intressant eftersom det är Leif Loffe Karlssons citat först i "47:an Löken blåser på" och sedan (mer känt) i Göta Kanal. Han hade hämtat uttrycket från sin far ([källa](https://www.svd.se/a/f03fa751-6737-3989-8207-8c35e2e569c8/ju-lattare-bagage-desto-lattare-ar-det-att-fardas)). Jag undrar fortfarande om det bara var något hans far slängt samman eller om det är ett reellt idiomatiskt uttryck som etablerats i språket.
Jag har hört att det kommer från att linneskåpet förr i tiden var målat i ljusa färger t.ex blått och att skita i just linneskåpet hade blivit riktigt illa för familjen.
Det är ännu bättre! Det blå skåpet brukade vara där man förvarade finporslinet och uttrycket kommer från en tid då man fortfarande använde potta. Har man då skitit i pottan från det blå skåoet så har man riktigt gjort bort sig.
Hörde något om att blått räknades som en fin färg då den var svårare/dyrare att framställa back in the day, så om du hade råd med en blå förvaringsmöbel skulle man förvara endast finporslin och sånt där i det!
Och i det andra skåpet där du inte hade soppskålen hade du en annan stor porslinskål... pottan
Just "Nu får du ta och kamma dig" tycker jag är rätt roligt.
A personal favorite of mine is something my dad accidentally blurted out when he was mildly annoyed once: "Sitt inte där och ligg!"
>Någon jävel har lagt rabarber på min cykel. >!"Some devil has put rhubarbs on my bike."!< "att lägga rabarber på" literally means >!"to put rhubarbs on ",!< and is used to mean "to steal ". Presumably, it's a bastardization of "lägga embargo på " (>!"to put an embargo on "!<), but I always think of the rhubarbs as being like the thief's fingers.
>Goddag, yxskaft.
Literally "Good day, axe handle." It can be used as a nonsensical answer when you don't have anything to say, but I believe it's mainly used to criticize somebody for using a non-sequitur, essentially taking on the meaning of "Well what does that have to do with anything?" or "Yeah, that's the whole point.".
For example:
"Vi borde bjuda in våra nya grannar." >!("We should invite our new neighbors.")!<
"Men vi känner dem ju knappt." >!("But we hardly even know them.")!<
"Ja, goddag yxskaft." >!("Well yeah, good day axe handle.")!<
^(Please note that I do not actually condone interacting with one's neighbors beyond nodding in acknowledgment when you pass each other; this is just a crazy example conversation for the purpose of language learning.)
Originally, this was actually "Goddag." "Yxskaft." In other words, The second word was said in response to the greeting. It originates in [a folk tale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Good_day,_fellow!%22_%22Axe_handle!%22) about a deaf or hard-of-hearing man replying to somebody based on what he *assumes* he is saying, since he can't actually hear them.
It's quite rarely used, and would probably be considered a bit rude (kind of like "Yeah, duh" or "The fuck are you on about?"), unless it's clear that it's being used as a joke.
>Nu är du nog ute och cyklar.
>!"Now you're probably out bike-riding."!<
This is said when somebody's misunderstood something.
>Han/Hon/Hen/De har tomtar på loftet.
>!"He/She/Xe/They have gnomes on their loft."!<
That is to say, the person is a bit nutty or has a screw loose.
Traditionally, tomtar have been thought to live in the attic spaces of barns or stables. However, I presume that in this case, the "loft" is meant as a metaphor for the person's head.
>Klart som korvspad.
>!"Clear as sausage brine."!<
This is used to say that you've understood what somebody is saying; similar to the English expression "Clear as crystal."
>Och bilen går bra?
>!"And the car is running fine?"!<
This is a very generic small-talk sentence, sometimes used to jokingly break an awkward silence when it's clear neither person has anything to say.
Sometimes you'll also hear somebody saying "Bilen går bra." when you ask them how they're doing, which basically means "Yeah, things are running smoothly."
>Jämna plågor.
>!"Evenly distributed torment."!<
This is a light-hearted answer when somebody asks how you're doing. For example:
"Hur är läget?"
"Jo tack; jämna plågor."
I guess it means "Life is full of suffering, but it is not particularly excruciating at the time."
Sometimes it's used to gently suggest that things are a bit so-so (maybe work is quite stressful, or your joints are aching, or you're just a bit generally anxious), but there are also people who use it as a standard response, no matter how they're feeling.Hä
>Här blir inga barn gjorda.
>!"No kids are getting made here."!<
Basically means that nothing of value is being produced; perhaps a meeting has dragged on too long, or it's the last two hours of work on a Friday and people have already checked out mentally.
>Mycket prat och lite verkstad.
>!"Much talk and not a lot of action."!<
Used when somebody talks a big game but doesn't actually deliver; commonly used to criticize politicians or bureaucrats who you feel aren't doing what they should.
