Swedish expressions make no sense (feat. Stefan Thyron)

[@StefanThyron]

Wow such a fun video to record and fun to watch again with your amazing editing skills! 🙌🏼

[@mikaelkarlsson635]

Very entertaining for me too! Thanks.👍

[@woolyshambler7571]

Actually, to be "eld and lågor" about something is getting excited. You can be eld och lågor about something that thrills you, not just angers you.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

It’s ONLY about being fired uo in the positive sense. The problem is young Swedes these days constantly get their own idioms confused and mix up their metaphores 🤣

[@Idaho1989]

Yes!

[@kjejon1]

@@gnarbeljo8980 yep

[@CreRay]

After the video I was gonna say that this expression has a different meaning in dutch, but now I know that even this one is exactly the same in dutch:)

[@Achmesu]

Its definitely not being angry. It is getting excited. Lot of Swedish kids sadly don't understand the idioms nowadays as pointed out by Gnarbl.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

Equivalents: Sakta i backarna =hold your horses, eld och lågor-over the moon, ha något i kikaren- got something up your sleeve

[@mellertid]

I disagree on the last one, it's related but to have sth up your sleeve is closer to "ha något i bakfickan" while "att ha något i kikaren" is to be up to something, have a secret plan.

[@aliciabergman1252]

Bli eld och lågor means you are really enthusiastic

[@revan6727]

yeah, its not being angry.

[@sofieo4851]

I came here to say this.

[@MeaganAfterDark]

Oh no! If only I had made a free account, I would’ve known 🥲

[@aliciabergman1252]

@@MeaganAfterDark No worries 😉 and you’ve got us so no need for a free acount

[@aliciabergman1252]

@@MeaganAfterDark btw not sure if you’ve done this but i’d love to hear your opinion of some swedish music and other media💕

[@gee530]

”Glida på en räkmacka” = Getting served on a silver platter. You got something/somewhere by someone elses work/doings. And "Att vara i eld och lågor" is not to be angry, but to be very excited. I guess the english version is "To be fired up" or "Inflamed with enthusiasm".

[@DisaFeiffFaith]

If you get some position by dumb luck or without merits you can use the variation "Glida in på ett bananskal"

[@Nekotaku_TV]

It's not only because of someone else, it's just to make progress by no effort.

[@Erotomania89]

"Bli eld och lågor" is not getting angry! It's more like being super excited about something. Or being very passionate about something.

[@popauloline]

Precis, ”jag blev eld och lågor när jag fick veta att jag vann budgivningen” t.ex.

[@ela83a]

Ja den fick de helt om bakfoten 🤣

[@christinesalomonsson1082]

@@ela83a japp - vi var flera som reagerade 😃

[@KasperochSiri]

Jag tror att det är lite som "grina" det betyder olika på olika ställen i landet för där jag är ifrån betyder det att bli arg :D

[@stoferb876]

@@KasperochSiri Mera att man kan bli passionerat arg också, så det kan innebära ilska. Om någon blir "eld och lågor" så kan det vara att de blir arga eller har ett hett temperament. Men det är själva det plötsliga uppblossandet eller utbrottet som som är själva meningen inte om det är på grund av ilska eller ångest eller förälskelse eller rättspatos eller nåt annat. Men om någon helt plötsligt blir väldigt utåtagerande och aktiv så är det ju för det mesta ilska, så att det tolkas så är ju inte konstigt.

[@fetlix]

Ooooh Stefan AND Maegan? now that's a flawless collab

[@anders630]

"Skörda offer" is commonly used in news reports talking about traffic accidents, smoking, drugs, cancer and similar things that takes a number of lives each year. Edit: I think the english equivalent would be that "something have taken its toll".

[@swedishmetalbear]

Reaping victims.

[@DisaFeiffFaith]

Yes, like for example: "Pandemin har redan skördat miljontals offer"

[@Korine85]

I don’t know why, but “Anna has owls in the mosque” made me laugh so hard. Such a fun video. I love how you edit.

[@mrcorner1216]

Man, the quiz didn't even include most of my favorite idioms. You should have a swedish friend pick out some weird swedish sayings and do this again! It's a fun video idea :)

[@fredriklarsson9415]

I would say that "eld och lågor" actully is to be very excited about something. So excited you're getting all "fire and flames" about it.

