Words by

Kristrún Hrafnsdóttir

“Að missa andlitið” literally translates as “to lose your face,” which sounds quite frightening, but for Icelanders, it’s a common expression to describe a situation when you’re caught by surprise and feeling awkward or shameful. Imagine sitting with a friend at a café while they vent about how annoying their boss is, then they find out that their boss was sitting behind them the entire time and heard everything. You’re witnessing your friend “lose their face.” How awkward! It has nothing to do with trolls stealing people’s faces in the middle of the night, as you might think, though that would be awkward, too. 

For more Icelandic sayings like “Að missa andlitið”, click here.