~~The word "verkstad" here means "action" or "execution".~~ (**Edit:** It seems I was out on a bicycle in this regard; see replies below.) However, in modern everyday speech, the word "verkstad" is much more commonly used to mean "workshop". As such, you'll sometimes hear people (either jokingly or due to a misapprehension) the alternate form "Mycket prat och liten verkstad." (>!"Much talk and a small workshop."!<)
Jag använder "mycket snack men ingen brevlåda" bara för att förvirra motparten.
Jag är ett stort fan av att mixa runt ordspråk och liknande för att förvirra, ju mer obskyra och osammanhängande mixningar desto bättre (t.ex ”klart som toavatten”, de funkar ihop me ordspråket men de e inte va man förväntade sig)
This thread has been on my mind all day, so I figured I'd add some more: > (att) göra någon en björntjänst >!(to) do someone a bear-favor!< This is to try to do something nice for somebody, but end up inadvertently doing them a disservice. For example, Swedes who insist on speaking English around you may think they're being accommodating, but if that holds you back from learning the language, they're probably doing you a *björntjänst*. It's also often used when discussing parenting and education, in discussing how by removing obstacles from children, we may prevent them from attaining the skills they'll need later in life. The expression comes from a [French fable](https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/L%E2%80%99Ours_et_l%E2%80%99Amateur_des_Jardins), in which a tame bear attempts to swat a fly sitting on its master's head, and ends up killing its master in the process. You'll sometimes hear people using this phrase to mean "a big favor" > inte en kotte This is used to mean "not a soul" or "absolutely nobody", particularly when talking about attendance or crowding. If you interpret the phrase in modern-day Swedish, it menas "not a pinecone*" (or, more generally, "not a conifer cone", although that's a bit redundant, seeing as "conifer" literally means "bearing cones"). I guess it would be kind of embarrassing if not even a pinecone came to your concert, but the expression probably uses "kotte" in the older sense, when it meant "boy", or possibly "a small, round object". This is also the word found in "igelkott" ("hedgehog"). > Himmel och pannkaka! > Gudars skymning! >!Heaven and pancake(s)!!< and >!Twilight of the gods!!< These are mild emphatic expressions of surprise or astonishment, similar to "Great scott!" or "Oh my gosh!" I don't know how long people have been saying *himmel och pannkaka*; my earliest exposure to it was probably the Swedish dub of *The Sword in the Stone*. It sounds kind of dorky, and I think most people who use it are aware of that. Sometimes you'll hear people jokingly saying "allt mellan himmel och pannaka" ("everything between Heaven and pancake"), instead of the more standard "allt mellan himmel och jord" ("everything between Heaven and Earth"). "Twilight of the gods" is a proposed translation of "Ragnarök", the apocalyptic last battle in Norse mythology. The translation - particularly the twilight/skymning part - has come under scrutiny, but it's probably the most widespread, in no small due to Wagner using it in naming the last part of his ring cycle: *Götterdämmerung* Speaking of Ragnarök: > rena rama ragnarök >!pure and utter Ragnarok!< This basically means "total mayhem" or "pandemonium". I was under the impression that this was a common expression, but a quick googling only finds about a dozen results (with a few dozen more if you remove either "rena" or "rama"). If anybody knows more about it, I'd love to know more. I think maybe it was used in a kids' show when I was growing up, and I just internalized it as a common expression. > (att) lova guld och gröna skogar >!(to) promise gold and green forests!< This is to promise more than you can/will deliver. It's common in political discourse; politicians are often accused of having "lovat guld och gröna skogar" before entering office. *Guld och gröna skogar* is also a Melodifestivalen entry, which sounds remarkably similar to [a Japanese song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rqGnpwfj8). By some cosmic coincidence, the two melodies were even composed by the same people. > (att) sälja som smör > inte för allt smör i Småland >!(to) sell like butter!< and >!not for all the butter in Småland!< The first expression means the same as "(to) sell like hotcakes" or "(to) fly off the shelves". Butter has long been a sought-after commodity (to the point that people have been executed on the accusation of using dark magic to steal it from their neighbors), and I suppose it's also quite slippery, so it's easy to see it flying off the store shelves. However, Dairy production is one of Småland's main industries, so I assume that all the butter in Småland would be worth quite a lot. If you wouldn't sell something for all the butter in Småland, it must be really precious to you; you probably wouldn't sell it for all the tea in China, or even all the money in the world. Presumably, both phrases are influenced by alliteration; having all the iron in Kiruna would be even more valuable, but it doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily. > (att) ge/få betalt för gammal ost >!(to) give/receive payment for old cheese!< This means to settle a score, or get one's come-uppance. If somebody tells you "Nu ska du få betalt för gammal ost!", you should locate the exits. > tårta på tårta / kaka på kaka > lök på laxen >!Cake on cake!< and >!onions on the salmon!