[@Asa...S]

The "skörda offer" probably comes from "liemannen", the grim reaper, having a scythe and he's harvesting human lives, for instance in an accident. Usually used about some incident that caused a lot of deaths.

[@suntiger745]

Correct, although there is also a positive use of it, in ‘skördar stora framgångar’, usually referring to sports events, like “Pernilla Wigren skördar stora framgångar i slalomligan ute i europa och är nu uppe på en andraplats totalt efter segern in Val d’isere i helgen’. Both are harvest-related, and like many countries with a historically large rural/farming population the ties between the harvest and the reaper is strong, depending if it was bountiful or scarce (or lost due to weather).

[@KasperochSiri]

To me "skörda offer" can also be to be "hänsynslös" = ruthless.

[@samnilsson2732]

My favorite Swedish idiom is easily “to poo in the blue cabinet”

[@MikaelMurstam]

"Att glida på en räkmacka" means to have everything arranged/paid for you. A shrimp sandwich is a bit expensive and exclusive. To glide on it just means that you have everything paid for basically.

[@Majtzy]

What an amazing duo, so much fun!

[@alexandermckay8065]

I have to say. You two have great "camera chemistry" together in all areas on this video. You kept my attention from not hitting the fast forward button. I was totally listening to both of you in detail discuss some of the culture and social quirkiness of Swedish household items, which I have been wondering myself too!? Thank you both for the content and looking forward to seeing you again discuss your like minded or opposite views at everyday cultural and social life in Sweden as two Americans with different backgrounds living in Sweden.

[@mstenberg8288]

"Att skörda offer" is most commonly used when talking about natural disasters like tsunamis or hurricanes.

[@hannavictoriamorck5313]

Exakt. Typ som: ”Pandemin har skördat många offer.”

[@johanhalvarsson2148]

Or just someone doing careerchoices that, while benefitting them, has a negative impact on others. Or a sportsteam that are on a roll beating other teams left and right.

[@bengtsoderman]

Wonderful video. A good laugh in the middle of my workday. Here are some more. "Slå huvudet på spiken" "Kasta sten i glashus" "Finns sig tillrätta" "Dra det längsta strået" "Smida medan järnet är varmt" "Prata i nattmössan" Keep going with your channel. SO NICE to watch.

[@CreRay]

"Som träffas av blixten", "Bli eld och lågor", "Ha gröna fingrar", "Kronan på verket", "Ha näsa för något", "Skörda offer" ALL of these expressions are *exactly* the same in dutch which I find amazing! I could never have guessed there would be so much similarities. Fun and lärorik video, please do more of these! My swedish is honestly at about the same level as you guys so I hope I find my dream job in Sweden soon:)

[@katam6471]

Sweden was highly influenced by 'plattyska' (Low German in English, I think) during the days of the Hanseatic League. So I'm not surprised to learn a lot of idioms are the same in Swedish and Dutch. :-)

[@CreRay]

@@yt45204 Inte vad jag vet, men tack för att lära mig ett nytt uttryck:)

[@CreRay]

@@katam6471 I didn’t know this, thanks for the explanation. Luckily the Swedish grammar is so much simpler than both dutch and german:)

[@katam6471]

@@CreRay I know. I studied German in high school and never got on good terms with the grammar. Now, 30 years later I've decided to learn Latin. I dont know if I'm brave or just plain stupid. ;-)

[@suntiger745]

Att “glida in på en räkmacka” means someone is getting promoted or rewarded without earning it. Either bypassing the regular promotion routines through contacts/nepotism, or taking credit for someone else’s work. Or less work related, showing up to a gathering or event once it is ready to start and all the work to set it up has been done, when you were supposed to have helped with the setting up. The reason ‘räkmacka’ is used in this idiom is because shrimp and shrimp sandwhiches used to be a delicacy that cost more than other condiments, so it was something regular people/medelsvensson only ate at special occasions. The upper class on the other hand could eat shrimps whenever they wanted, because money. (So could fishermen, but since they do the work of actually catching the shrimp it’s not the same. Lots of old class structures/resentment in this one.)

