<strong>Norwegian</strong> Idiom Illustrated ELGINT0110:<strong>The</strong> <strong>Moose</strong> <strong>Norwegian</strong> Course Learn <strong>Norwegian</strong> on your own, with a little help from the <strong>Moose</strong>. 30 \\ Learn <strong>Norwegian</strong>! In 2010, the <strong>Norwegian</strong> crosscountry skier Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset did not win gold in the Olympics. As an excuse he blamed his skis which had is i rubben [a layer of ice]. Since then, the expression is used as a synonym for a humorous excuse in case of a personal defeat or when one really messed up. When you are terribly late for a date with a <strong>Norwegian</strong>, you can excuse yourself by saying: “Unnskyld, jeg hadde is i rubben!” Text: Rebecca Plath, Picture: Marija Cabuskina Paralyzed motion Kjersti Blehr Lånkan I cling to the handle which is pulling me forward led by a horse. <strong>The</strong> body is struggling. I’m cutting teeth, digging my heels hard into the ground But the horse just continues to run smooth, quiet across the field. My legs are plowing the soil overturning rocks and clay. I’m leaning back to gain more weight to keep up with. Stop, I’m whispering, but will not loosen the grip. My knuckles holding the handle are white, the body is stiff and heavy. Et kvinneperspektiv Jeg er liv mor Lesson 3: Heia Norge! Text and pictures: Rebecca Plath In case you have been buried under your books the last couple of weeks, you might not have noticed that Oslo recently hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships. Before this event, quite a few new <strong>Norwegian</strong> words were created. Here some examples: • Kollenbrøl describes the loud “roar/animal sound” made by spectators at the skiing events at the arena on Holmenkollen. • Why is a normal grillsausage (pølse) suddenly referred to as Kollenwiener? <strong>The</strong> “pølse med brøl” stays a mystery to me. Maybe the roar gets louder (or more animalistic) if you have a sausage...? But <strong>Norwegian</strong>s are not only good with making up new word creations. Naturally, they are also experts when it comes to snow and skiing. Did you know that the word ski itself is originally <strong>Norwegian</strong>? And also løype, the parallel tracks in the snow one uses when crosscountry skiing, has its roots here. Skiføre describes the ground surface for skiing, depending on temperature and the crystal structure of the snow or ice. This information is crucial for the choice of ski wax [smøring] which can turn a ski trip into something fantastic or awful. Some imaginative creations are: • vinterferieføret: a lot of new snow during winter break, perfect conditions for skiing • påskeføret: milder temperatures around Easter, old snow with rather large crystals • nullføre,problemføre: between -2 and 2°C, where it is most difficult to pick the right wax • silkeføre: ‘silky’ snow makes for a great skiing trip • klisterføre: plus-degrees make the snow melt, you have to use lots of klister now Not surprisingly, there are many different words describing the changing conditions of snow: kram snø: Compact snow you get around 0°C What to do: Go outside and have a snowball fight or build a snowman! pudder: new fluffy snow, every offpister’s dream What not to do: Stay inside. Have some fun instead! skare: top layer of hard icy snow, often as a result of freezing rain What to do: Walk as lightly as possible so you do not fall through! holke: packed frozen snow What not to do: Run to the T-bane. Bone-breaking hazard! slaps: slushy, wet snow that gets you soaked instantly on your feet, frequently seen in downtown Oslo in grey-brownish piles. What to do: Put on some rubber boots! sludd: really wet snow falling from the sky, becomes ‘slaps’ on the ground immediately What to do: Stay inside and make some tea!
<strong>Moose</strong> Comic Follow the adventures of a mascot <strong>Moose</strong> working in one of Oslo’s souvenir shops. by Irina Osepashvili <strong>Moose</strong> Comic Strip // 31