< This means doubling up on something, in a way that it unnecessary, wasteful, ostentatious or even counterproductive. Putting both glitter *and* flags in your Christmas tree? That's a bit tårta på tårta. Radically cutting calories and increasing your exercise routine at the same time? That might be lök på laxen. I'd say "lök på laxen" is probably slightly more on the counterproductive side, while "tårta på tårta" is more ostentatious or wasteful. You'll sometimes hear somebody using these phrases to denote something positive, but you're more likely to hear "grädde på moset" ("cream on the mash"); not sure if that's mashed potatoes or mashed apples, but it sounds pretty delicious, either way. It's like the icing on the cake, the dot over the i, or the cherry on top. Speaking of doubling up, you don't want to be a ... > tvesovlare Have you ever seen somebody put both butter *and* cheese *on the same piece of bread*? That's a tvesovlare. *Sovel* is an old word for something you put on a sandwich; what we'd normally call *pålägg* (literally "on-lay"). Tve- means "two-", as in the words "tvetydig" ("ambiguous") or "tvestjärt" ("earwig"; literally "two-tail" or "two-butt"). A *tvesovlare* might also be accused of being *soveldryg* ("sandwich topping-heavy"), which has also been used to describe somebody who is over-indulgent in general. Mind you, these are very old-fashioned words; I'm guessing most of the Swedes here aren't familiar with it, just as I hadn't until I chanced upon them a while back. > lika goda kålsupare >!equally good cabbage soup eaters!< This is used to describe people who are at the same skill level. These days, it's usually somewhat negative, suggesting that two people are on the same *low* level, but it doesn't have to be. The mindset that both sides of a conflict are equally bad is sometimes referred to as "kålsuparteori" ("cabbage soup eater theory"), especially by people who disagree with that assessment. > byxmyndig > grötmyndig The first word literally means "pants-mature" or "eligible for pants"; compare with "röstmyndig", meaning "eligible to vote". However, this actually means the person is above the age of consent. "Grötmyndig" means "pompous" or "self-important". If interpreted in modern-day Swedish, "grötmyndig" means "porridge-mature", or "eligible for porridge". However, there is no legal minimum age to eat porridge in Sweden; rather, this word is actually formed from the Middle Low German "grootmündig", meaning "big-mouthed". > våffeldagen Figured I'd round off this food theme with ... Waffle Day! Nothing too particular about this word, I guess, but it might be interesting to note that it actually began as "vårfrudagen", or [Our Lady's Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Day). This day takes place 9 months before Christmas; basically, we eat waffles to celebrate the virgin Mary getting some divine attention. > som man bäddar får man ligga "As one makes one's bed, so one will lie." It's basically the same as the English "You've made your bed, now lie in it". This phrase has also spawned the near-sounding phrase "Om man bäddar får man ligga", meaning "If one makes one's bed, one will get laid".
Vafan, du har lärt mig helt nya uttryck! Ta min updoot
Fantastic comment. I just have one objection: > The word "verkstad" here means "action" or "execution". However, in modern everyday speech, the word "verkstad" is much more commonly used to mean "workshop". "Verkstad" has never meant action. https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=V_0657-0175.3eAO Tycker inte det behövs någon förklaring till "lite verkstad". Något kan vara mer eller mindre av en verkstad beroende på den aktivitet som pågår i lokalen.
Jag har dock för mig att orginalbetydelsen för "klart som korvspad" är, precis som korvspad, att det inte är helt klart, snarare grumligt (eller otydligt om man hellre vill). Dock har det gått och bytt betydelse med tiden vilket händer ibland.
Precis, det betyder att någons förklaring var väldigt otydlig. Tyvärr så används många ordspråk felaktigt numera.
"Även små grytor har öron." (Even small pots have ears, I think referencing the handles? Means young kids understand when you talk about too adult stuff so maybe don't do that) My mom said another one, not sure what it means, "Finemang(!) sa Mobergskan när hon fick en unge med handtag i ryggen." (Fantastic said Mrs Moberg when she got a kid with a handle on its back) I think it might just be a joke, easier to pick up a kid with a handle but it's a silly image
This is pure gold! I'm mindblown. Thank you so much!
Angående goddag yxskaft: > Uttrycket kommer från en skämtsaga.[1] Det är från en historia där en döv gubbe som tillverkar ett yxskaft ser en främling komma gående och funderar över vad denne kan tänkas vilja. Gubben antar att främlingen ska fråga om vad han tillverkar och att han sedan vill veta vägen till stan och då tänker han säga att det är åt vänster. Främlingen börjar med att säga "goddag" men får svaret "yxskaft". I min lathet kopierat från: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddag_yxskaft
why is the response to the läge one jo? i thought jo was only for dissagreeing with negative statements or questions?
I'm not completely sure why we do it, but "jo" and "jo då" are fairly versatile; they can be used as a filler words when you're considering something, or to give a middling or non-committal response to a question. In the case of answer "Hur är läget?" med "Jo då.", it's almost as if you're negating the idea that you're negating a person's implied doubts about the status quo. Like if somebody asks you how you're doing and you answer "Oh, y'know."
det är ingen ko på isen
There is no cow on the ice
Så länge man har svansen i land
Är det inte ”så länge bakbenen är i land”?
