History & Language
The Reykjavík Grapevine takes on Iceland’s history, language and related topics
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Edda Recap: Rígsþula – The List Of Rígu
In this series, I illuminate the individual poems of the Edda—that most famous, epic masterpiece of Icelandic literary tradition—with humour, vulgarity and modern realness. Are you reading this and thinking, “what the fuck is the Edda?” If so, you should start by…
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Just Sayings: “Það Er Uppi Á Honum Typpið”
If you like sayings that sound sexual, but aren’t really, then the phrase “Það er uppi á honum typpið” is definitely for you. It literally translates to “It is up on his rod”—rod being a possible innuendo, if you catch my drift.…
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Edda Recap: Lokasenna – The Banter Of Loki
In this series, I illuminate the individual poems of the Edda—that most famous, epic masterpiece of Icelandic literary tradition—with humour, vulgarity and modern realness. Are you reading this and thinking, “what the fuck is the Edda?” If so, you should start by…
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Just Sayings: “Að Missa Andlitið”
“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…
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Edda Recap: The Poem of Hymir
In this series, I illuminate the individual poems of the Edda—that most famous, epic masterpiece of Icelandic literary tradition—with humour, vulgarity and modern realness. Are you reading this and thinking, “what the fuck is the Edda?” If so, you should start by…
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Just Sayings: “Fram Í Rauðan Dauðann”
The 17th century idiom “Fram í rauðan dauðann” literally means “onward to the red dead.” But what, exactly, is this red dead? Well, there are two theories about that. One is that “the red” just refers to a bloody fight. And the…
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Just Sayings: “Úti Að Aka”
So, you’re out driving? That doesn’t sound so bad. Does it? Well, if you are in Iceland, and someone says to you that you are out driving (úti að aka) they mean that you have absolutely no goddamn idea what you are…
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Edda Recap: The Matter of Skírnir
In this series, I illuminate the individual poems of the Edda –that most famous, epic masterpiece of Icelandic literary tradition–with humour, vulgarity, and modern realness. Are you reading this and thinking, “What the fuck is the Edda?” If so, you should start…
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Just Sayings: “Það Liggur Í Augum Uppi”
“Það liggur í augum uppi” (approx. pronounced “thath liggur ee œjum uppy”) is an old and fairly common saying in Iceland. It literally translates to: It lays in the eyes upstairs. Confused? Well, it actually means “obvious.” But there is nothing obvious…
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Word of the Issue: Jæja
This four letter word is probably the most complicated word in the Icelandic language. Not because of the word itself, but because of the different tones of it that can change the meaning of it entirely. Jæja literally translates to ‘well’, but…
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Völuspá: The Prophecy of the Seeress
In this series, I illuminate the individual poems of the Edda–that most famous, epic masterpiece of Icelandic literary tradition–with humour, vulgarity and modern realness. Are you reading this and thinking, “What the fuck is the Edda?” If so, you should start by…
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Word Of The Issue: Hálkurök
Throughout Iceland’s wintertime weather reports, you will frequently see the word “hálka.” This refers to the icy conditions, usually brought on by freezing rain, that will cover sidewalks and roads in Iceland. Travelling by foot or car over hálka is likely to…
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Word Of The Issue: The Olafsdottir
What were you doing at age 16? If we were to hazard a guess, you probably weren’t presenting your own self-titled element at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Well, bedazzled national hero Sonja Margrét Ólafsdóttir did just that October 29th when she…
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Word of the Issue: Skíthæll
So you really don’t like that insanely expensive bagel that you bought at the tourist stop near Geysir and can’t restrain yourself from giving the cashier a piece of your mind? Try calling him “skíthæll.” The word is a weird combination of…
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Word Of The Issue: Utangátta
‘Utangátta’ has suddenly become a mystical word in Hollywood, thanks to Cary Fukunaga’s hit Netflix series ‘Maniac.’ In episode nine, Jonah Hill’s character, Owen Milgrim, plays an Icelandic man called Snorri who (spoiler alert, not that it matters) accidentally kills an alien…
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Word Of The Issue: Olnbogabarn
Anyone who has more than one child and says they love them all equally is lying, as anyone with siblings can attest. There is always a favourite child, just as there is always a least favourite. In Icelandic, the latter is the…
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Word Of The Issue: Dömubindi
So you have a gymnastics session and you’re wearing all white. Obviously, you need something to catch all of the blue liquid spilling out of you. So what’s a uterus-having human to do? Luckily, Iceland has a plethora of ridiculously expensive period…
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Word Of The Issue: Skítseiði
Icelanders, like the rest of the world, have been following the news about former TV villain turned former White House staffer, Omarosa Manigault-Newman, and her new tell-all book about her time with the QAnon-superhero Donald Trump. Of course, Trump gracefully rejected Omarosa’s…
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Word of the Issue: Bongóblíða
One of the most-used words in Icelandic to describe really good weather is ‘Bongóblíða.’ The origin of the word is actually from the 1988 Icelandic Eurovision song ‘Sólarsamba’ (“Sunny Samba”) by Icelandic beloved musician Magnús Kjartansson. He wrote and sang the song…
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Word Of The Issue: Útlandarigning
While Iceland is known worldwide for its unpredictable and horrendous weather, things weren’t always so wet here. In fact, back in the old days the worst rain you’d experience was a delicate fine mist that you could walk through for hours in…
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Word Of The Issue: Karphús
The word of the issue is karphús, a word of unclear origin but more than one meaning. Karphús is almost always used in the context of “að taka einhvern í karphúsið,” or “to take someone by the karphús,” which means to really…
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Word of the Issue: Rangstæð/ur
The word of the issue is rangstæð (or rangstæður, when referring to men), which means “offside.” The beauty of this word is that the word itself explains the offside rule. It literally means “wrong sided” or “wrongly placed.” This is a really…
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Word Of The Issue: Víti
Let’s say you’re playing a friendly game of football in Akranes and your buddy Þórgrímur wanders a little too close to the opposing team’s goalie. The ball is on the other side. He’s behind the defence. You hold your breathe. The whistle…