Norwegian expression of the day: Helt Texas!
Did you know that, to Norwegians, 'Texas' is slang for 'crazy'?
What does it mean?
Helt Texas (‘completely Texas’) is an expression Norwegians use about a situation that is disorganised, bewildering and chaotic.
To put it bluntly, Texas means 'crazy' in Norwegian.
Why?
So how did 'Texas' become a synonym for madness?
Texans may be pleased to hear that it does not reflect Norwegians' view of their people per se - rather, it is derived from the myth of Texas as a land of cowboys.
It's this idea of Texas as Ville Vesten, 'The Wild West', that is behind the origins of the expression.
How do I use it?
Ever shopped for alcohol in the tax free shop at the Oslo airport during the weekend rush hour? Well, the next time you try to navigate through all the Norwegians going crazy over the cheap alcohol, you may say:
Det er helt Texas her jo.. ‘This is pure mayhem.’
Ever tried to snatch some nattmat (the traditional Norwegian meal that follows a night out) in one of Bergen’s kebab shops around 3am? If you have, you will know that usually polite Norwegians are not so polite anymore when they are sloshed and craving a kebab.
Helt Texas.
Or, have you ever been skiing in Nordmarka (outside Oslo) a Sunday on the first sunny day of the winter just after a huge snowfall?
If you have zig-zagged between long-legged ski enthusiasts dressed in what is popularly referred to as kondomdrakt (condom suits) to get the best possible gli (a term for ‘sliding’ on skis), you know very well that it is nothing less than utter and complete madness.
Helt Texas.
READ ALSO: More Norwegian expressions of the day
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What does it mean?
Helt Texas (‘completely Texas’) is an expression Norwegians use about a situation that is disorganised, bewildering and chaotic.
To put it bluntly, Texas means 'crazy' in Norwegian.
Why?
So how did 'Texas' become a synonym for madness?
Texans may be pleased to hear that it does not reflect Norwegians' view of their people per se - rather, it is derived from the myth of Texas as a land of cowboys.
It's this idea of Texas as Ville Vesten, 'The Wild West', that is behind the origins of the expression.
How do I use it?
Ever shopped for alcohol in the tax free shop at the Oslo airport during the weekend rush hour? Well, the next time you try to navigate through all the Norwegians going crazy over the cheap alcohol, you may say:
Det er helt Texas her jo.. ‘This is pure mayhem.’
Ever tried to snatch some nattmat (the traditional Norwegian meal that follows a night out) in one of Bergen’s kebab shops around 3am? If you have, you will know that usually polite Norwegians are not so polite anymore when they are sloshed and craving a kebab.
Helt Texas.
Or, have you ever been skiing in Nordmarka (outside Oslo) a Sunday on the first sunny day of the winter just after a huge snowfall?
If you have zig-zagged between long-legged ski enthusiasts dressed in what is popularly referred to as kondomdrakt (condom suits) to get the best possible gli (a term for ‘sliding’ on skis), you know very well that it is nothing less than utter and complete madness.
Helt Texas.
READ ALSO: More Norwegian expressions of the day
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