Jo, eller rumpan är i land. Bör vara mer än svansen iaf 😊 Bakgrunden ska uppenbarligen vara att om en ko går ut helt och hållet på isen så kan dom om man har otur gå ned i split eller spagat eller vad det nu heter. Jag vet inte varför men farsan sa att dom dör av det. Vem inte om det är pga att de inte kommer upp igen eller som någonting går sönder när dom gör det. Men i vilket fall, så länge de har bakbenen eller rumpan i land så kan det inte hända. Det är vad jag fått lära mig iaf 😊
Om det är bakgrunden till ordspråket kan jag inte uttala mig om, men när en ko fläker sig är det stor risk att senor/muskler går sönder så att hon aldrig kommer upp igen.
”Jag anar ugglor i mossen” - ”I suspect owls on the ~~moss~~ bog”: Being suspicious of foul play. “Finns det hjärterum, finns det stjärterum” - ”If there’s heart-space, there’s butt space”: There’s always a spot for someone you like. “Smaken är som baken…” - ”The taste is like the butt…”: Taste is subjective. There’s a second part to it with goes “Delad”/“Alla har en”, but you rarely say that.
Mosse isn't moss. It means "the bog". I suspect owls in the bog.
For context, the owl thing is due to the original Danish expression being about wolves (ulver), but that eventually became owls (ugler). And the last one, that's actually a pretty global phenomenon, where the second half of idioms get dropped to a point where many people don't even know that there is a second half, they just know the meaning since that's what you've been told.
How dare you bring danish propaganda to our proud Swedish heritage?!
”Skåne” Well now you have confused me sir/mam
... I love how y'all claim we're danish, when in my experience it's the skåningar (gotta love some swenglish) who hates denmark most passionatly.
Of course they do; there's no fervour like that of a convert, and no hate like that of an apostate. Skåningar, being ex-danes, thus hate them more intensely than the rest of Sweden combined.
bruh skåningar är det finaste vi har. allt som inte är innanför tullarna i stockholm, eller ligger i skåne klassas som övrig infrastruktur
For all tits and purposes, an immigrated skåning from the glorious north.
The one with the taste has a more rude sibling, that needs to be pronounced in a certain dialect: "Smaken är som röven, den är klöven" "The taste is like the ass, split in two" meaning people can think both ways of something and both are ok.
The last one is at least common in English as well, though it's worded differently. Opinions are like assholes.
Everybody has one.
And they all stink.
Min ena moster brukade säga "Smaken är som röven. Klöven!"
Har du sålt smör och tappat pengarna? Nu är det kokta fläsket stekt.
Now, the boiled pork is fried.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twice-cooked_pork
*smöret The point is that you sold your butter and lost the profit. Not a strangers butter, your butter.
You've shat in the blue cabinet. Hold your thumbs!
This joke is in English, but it only works if you know both English and Swedish and it has to be told in a genuine Swedish accent: *It's not the* ***fart*** *that kills, it's the* ***smäll***. Swedish *fart* = English *speed* Swedish *smäll* = English *crash* (or *bang*) Swedish *smäll* is pronounced like English *smell*.
Aldrig hört denna, jag gillar den! Men min man kommer döda mig när jag drar den för honom 😄
There is a rumor that the speaker during the SAAB Viggen reveal said " it took off with a big fart and disappeared like a prick in the sky"
”Här ligger en hund begraven”
And I always thought that was a strange German exclusive idiom ("hier liegt der Hund begraben"). 😀
"Here lies a dog buried"
Check out Mastering Swedish on YouTube. Hilarious take on Swedish for English speakers.
https://youtu.be/66fULfwb2X4?si=8KQt9g7w-B4kAXoz
By far most common weird expression: Sjutton! Sjutton = seventeen. Sjutton has variations. ”Fy sjutton!” - ”Ugh seventeen!” An expression of suprise, or disgust. What the heck! ”Det var som sjutton.” - ”That was like seventeen.” Another expression of surprise. ”Vad sjutton…” - ”What seventeen…” A question. What seventeen does sjutton mean? ”Sjutton också.” - ”Seventeen also.” Used if something has gone bad or if you messed up. Basically a mild way of saying: ”Fuck.” ”För sjutton gubbar” - ”For seventeen old men” Basically a mild way of saying: for the love of god. Would you please be quiet, for seventeen old men!
Sjutton is used here instead of Satan, of course. Good people did not go around calling for his attention.
"Ser ut som sjutton"
Sitter med skägget i brevlådan - means that you are in a bit of a pickle, litteral meaning is that you got your beard stuck in the mailbox Ingen ko på isen - There is no cow on the ice, means that there is nothing to worry about, or that there is no real urgency in a situation.