[@mallearoundtheworld6932]

I LOVE Stefans response when you tried to throw the shoe horn under the buss. Just face it. Shoe horns are briliant!

[@ErikWidlund]

haha love this "Honorable mention: att glida in på en räkmacka" ^^

[@anderslavas4101]

Meagan, you pronounce ö very well! Most people with foreign language backgrounds tend to pronounce it like å.

[@HeyItsMelinax]

The collab we all needed😍

[@christinesalomonsson1082]

No, eld och lågor . If you gave me a fantastic idea, i get very excited - I am very eld och lågor about it!

[@christinesalomonsson1082]

Not angry, alltså

[@Angelica_Weber]

No! “Bli eld och lågor” is being over excited 😆

[@petra9923]

If you make a painting, or some other type of art that can also be called ”ett verk”. Like ”hantverk” is handycraft.

[@najtrows]

yeah, verk can just be used for a product but usually a product you really like or adore.

[@Asa...S]

Basically it´s "work", but not in the job sense, but more like "Collected work of Shakespeare", Shakespears samlade verk. Konstverk is artwork and so on.

[@robhobsweden]

Or one's creation.

[@fornamnefternamn1532]

@@Asa...S I agree, nowadays we say "jobba" or "arbeta", I am pretty sure we only said "verka" before English and German affected our language. "Bo och verka" means "live and work".

[@TheJonasbz]

As the giant in Twin Peaks said to agent Cooper: "The owls are not what they seam"

[@emanuelkihl]

wait, this is the ultimate swedish crossover. I love both of you

[@digitsandfidgets]

Love this collab!

[@comedyriff5231]

Fun video! I´d say for the idiom "kronan på verket", verket refers to a creation, a piece. Like an art piece (for example konstverk in Swedish). Verket just like Stefan said also refers to like a government agency, but in this saying it refers to a more of an art piece, so "kronan på verket" is like the crown on something already beautiful or great. The last little thing you you add that makes it perfect.

[@fornamnefternamn1532]

Yes, I guess it also means "arbete". Nowadays we say "jobba" or "arbeta", I am pretty sure we only said "verka" before English and German affected our language. "Bo och verka" means "live and work".

[@kalas-kurt]

Haha my god. Just lovely. Would be interesting if the off camera guy helped describe why some of the things meant what it did though

[@simonbernsdorffwallstedt7452]

The collab we been waiting for!

[@saibot1221]

The collab we never expected but needed.

[@fornamnefternamn1532]

I am pretty sure "verka" is the original word and that "work" is derived from it, but that's just extrapolating how Old Norse affected English. Nowadays we say "jobba" or "arbeta", but I guess we only said "verka" before English and German affected our language. "Bo och verka" means "live and work".

[@kaiserkarl2]

Aldrig hört NÅGON amerikan har ett så fint uttal som du! Du har helt uppenbart en stor fallenhet för språk! :)

[@JessieArvid93]

This was great! Please do a video with both of you watching classic swedish clips like "vem vare som kasta", "ring åklagarn" och "du har en fågel" etc.😂

[@Niinsa62]

I think some of the idioms were presented in a weird way by that quiz app you were using. Like "smälta som vax", which really nobody would say on its own like that. You would say it more in context, like "hon smälte som vax i mina händer". Which means that she was like putty in my hands, or whatever. I've never heard it out of that context, with a person mentioned, and the hands. Also, "sakta i backarna" is something you tell someone as an order: "Hallå där, sakta i backarna!" Like "Hey there, take it slow!" The way the quiz presented it made is sound like you could use it otherwise, like "I was chilling last night, you know, I took it sakta i backarna." That would just be plain wrong, you don't use it that way. So the quiz really didn't present the idioms in the proper context. Which made at least some of them sound weirdly off even to me as a Swedish person. Still, fun video to watch!

