Norwegian expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up on the street, at a party, on a hike or with friends? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “it’s totally Texas!”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
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Norwegian expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in Norway actually mean by them.
Det er helt texas!
BeginnerWord for word: “it’s totally Texas!”
It’s total chaos
Det var helt texas på festen i går, noen danset på bordet. It was total chaos at the party last night, someone was dancing on the table.
With friendsdet koster skjorta
BeginnerWord for word: “it costs the shirt”
It costs a fortune
En øl på Aker Brygge koster skjorta. A beer on Aker Brygge costs a fortune.
Fine at workdet går på skinner
BeginnerWord for word: “it’s going on rails”
It’s going smoothly
Den nye jobben? Det går på skinner så langt. The new job? It’s going smoothly so far.
Fine at worktråkke i salaten
IntermediateWord for word: “to step in the salad”
To put your foot in it
Jeg nevnte eksen hans på første date. Der tråkket jeg skikkelig i salaten. I mentioned his ex on our first date. I really put my foot in it.
Fine at worksmøre seg med tålmodighet
IntermediateWord for word: “to butter yourself with patience”
To be patient
Bussen er forsinket igjen, så vi får bare smøre oss med tålmodighet. The bus is late again, so we’ll just have to be patient.
Fine at workha tunga rett i munnen
IntermediateWord for word: “to have your tongue straight in your mouth”
To concentrate hard
Skal du sette sammen det skapet alene, må du ha tunga rett i munnen. If you’re putting that wardrobe together on your own, you’ll need to concentrate hard.
Fine at workdet er ugler i mosen
IntermediateWord for word: “there are owls in the moss”
Something’s fishy
Sjefen vil plutselig snakke med alle på tomannshånd. Det er ugler i mosen. The boss suddenly wants to talk to everyone one on one. Something’s fishy.
Fine at workvære på bærtur
AdvancedWord for word: “to be on a berry trip”
To be way off the mark
Hvis du tror billettene koster hundre kroner, er du på bærtur. If you think the tickets cost a hundred kroner, you’re way off.
With friendshoppe etter Wirkola
AdvancedWord for word: “to jump after Wirkola (a ski jumping legend)”
To follow a tough act
Hun holdt en fantastisk tale, og nå må jeg hoppe etter Wirkola. She gave a brilliant speech, and now I have to follow that.
Fine at workdet er ikke bare bare
AdvancedWord for word: “it’s not just just”
It’s harder than it looks
Han vil bygge hytta selv. Det er ikke bare bare. He wants to build the cabin himself. That’s harder than it looks.
Fine at work
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Is this Bokmål or Nynorsk?
Bokmål, the written standard most learners start with. Spoken dialects vary a lot around Norway, but these expressions are understood everywhere.