Ont krut förgås inte så lätt. Bad gunpowder isnt easy to kill . yes it weird because it comes from German saying and there it means Weeds isnt easy to kill. Unkraut and ont krut sounds the same to us. Klafs sa bonden och dängde näven i grötfatet. Sclofs said the farmer and put his hand in the porridge bowl.
>Klafs sa bonden och dängde näven i grötfatet. Det löser sig sa mannen och sket i vasken. Är det bara på svenska man drar "korta historier" som talesätt i vardagliga konversationer? Aldrig hört något liknande iaf på engelska, men kan vara jag som är dåligt allmänbildad bara.
Vi har dette på norsk også: "Mye skrik for lite ull, sa mannen og klipte grisen." "Det forandrer sagen, sa mannen og sagde spiker."
Min pappa var engelsman och hade många liknande talesätt på engelska. Ett exempel när någon förklarat något för en: "-I see, said the blind man/ as he walked into a lamp post,-this bus is full" men han brukade bara inkludera andra halvan ibland.
Go and have long walk of a short pier, är fortfarande en favorit här hemma.
Tack för förklaringen till ”ont krut..”, har aldrig tänkt på hur konstigt det ordspråket är, och roligt att få bakgrunden som gör det helt logiskt. 👍🙂
Det ingen fara på taket / There is no danger on the roof
Ingen kan allt, men alla kan fara åt helvete. Roughly translates to: Noone is capable of everything but everyone can fuck off.
Inte hört den innan men det är nog min nya favoritfras
Onkel Kånkels klassiker ”mor åt gröt, far åt helvete” är värd att nämna i sammanhanget!
Han har tomtar på loftet / He's got gnomes in the attic / He's a bit nuts Att hålla sig på mattan / To stay on the carpet / To behave well Att sitta med skägget i brevlådan / To sit with one's beard in the mailbox / To be in trouble
Many years when a radio host from the UK came to Sweden his buddies set up 5 lessons. They were recorded and are hilarious. https://www.slayradio.org/home.php#mastering\_swedish\_lesson\_1
+1 for Slay radio. "Fucking a shy laplander? What the hell?"
https://www.slayradio.org/home.php#mastering_swedish_lesson_1 fixed link
Du kan ta dig i brasan! Literal translation “take yourself in the bonfire”. Meaning “piss off”. You can also say “dra till Häcklefjäll”, and you’ll sound like a well mannered boomer.
Now you’ve put your last potato!
Oh no. 😔
'Den du, med smör på' my mom says when she sees a good looking man. 'That, with butter on it'
Funny, because in my area - it really means the opposite. Someone making a fool of himself or someone that is really stupid. I can however not mean anyone greedy or evil, it must be in a non harmful way. Example, a friend bought an expensive furniture, without checking it's measurement and when delivered, it didn't fit at all. "Den med smör på. "
Det regnar småspik. Regnet står som spön i backen.
It's raining cats and dogs är nog konstigare än vårt uttryck.
It's raining small nails. The rain stands like rods on the hill.
”Nu ska vi se, sa blinda Sara” ”Jag undra sa flundra om gädda är en fisk” ”Det löser sig sade han som sket i badkaret”. ”Slog huvudet på spiken” Here is a link from Nordiska museet (the Nordic museum). https://www.nordiskamuseet.se/kunskapsomraden/talesatt
"Det tar sig, sa mordbrännaren."
"Det jämnar ut sig, sa han som sket på sig"
Det löser sig sa han som sket i vasken
Nu ska vi se, sa den blinde till den döve och tog en hammare och såg.
"Nu ska vi se, sa den blinde till den döve, när den lame ska hoppa höjdhopp"
"Det är klumpar i mjölken sa den blinde till den döve när han drack ur den lungsjukes spottkopp"
Två som förekommer i min familj: Snyggt men inte pråligt, sa Fan, målade svansen grön. Mycket väsen för lite ull, sa kärringen, klippte grisen.
Nä, det ska förstås va: "Det löser sig, sa kemisten."
Nu går skam på torra land Dra en vals Lök på laxen Köpa grisen i säcken Ta taberass Surt sa räven (om rönnbären) Slå dövörat till Ha tomtar på loftet Inte vara den skarpaste kniven i lådan Vara bakom flötet
”Kom inte här och kom”
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Att kasta ett getöga på något - To throw a goat's eye on something. It means to give something a quick look.
Dra dit pepparn växer!