[@tedyboy3932]

must say i really like your videos, and i´m really impressed about your swedish especially if you concider the "short" time too, and also it´s great to hear so much positive things about sweden, bc many swedes nag about many of the things tha you LOOVE :) and it´s sad that we don´t get how great things really is :) but i guess it´s like that when you grow up with everything and take it for granted :)

[@MarcusPalle]

This is the best crossover episode i have ever seen

[@Merecir]

Nu har du skitit i det blå skåpet 😄

[@lindaallgen7651]

Glömde nu har du skitit i det blåskåpet och lätt som en plätt. 😅👌😂

[@anna-karinwikstrom4410]

Bli eld och lågor betyder inte att bli arg. Nej fel av facit

[@Frendh]

Haha, "When you got your hand in the hummus seeds." I am keeping that one. My english speaking mates are going to be so confused when I throw that out there.

[@Youtube_Globetrotter]

This was very funny, thank you!

[@ollebrandt]

So Fun! Now I must check Stefans channel! Räkmackan alludes effortlessness, and in a sense just casually.... So like being helped either by faith or luck into the situation....

[@charliekoohler4774]

Some words you didn't quite figure out: Verk: creation of any kind, usually artistic Ana: have an incling/to think something (is going to happen) Salighet: holiness/sacredness Backarna: the hills Yw, this was an awesome video, I had not heard of the last one!

[@najtrows]

you could do more of these. if you need any help creating a quiz we could send some suggestions! btw "skörda offer" seemed the most out of place of them all :P

[@najtrows]

also "glida på en räkmacka" means you have been "born with a silver spoon in your mouth" pretty much. räkmacka is a summer delight when on vacation to the coast pretty much, a bit pricey but for a swede it is a great treat and you can buy a "räkmacka" most places when it's the season and still a lot of places when it is not the season for it. I think as usual it is a bit regional and personal exactly what it means, for me it seems like some people uses this phrase about people randomly getting through life easily and not just because they had rich parents or anything like that. but sometimes it seems like people only mean that you had rich parents or something like that too. also "born with a silver spoon in your mouth" exists as a phrase in swedish too.

[@satanihelvetet]

I liked this alot! You're both very good in what you do on your own way, but you are great also together.

[@Shadowthevampire]

Im dissipointed that you didn't get "Duu har skitit i det blå skåpet" "You have taken a shit in the blue cupboard"

[@sofiesweden]

Yes! Me too! It's one of the best! 😁👍

[@jan-akesteen2126]

Riding THE gravy train-glida på en räkmacka

[@peolindstrom8570]

That was fun to watch😂

[@tefteulf]

I must say that both Megan and Stefan "har alla hästar hemma!"

[@agent_o_range]

The ana ugglor i mossen that would sort of translate to sensing there are owls in(on?) the moor is actually a faulty translation from (originally I believe) a danish idiom that is along the lines of “ana ulvar I mossen”. Ulv being wolf (in both Swedish and Danish though varg is the more commonly used word in Swedish) it’s a reasonable idiom but with the (from a Swedish perspective) bit of slurry nature of Danish it got misinterpreted at some point. Ugglor - ulvar…it’s not worlds apart. This kind of explains the weirdness of it because as it is it doesn’t really make sense to Swedish people either.

[@Frendh]

ulv --> uv --> uggla

[@Nekotaku_TV]

Haha yeah I've always thought it was so weird. Thank you.

[@lars-gunnarastrom4535]

Ana ugglor i mossen "There is something as is not right""

[@agent_o_range]

@@KurtFrederiksen then I guess we just imported it that way and the switch happened before that.

[@jonashansson2320]

@@KurtFrederiksen So, it's because danes don't understanding danish? Yeah, seems legit. :)

[@thedude4795]

you have really good pronunciation. Like really, you can feel proud of yourself :) /dude from stockholm

[@johanjacobsen393]

“Att glida på en räkmacka” basically means that you complete something without any effort. For example: you could say that people with famous parents sometimes goes through life on a “räkmacka” since they’ve got advantages. Although to my knowledge theres not really any logic behind why you say shrimp sandwich..

[@najtrows]

I think räkmacka is used just because we Swedes mostly see it as a nice treat you only get once in a while. But someone is using the goodness of that treat everyday and gliding through life on it. Like.. you can afford to eat one everyday because your life is so nice.

