Category Archives: Language issues

Audun Lysbakken, irony in action

Posted on 11/03/2012 by

A few days ago I was asked if I understood when a Norwegian is using irony in speech. I hesitated to answer, because I thought that the example that had raised the issue was more metaphor than ironic, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Expat, In the news, Language issues, Random, Social comment | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

15 years on and still learning the lingo

Posted on 21/09/2011 by

Someone asked me at lunchtime today how long I had been living in Norway and unusually I was able to answer quite accurately, because in two weeks I will have been here for exactly 15 years (to those who know … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Expat, Language issues, Lost in translation, Norwegian culture | Tagged , , , , | 89 Comments

“Passion”, as in housework, how I hate it with a´

Posted on 18/09/2011 by

Nothing to do with being an expat this time, just a general rant and resultant reflection. Having played out with the dog for most of yesterday, I had planned to spend most of today doing housework (so, OK, wet Norwegian … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat, Language issues, Lost in translation, Random | Tagged , | 11 Comments

And they call it…puppy lur…rr..rve

Posted on 19/06/2011 by

While I am guessing that I am the only one who now can`t get Donny Osmond`s dulcet tones out of their mind since reading or thinking up this title, I`d like to bet I am not the only one to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Expat, Language issues | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Sleeping in

Posted on 02/06/2011 by

Today is a Bank Holiday in Norway for Ascension Day, which for this post is somewhat apt, for earlier this week our beloved dog Bradley was put to sleep and it would be good to believe he too has now … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat, Language issues, Random | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Warning, bad use of language ahead

Posted on 08/04/2011 by

First of all, given the recent drama around Navarsete, I don`t want to find myself in the position of having to apologise, should my comments turn out, however unintentionally, to be interpreted in a way that might or does cause … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat, Language issues, Lost in translation, Places, Social comment | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Happy end to Skavlan season

Posted on 02/04/2011 by

While Friday nights in this house are sacred and usually spent in sartorial elegance of the OnePiece kind, curled up on the sofa, huddled in front of a bottle of wine, we usually drop the telly and opt for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Expat, Language issues, Norwegian culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Men ee yuss anon – hæ?

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

As an import, one of the questions you often get asked is whether Norwegian is difficult to learn. While the answer is obviously personal, I dare to state that colloquial Norwegian, at least, can definitely be a bit of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Language issues, Lost in translation, Norwegian idioms | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Where`s yr grammar?

Posted on 23/03/2011 by

No, this is not an SMS asking a child about the whereabouts of its parent`s parent; it`s me on my high horse again. The linguist in me is worried about the concurrent demise of correct grammar and spelling with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Language issues, Lost in translation | Tagged , , | 3 Comments