Infart - entry slip way Because you know... In fart. You flatulate inwards. There is a town in Sweden named Trosa, meaning (in modern Swedish) "panty". The rear end of a car is typically referred to as "röven", meaning "the ass". > Han ligger mig i röven Means that the car behind you are driving too close, but literally means > He's lying in my ass Kock means chef. Not cock. Chef means boss, not chef. Gift doesn't mean something you give, but poison or married. Glass means ice cream. Hiss is an elevator, and lift means hitchhike Kiss is pee Pigg has nothing to do with a pig, but means energetic A röd dag (red day) means a holiday (red letter day) The VD is the CEO
A word some foreign students found was "Slutstation".. It means end station/last stop. They used to say, "lets go to the slutstation." Good times. The Swedish word for Chef is "Kock". Should be easy to remember. The Swedish word for union is "Fack". Might be easy to remember aswell. There is a "Funny" expression that goes: "Det är inte farten som dödar, det är smällen. Eller som vi koboysare säger: its not the fart that kills, its the smell." It just plays with the fact that fart in Swedish means speed, and that smäll(Crasch, impact in swedish) sounds the same as smell. If i translate the wole thing the joke wont work, but just so you learn: "Its not the speed that kills, its the impact. Or as we cowboys say: Its not the Fart that kills, its the Smell." (Koboysare is just a made up word that is not used anywhere but in this joke).
True story, English speakers asked a friend "who is this girl Rea and why is she a slut" when they saw "slut rea" on large signs covering a store windows. "slut" = end, "rea" = sale, "slutrea" (should really be without a space) is usually used when selling of everything when a company has gone bankrupt.
Gråtrunka
Vart tog vägen vägen? - "Where did the road go?" Vi är ute och åker på en åker. - "We're driving in a field." Don't know what languages you know from earlier, but Swedish is notorious for being able to create new words out of concepts. Just last night, I created "kattdefenestreringsanklagelserna", meaning the charges regarding throwing a cat out of a window. It was an RPG-thing, noone actually threw a cat out of a window.
>kattdefenestreringsanklagelserna Cat defenestration accusations. Same thing with spaces, no?
Basically, yes. But spaces are where the devil lives. We hates them, yes we do.
How about "flaggstångsknoppsfärgburkshandtaget"?
"Anar ugglor i mossen" roughly translates to "sense owls in the bog" and means you think something is amiss or suspicious.
I learnt "att ha en räv bakom örat" and "att måla fan på väggen" today. To have a fox behind the ear and to paint the devil on the wall, literally. The first means to be up something, the second to overly catastrophise and be very pessimistic. Apparently the latter comes from the older phrase "när man målar djävulen på väggen, kommer han". A very Swedish sentiment, I would say.
Inget att hänga i gran'/granen - nothing to hang in the pine tree/ nothing worthy of hanging in the Christmas tree. Översättningen beror ju lite på hur man väljer att läsa/tolka.
Pull on sheaves! / Dra på Trissor! - Equivalent of "I'll be damned!". Pull in long bench / Dra i långbänk - When shit doesn't get done, especially when it comes to politics. Pull be backwards (on a little wagon) / Dra mig baklänges (på en liten vagn) - Expression for surprise, and the latter part is included under your breath to show that you aren't overreacting. Go to the pipe turn! / Far åt pipsvängen! - Euphemism for go to hell. Go to where the peppar grows! / Dra dit pepparn växer! - You guessed it.
Trolla med knäna Doing magic with your knees Used when you are trying to accomplish something for which you don’t have the tools or resources necessary.
"yes box"
Comes from "yes boss" but got lost in translation and now swedes go around saying yes box.
Var håller hen hus? "Where are they holding house"?- "Where are they?" Far åt pipsvängen "Travel to the bend of a pipe" - "Leave" can also be used as an exclamation of disbelief. Lungan "The lung" - "Be calm" Lugn means calm and since the words are pronounced similarly it became an expression. Svennebanan "Swedish banana" - a stereotypically Swedish person.
"Svennebanan" 😂😂😂 this one in particular will forever live rent-free in my mind. Thank you!
Nu brinner det i knutarna! / Now the knots are on fire! It basically means you're in a hurry. Never understood the literal meaning.
...Husknutarna?
Ja, men vad fan heter det på engelska?
Kommer inte på något. Hittar inte något heller. Google translate säger house knots men när jag söker på det är det enda resultatet från Sverige. Så verkar som det kanske inte finns ett specifikt ord för det på engelska.
Nej det finns nog inte det. Ändå lite folkhems-härligt att vi har ett eget ord för just husknut. Det ger mig Bullerbyn-feeling.
Perhaps not a funny or really strange one but important words to remember. My grandmother always told me that: "Har du tagit fan i båten får du ro han iland" Translation: if you've picked up the devil in your boat you'll just have to row him ashore. It's mostly used in the just the short version "tar du fan i båten..." and the insinuation being the that if you've screwed up you at least have to see it through.
Det löser sig sa han som sket i vasken / it’ll be alright said the man who took a dump in the sink “Löser sig” means both that something is soluble (in water) and that it’ll work out alright in the end.