[@johanjacobsen393]

@@najtrows gillar hur du tänker ;)

[@christinesalomonsson1082]

Glida frAm på en räkmacka. Någon har krattat manegen 🥴

[@johanjacobsen393]

@@christinesalomonsson1082 näej nu har du skitit i det blå skåpet

[@suntiger745]

Not quite. ‘Glida in på en räkmacka’ does have class structure roots, but is usually used about adults. People born to rich and/or famous parents are said to be “född med silversked i mun”. (Born with a silver spoon in their mouth, implying an easier start in life), though there can be some overlap.

[@thomasjonsson2766]

There's a sayng that says: "ont krut fårgås inte så lätt". It sounds odd in Swedish too (evil gunpowder is not easy to get rid off). It comes from an old misspelling of the German word unkraut meaning weed, and weed can be difficult to get rid off.

[@reineh3477]

"Ana ugglor i mossen." Har inget med ugglor att göra utan troligen ulv (gammalt ord för varg) men då det kunde betyda otur att prata om vargen så sade man uggla.

[@dennisjohansson4609]

More of this please😄😄

[@betong3449]

"Att glida på en räkmacka" means that you're getting things served on a silver platter, or you have an easy way in life, pretty much.

[@athena12373]

Fun collaboration

[@essp3688]

Jaaa, äntligen gör ni ett samarbete. 😍

[@herrbonk3635]

5:10 Verket could be an establishment, but also something you built, did, or accomplished. You could also compare the word _verk_ with english _work._ They are near cognates, with similar etymologies.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

Other fun ones: han har tomtar på loftet=he’s a bit wacko (not all there as in delusional), Hon var inte med på noterna- she wasn’t playing along or wasn’t in on it, wasn’t having it, Ingen ko på isen-no big deal (or disaster), tjall på linjen-bad connection (phone line), Tror du jag var född i farstun, eller?- Do I honestly look that stupid (as to believe that, who’s leg do you think your pulling?), Är du tappad bakom en vagn?-are you a complete moron? (Someone drop you on your head?) Nu har du allt målat in dig i ett hörn (lit. Painted yourself into a corner) put yourself between a rock and a hard place, or talked yourself into a losing battle, lost your argument by your own fault, Nu har du allt satt din sista potatis- You just planted your last potato buddy, (selfexplanatory works well in English too! Lol, you’re gonna get it!) Another idiom with same definition as Ugglor i mossen is Här ligger en död hund begraven. (jag) anar oråd. Ros eller ris- (lit.Rose or spanking) good or bad critique, (the ris isn’t rice or spank but the little brush/twigs children were spanked with back in the days of yore) Halka in på ett bananskal-adding quite late to a conversation (often budding into an overheard one) ”ursäkta om jag halkar in på ett bananskal men…” Gräddfil-not just as the literal food but fil as in lane-cream lane, lane of privilege, fast lane VIP section etc, Tårta på tårta-overdoing it to the point of anticlimax, too much of the same, also :gaudy, Grädden på moset, lök på laxen, pricken över i-et-the cherry on top. Att gilla läget- be content with the statis quo or make do with what you got. Du ser ut som du sålt smöret och tappat pengarna- the look of a loser ie baffled and disappointed but none the wizer (can also be used in milder terms, like you look totally lost man) Dra timmerstockar-snore loudly (lit dragging whole timber) Det där har du fått om bakfoten-you got that all backwards, misunderstood something essential. Entertaining isn’t it? 😆

[@blobfishrescue]

Hummus… kikaren… kikärtor…. 😂👏🏻

[@dinkitoyare2485]

None wants to pay for old cheese, clearly he have never been to a a danish cheese shop!

[@hannavictoriamorck5313]

Jättekul att ni gör samarbetet! (Innan jag ens lyssnat är jag glad).

[@Tavic1]

I have left Stefans channel, but he was OK here! Good job

[@indraallian6371]

Here is a few more for you. " Ha huvudet under armen" "Sitta på två stolar" " Hamna mellan stolarna" "Gå som katten kring het gröt" GL.😎

[@fatimah8961]

Omg love the collab😍

[@jonkup1]

Att bli eld och lågor = to be very enthusiastic about something, to be in awe

[@kristinajohansson1351]

Awesome collab!

