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Discussion » Questions » Humor and Jokes » Kalsarikännit anyone?
Benedict Arnold

Kalsarikännit anyone?

Category: Silly Questions.

Words from the Nordic countries that cannot be translated into one single word in English. 

Posted - March 1, 2017
Tags : language Silly Questions Finland Geography Kalsarikännit

Responses


  • LOL!

    The feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear – with no intention of going out.

    A drink. At home. In your underwear. And there is a word for it. Kalsarikännit.

      March 1, 2017 9:47 AM MST
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  • 17261
    Haha, are you ready? Cheers!
      March 1, 2017 9:50 AM MST
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  • Always!
      March 1, 2017 9:56 AM MST
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  • 17261
    Off goes the clothes. 

      March 1, 2017 10:16 AM MST
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  • Translated as " Glistening".
      March 1, 2017 11:05 AM MST
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  • 17261
    There you go. See how far away from its meaning it is? Rooster had it right. ;-)
      March 1, 2017 2:18 PM MST
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  • I really should get my affairs in order   and move to Scandinavia.  All these customs are designed for me. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 1, 2017 10:05 PM MST
      March 1, 2017 4:58 PM MST
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  • 17261
    Haha. You'd have to live with lots of regulations and a different set of interpretation of freedom to speech. Not to talk about taxes, social welfare doesn't come cheap. ;-)
      March 1, 2017 10:05 PM MST
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  • Oh Sapphic Heart, this is the BEST word!
      March 1, 2017 4:09 PM MST
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  • 17261
    Great one, eh? I imagined their might be one or two around who'd understand to appreciate it. Apparently kalsarikännit is the new word and has taken over for hygge. I read a short notice/article about this and it inspire don't my five questions yesterday. Lol.
      March 1, 2017 10:44 PM MST
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  • SapphicHeart, I like your words SO much that I am thinking to post some of my favourite obsolete words (English) that really are so wonderful they should be brought back...wishful thinking, anyway!
    I will do it if I can get around to that...

    Meanwhile I am going to copy kalsarikännit, along with its meaning and how to pronounce it, and start using it here in Tenino!
      March 1, 2017 11:19 PM MST
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  • 17261
    Lovely. And don't forget the hygge when having a fika. Having a watch on the Northern lights when visiting a geyser and to enjoy the food and drinks after giving a hand at a dugnad. :-)
      March 2, 2017 12:54 AM MST
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  • Well, um, sounds good to me, even though I am STILL not sure of all the words...are you Finnish heritage, SapphicHeart?

    Oh...I do recall the dugnad, that is neighbors all helping each other out, olden times, like our barn-raising! This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 2, 2017 1:29 AM MST
      March 2, 2017 1:10 AM MST
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  • 17261
    I will remain my heritage a secret as I prefer staying anonymous. Coming from smaller countries makes it kinda difficult to share as much as we would like, if we also want to remain anonymous. Meh.

    I do love words. And reading that short article about kalsarikännit made me look into all the five Nordic countries to find  a word that was kind of a concept and as such impossible to translate into one single English word. The dugnad is Norwegian, hygge is Danish, fika Swedish, and geyser is Icelandic. I made a question about each of these words and included a clip that explained the concepts, or at least tried doing so. With one exception for the Icelandic geyser as it has been taken into the English vocabulary. :-)
      March 2, 2017 1:30 AM MST
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  • Hmmm...I sometimes wonder if I divulge too much of my own personal information online...
    For me it has been difficult to curtail long habits of (perhaps too much) openness!

    Anyway as you see, I truly enjoyed your words.
      March 2, 2017 8:08 AM MST
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  • 17261
    I am very glad you did, and I love getting your replies. They always give me reason to use my head a bit more. Thank you. :-)
      March 2, 2017 8:13 AM MST
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