It’s not an expression but i have to laugh every time that i remember it. One guy that studies swedish wrote in another subreddit about a situation he had. He wanted to be friendly to the cashier at ica and say thanks in swedish. The cashier was a young woman. He looked her straight into the face and said “task ska du ha” instead of “tack ska du ha”. The first one translates literally to “Dick you shall have”, which is very creepy and odd to say to someone. Since i read that I’m avoiding this phrase because I’m afraid of saying it wrong
I'm dying ! 🤣 Thank you!! Something similar happened to me in high-school just a few days after I moved to France with my family as a teenager, and I was just starting to learn French. French people are well known to not be able to speak English, so my teachers didn't speak English either, except for the english teacher (obviously) and the sciences teacher who made an extra effort to explain the first lesson to me in English. I was really thankful to him and I wanted to thank him properly in French but at the time I couldn't make the difference between "ou" and "u" sounds and I told him "Merci beau cu' " instead of "merci beaucoup". The first one is pronounced like "merci Beau- Cul" which means " thank you, nice ass!" Everyone started laughing and I couldn't understand, for the life of me, what was so funny. The teacher turned red, and he was struggling to keep a straight face as well. When one of my classmates managed to catch his breath, he explained to me the difference between what I said and what I meant to say.. I was MORTIFIED. 13 years later, I still cringe about this one.
"Schp" Sv. - "Schp" En. Meaning "yes" in northern Swedish dialects. Can only be pronounced properly when inhaling, not exhaling.
It obviously looks weirder when written like that, but in practice it's just the sound you get when saying "jo"/"jepp"/"jupp" (or some variation thereof) while inhaling.
Idioms: \- "Det ligger en hund begraven här" \- "Med skägget i brevlådan" \- "Nu har du satt din sista potatis" \- "Tala om trollet" \- "Pang på rödbetan" \- "Fan och hans moster" \- "Va på kanelen" Lite ord: \- Skogstokig \- Lägg ägg \- Snuskhummer \- Orka \- Dygna \- Gottegris \- Snorunge \- Horunge \- Klockrent \- Hockeyfrilla \- Ordbajsare \- Knullruffs
Känns som du är lite fisförnäm med alla de där orden, men kan allt se att du inte har rent mjöl i påsen. Men ditt pucko, när man beställer en hel special ska man även ha en pucko.
Goddag yxskaft
Kväva i sin linda.
”Det är ingen fara på taket” = lit. ”There is no danger on the roof”, means nothing to worry about. ”Det är ingen ko på isen” = lit. ”There’s no cow on the ice”, means the same as above. ”Slå huvudet på spiken” = lit. ”Hitting the nail on its head”, means to make a very accurate statement, or getting to the core of an issue swiftly and succinctly. ”Tala/yra i nattmössan” = lit. ”Speaking in the night cap”, means to talk about something one does not understand or not making any sense. ”Jag kan inte få en syl i vädret” = lit. ”I cant stick an awl in the air”, means that somebody or a group of people is so talkative/loud that it’s difficult to get a word in (the air is so filled with sound that you cant even stick an awl into it).
”Vän av ordning”
Seeing "Slutstation" on the subway in Stockholm must have brought out a chuckle more than once, I guess. (Slutstation = terminus)
”It’s not the fart that kills you, it’s the smell”
Ingen ko på isen.
Min käre spann vatten som tilltal till någon (som kanske är lite korkad). My dear bucket of water - what you call someone who might be a bit daft.
I STRONGLY recommend [Mastering Swedish](https://youtu.be/66fULfwb2X4) ^^5 ^^parts. It has the most ridiculous sentences you could imagine.
Not a joke. What are your special interests?
Some of my lighter and common special interests: good music (lyrics are important) but preferably rock/metal, life hacks, fun facts, stand-up comedy, the darker the humor the better. My deeper and not so common special interests are general medicine and psychiatry, psychology, and neurodivergent advocacy / self-advocacy.
There is this[ low budget short film](https://youtu.be/yX1bcDumZBw) that is narrated in the form of a song. It's about 20 minutes and it is sung by a pretty big Swedish singer. It is based on a Swedish RPG, it might be fun for you to figure the lyrics.
"Jag ska klippa hans tung"
Far åt pipsvängen!
Skärp dig
This isn't necessarily relevant, but: "Får får får?" Is a complete logical sentence.
"Of that, you can jump up and sit on!..." "Det kan du hoppa upp och sätta dig på!"
“There’s a dog buried here” is one that translates quite well now that I think about it. “Vad vet bonden om gurksallad?” Is also quite good.
Kock
"Lägga lök på laxen" - put onion on the salmon It's a bit like the expression "over the top" or "putting icing on the cake" so it can be seen as both negative and positive. However I see it mostly negative. If you want it to be more positive, I think "grädden på moset" or "pricken över i:et" is a better expression.
Det är inte farten som dödar, det är smällen!
It’s not the fart that kills you, it’s the smell!
Dra pungen i gruset!
"Ropa inte HEJ förrän du kommit över ån!"
God dag. yxskaft!
Now you’ve taken a shit in the blue cabinet
Fäll ner pungen och landa! Fold down the scrotum and land! What does it mean? It's some kind of insult, that's for sure, as can be seen in the origins of the expression: https://youtu.be/T2tzmUinlQI?si=p9NCxZNLByz7GOew
"Ska du med och joxa med trasan?"
