Björk and Iceland are inextricably bound in the minds of foreigners. In fact Björk, which also mean birch, is often the first Icelandic word musically inclined foreigners learn how to pronounce (or mispronounce, as it were).
On July 19, the creative minds behind National Public Radio’s trivia program, ‘Ask Me Another,’ monopolised on these associations to create a word game called, ‘Put A Björk In It,’ which pokes fun at this iconic songstresses’ distinctive name. The name of the game itself is also a play on words using the English idiom “Put a cork in it,” meaning shut up.
Which is something certain people—like ‘Ask Me Another’s’ host Ophira Eisenberg—wish Björk would do. She joked, “When I think of Björk I think of sadness, super high-pitched songs and weirdo swan outfits. So this sounds like a terrible game.” Clearly not a fan.
And while the game revolves around Björk’s name, American singer-songwriter and regular contributor, Jonathan Coulton stated that in order to play contestants didn’t need to know anything about the “quirky Icelandic singer,” but then again “no one does really.”
Björk and her name are far more familiar to Icelanders, however, anyone can appreciate a good mental challenge. The game is as follows: the hosts describe a word, phrase or proper name that the contestants must insert the name Björk into. For example, “Hailing from England, it’s a small dog that was bred to catch rats,” gets this answer: “Björkshire Terrier,” from Yorkshire Terrier.
Here are few more questions from the program whose answers need Björkification:
“It’s an underwater activity you can do in the tropics without an oxygen tank on your back.”
“It’s the largest island of the Balearic Islands off the coast Spain and a popular holiday destination”
“According to a song written for Liza Minelli but made famous by Frank Sinatra, if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.”
“You might use thumb tacks to pin flyers or notes on this wall hanging.”
For the answers and more wordplay visit ‘Ask Me Another’s’ website to listen to their entire hour-long program.
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