[@Nekotaku_TV]

4:35 This is why you need the quiz to tell you what's right and wrong. Maybe people have use it in several ways but I've only ever known it to be excited. I was like what!? But also, you can sometimes tell what the answer is using logic and process of elimination. I never heard most of these.

[@electrictofumuffins6384]

Those lights! Sit not facing the window and use a white board to reflect the window light on subject?

[@micke3035]

"Skörda offer" would be "claim/claiming victims"

[@mariastrandving3158]

You have to be a couple, if your not already are. You seem to be a perfect match.

[@vilmamakinen5657]

Stefan has a sweater with my school emblem on! Hahahaha

[@ESPirits87]

The idiom "It's raining cats and dogs" makes no sense either. :>

[@mrcold9164]

Or Moms the word

[@mrborgeusborg1541]

Was really interesting, and even as a swede some of these expressions where hard(but I am overall very bad at expressions I don't know). The shrimp one: glida på en räkmacka. I dunno if I really should explain to much of it, because I really think it could be a fun video seeing you figure it out. :) I would argue that many people in sweden are affected by a culture phenomenon called law of Jante. In some areas of sweden law of Jante has had a huge impact on the society. Both where my parents grew up Jante was something very very real and it has affected me. It can be positive but also very very negative. And I think when you read about Jante, you can figure out what glida på en räkmacka is.

[@matsbluckert]

My fave swedish idiom is "skita i det blå skåpet"

[@toastisimo]

"Jag anar Ugglor i Mossen här" lol

[@mknknutsson3114]

Idk what to say more than this video made me really happy💁🏻‍♀️✨✨

[@nickgray123]

Green fingers in English (trad. O.G. etc etc) - Green Thumb in American English. Nice video though, some idioms which are not the usual quoted ones you get on the internet (ko på isen, skit i blåskapet etc) and I can keep up roughly with the level of Swedish attempt to decode them 🙂

[@astral7080]

Galet roligt!!

[@eaakerman8829]

Fun folket!😀

[@Krubbe]

this was so good!

[@Nubbe999]

Ge betalt för gammal ost. It was a person in a milk/ cheese farm that had sold bad cheese to someone that then came back and argue with the salesperson. In that shop/ farm there where also another customer that saw everything and right before the person with the old cheese gave the salesperson a beating, he said "du ska få betalt för gammal ost" The other customer found it funny and the tale has lived on for generations and become a saying. You can sell me old cheese but I will pay you the price its worth.... a fist in your face

[@thehoogard]

"Att ha något i kikaren". I guess "to have your eyes set on something" would be the equivalent.

[@SoberbioNumeroUno]

Be up to something

[@Asa...S]

Be up to no good.

[@linusfotograf]

@@Asa...S There's nothing bad or conspiratorial about this idiom. It just means you have something planned.

[@mgntstr]

@@linusfotograf Nein. not something planet. Something in mind. Very different.

[@ingvartorma9789]

The term "slip into a shrimp sandwich" began to be used in the 1970s and refers to someone having it easy or riding a free ride on someone else.

[@silversurfer8818]

Nästa gång borde ni två bara prata Svenska!

[@LucaK]

omg sick collab :D

[@jenssvanfelt]

100% swede and has probably never heard 50% of these expressions.

[@carl-fredrikidestrom2788]

Ingen ko på isen…. That is a good Swedish Idiom…😊

[@AnWe79]

You should watch the old Nilecity skit about "ordstäv", it's hilarious. Jag anar ugglor som får kläder...

[@christian5941-e4o]

Ni borde göra en om svenska ordspråk som t ex: "Förd bakom ljuset", "Lägga benen på ryggen" osv :)

[@xagemox]

Super fun!

[@FlaxArne]

uhm "eld och lågor" means förtjust" right? so was incorrect answer no?

[@FlaxArne]

oh already commented ofc oops :)

[@arnfastkiokonsultab-familj3711]

bli eld och lågor means be very enthusiastic - not angry

[@rickardelimaa]

Skönt tema, särskilt som ni kom på det på fem min. :)

[@Zwopper]

En annan favorit är "att kasta ett getöga på något".