Search Results for: word of the issue
Icelandic Facebook Groups: Ný Orð
Icelandic has an undeserved reputation for being a prescriptivist, gatekeeping language. While this is definitely true when it comes to…
Word Of The Issue: Þórðargleði
The English language doesn’t have a word for it, so it borrowed from German to express “schadenfreude”: the joy of…
Word Of The Issue: Gárungar
A phrase you should never use in a news article is “some people say.” Who are these people? But saying…
Word of the Issue: Steypa
This is one of those words which has two completely different meanings. It literally means “concrete,” and is often used…
#SmiteTheWorld: World Cup Omens From Witches, Entrails, A Magic 8-Ball & More
by John Rogers
After the raging, calamitous, historic homeland victory that saw Iceland smite Kosovo within an inch of their mewling, tawdry lives,…
Word Of The Issue: Kvennabósi
Around the year 1300, the Saga of Bósi and Herraud was written. It tells of the fantastic adventures of two…
Word Of The Issue: Útlenska
This word basically means “foreign languages,” but not quite. It is an expression that linguistically splits all languages into Icelandic…
City Hall May Take Hard Swing To The Right Next Spring
Reykjavík City Hall might end up looking very different from its current form when municipal elections are held next spring….
Word Of The Issue: Örlagabytta
One of the things Icelanders do better than most is alcoholism, which is probably why we have 300 words for…
Saga Recap: The Saga of Ketill Salmon
To celebrate the return of the world’s favorite fantasy-violence-porn series to its favorite fantasy-violence-porn TV station, I’ve decided to recap…
News In Brief
Our undisputed top story of the past two weeks has been the Icelandic reaction to the American reaction to Iceland’s…
Word Of The Issue: Hommi
Look up “hommi” in the dictionary and you’ll find the definition of a gay man. But colloquially this word refers…
Last Words: May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour
by Jono Duffy
As Pride rolls out it’s time to share with you the most common question I get asked by other foreigners…
Pillow Talk: An Artist Brings Asylum Seeker Stories To The Public
Artist Sonja Kovačević has just launched a project called Pillow Talk, which will be touring various locations around Reykjavík over…
Flokkur Fólksins: The Populist Uprising?
“This populist label started with Egill Helgason, who runs a political talkshow on RÚV and is supposed to be impartial….
Páll Óskar: Fighting For Equality One Pop Hit At A Time
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson, or Paul Oscar as he is known outside of Iceland, is one of the island nation’s most…
Word Of The Issue: Flugdólgur
Until 1989, beer was illegal in Iceland. However, there was one place where beer was legal—the international airport in Keflavík….
Everyone’s Sorry About The Shit In The Harbour
In our previous issue, we reported on how raw sewage came spewing out of Reykjavík’s sewer system and into the…
Word of the Issue: Kviðmágur
The word of the issue this issue is kviðmágur, which roughly translates as “belly cousin.” And it does describe a…
The Outsiders: Ós Press Tackles The Icelandic Publishing Industry
Despite the rich literary history of Iceland, anyone will tell you that Icelandic publishing is a risky business. It’s no…
Word Of The Issue: Farfuglaheimili
Iceland may be on everyone’s bucket list, but did you know that it’s also a firm favourite with migratory birds?…