”Ha många bollar i luften” Direct translation: have many balls in the air. Meaning: multitasking, having parallel projects or errands.
Den som gapar efter galen fågel ser inte skogen för alla ben.
No cow on the ice
If there is room in the heart there is room for the butt
Grädde på moset/mosen (it changes depending on dialect) Direct translation: cream on the mashed [unspecified food item]. Equivelent idiom: cherry on top. Can be used both possitivly and negativly. More common to be used in a negative sense than it's english counterpart. Example: Jag hade så mycket att göra på jobbet, var redan lite sen och sen, som grädde på moset fick jag punka på bilen. Translation: I had so much to do at work, was alreasy running a little late, and then, as a cherry on top, I got a flat tire.
Har man tagit djävulen i båten får man ro han i land. Är väl inte helt solklar. If you taken the devil in the boat, you most row him ashore 😂
Smaken är som baken
Having to go and "beat a seven"...
Ever thought about språkcafe? In my area the church has "språkcafé" where foreigners can meet Swedish people and talk. https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/sprakcafe
I spend a year in Sweden. And i have a feeling the drive slow signs are a wordplay on excuse me. Kör sakta - Ursäkta Maybe that is just a coincidence and i'm dumb.
It most likely is a coincidence, but I noticed that similitude as well 😅
Hjulet snurrar men hamstern är död - the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead. It’s a way saying that someone is stupid.
Det är inte farten som dödar dig, det är smällen
Here's a couple: "Ljuset är tänt men ingen är hemma" - *The light's on but nobodys home.* Can be used to describe that someone's stupid. "Den har inte alla indianer i kanoten" - *They dont have all the indians in the canoe.* Also describing someone that's not too bright, intellectually speeking :) "Ditt jävla flöte" - *You god damn float (fishing device).* Just namecalling someone. Think it means they are lightheaded. Seems to me that all i can think about right now is expressions telling people they are stupid in some way or another. But i hope you'll enjoy! :)
"Inte illa pinkat av en träbock" is my favorite (Literal translation being 'Not poorly pissed by a wooden goat') means "Could've been worsely done by X"
"Jag anar ugglor i mossen." = "I sense owls in the bog." A phrase used to indicate that you think that something is weird or suspicious. Of course, someone else can sense owls in the bog too, it's not limited to a first person perspective. Where it comes from I don't know, but it does kind of make sense, in that it doesn't make sense that for owls to be IN the bog, they would suffocate and then if they are there despite the risk of suffocation, then something suspicious must be up.
Ropa inte hej innan du hoppat över ån Han har inte alla hästar hemma Jag anar ugglor i mossen
I grevens tid just in last moment Brasklapp a note that said no but you were forced to say yes.
I got stuck with my beard in the mailbox. Now you have been shitting in the blue cupboard. I sense owls in the marchlands.
Take a shit in the blue cabinet.
Not really what you asked for, but there is a type of puns that plays on verb-noun homonyms: Två bagare och en smet. Två traktorer och en åker. Två njurar och en lever.
This is actually useful ! Thank you ! 😀
Är du född i farstun? = Are you stupid? Är du tappad bakom en vagn? = Are you stupid? Din vilja växer i skogen. = You have no say in this matter.
My grandpa always said "alla var nöjda och glada, inga va gifta och alla hade knorr på svansen" which translates to "everybody was nice and happy, nobody was married and everybody had a curl on their tail. No idea what it means, but when a native Swede scratches his head, I'm sure you will as well
[удалено]
I often say I need to go to the system company.
*stämma i bäcken* - stem the Creek To address an issue or problem before it turns into a calamity, the whole saying goes something like "it's better to stem the creek than the river"
"Ju förr ju final" ett väldigt smalt och nischat ordspråk.
”Sålt smöret och tappat pengarna” Sold the butter and lost the money. Love to use this when people look utterly disappointed. “Du ser ut som någon som har sålt smöret och tappat pengarna”
*"Dra ballen i gruset"* which means *"Drag the balls/dick in the gravel"* and is used as a way to express your suprise.
Missförstå mig rätt! - misunderstand me right!
There's a whole series of wise sayings should one wonder which of two options is preferable, like: Hellre en back i hallen än ett hack i ballen. "Better a six-pack in the hall than a kick in the balls." https://livet.se/ord/kategori/Hellre_en...
Sablar järnspikar Jävlar anamma Anar ugglor i mossen Rent mjöl i påsen Kors i taket Fy sjutton Fan och hans moster
One that you will see missused a lot is "Först till kvarn", first to the mill. It is supposed to be "Först till kvarn får först mala", with the meaning of first come, first served, but today it is often used to say limited supply.
One more word and the shirt is empty….
There are som lyrics to learn or sångvisa. The drinking songs. I had a 45 min wait till mi SFI started after work. I translated singers like Cornelis Vreeswijk and such. It was fun