Swedish Language Upgrade

Aug 24, 2006

Modern realities in Sweden require new words so Swedes can more fully express themselves.

The Swedish Academy, a 200+ year old cultural institution that votes for the Nobel Prize winners every year, also strives to promote Swedish literature and purity in the Swedish language. They recently released a list of words that are no longer applicable in the modern world, along with new words to better describe aspects of modern life.

Here are some recently debuted words to help you seem hip during your next trip to Sweden:

Stringtrosa = thong underwear

Bonusbarn = kids from the new spouse's previous marriage

Dissa = to diss, from American slang

Slåppfest = release party for a new record, book, etc.

Aktiebubbla = a stock that is not worth its price

Överbelåna = borrowing more money than you can afford

Rånteoro = interest rate concerns

Maxtaxa = maximum rate that can be charged

Plåtpolis = cameras that take a photo of your license plate when you are speeding in a car

Restavfall = remaining garbage that cannot be recycled or composted

Operationsköande = people who are waiting for surgery