Icelandic slang books

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Tue Jul 17 19:10:09 UTC 2001


   To answer the question attached to the "mysa" post, "mysa" has been in several English-language pamphlets that I've read.  Whether that's "clearly attested" English is for the OED to decide.
   "Mysa and skyr" were used in the same sentence; OED has the latter but not the former.  OED is revising "m" and the editors will ultimately make the call if "mysa" gets in.
   I'm a field-worker here, and I wouldn't do justice by not providing such words from local English-language materials.

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ICELANDIC SLANG BOOKS

ORDABOK UM
SLANGUR
SLETTER BANNORD
by Mordur Arnason, Svavar Sigmundsson, and Ornolfur Thorsson
160 pages
1982

   The best book of Icelandic slang I could find, with a mini-bibliography with some English sources.
   There seem to be a lot of slang words for "drunk," such as "on your ears/shoulders/lower lip."

FILAPENSILL (elephant's pencil)--skin problem
GEIT (goat)--a "chick" or a car
EYDIMARK (desert head)--empty head
AGURKUTID (cucumber period)--dry season
EITURNAGLI (poison nails)--cigarettes (also "coffin nails")
KJAFTAHVORN (coffee grinder)--gossip
HANDSPRENGJA (hand grenades)--meatballs
VASABILLJARD (play pocket pool)--to masturbate (men)


ORDENGILL
by Sverrir Stormsker
1997

   I was told that this person is the local "Howard Stern."

Pg. 20:  BAUNASUPA (beans)--Danish people.  (I asked the librarian if there were more, such as French people/frogs, but she couldn't think of any--ed.)
Pg. 27: BOSSNIA--a gay person or a woman with a big ass ("boss").
Pg. 32:  CENTRAL PARK--vagina.
Pg. 64:  HAMSTUR (hamster)--a person who collects things you don't need.
Pg. 82:  KANI--American (Yankee).  (I was told that this term is popular but derogatory--ed.)
Pg. 100:  LUCY BALLS--transvestite.
Pg. 114:  OPID HUS (open house)--prison.  (Their prisons are not very secure, apparently--ed.)
Pg. 121:  RAUDSKINNI (red socks)--feminist.  (No explanation is given--ed.)
Pg. 128:  SHITLER--a bad person.
Pg. 128: scumbag--diaper.
Pg. 134:  SKRYSTYKKI (screwdriver)--vibrator.
Pg. 136: SKYNDIBITI (fast food)--whorehouse.  (A name sometimes used for McDonald's, I was told--ed.)
Pg. 151:  TEPOKI (teabag)--breasts on an old lady.
Pg. 154:  TROLLASMOKKA (troll condom)--a large garbage bag.  (This term is also on the book's cover--ed.)
Pg. 157:  UFO--U Fuck Off.
Pg. 166:  VAFLA (waffle)--pizza.



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