Friday, May 4, 2012

Extra Credit: Flamsig


I've spent a month teaching Swedish, rushing all over blogland meeting new people, answering a kabizillion emails, and I just realized I've left out a word I'd meant to teach. Don't quite know how this happened, but let's call this post here make-up work. Extra credit. I remember well how interested certain math students were right there at the end of the semester to get an extra boost to their grade. Never mind that had they just turned in more assignments, there would have been no need for any extra effort...But you might want extra credit – there is the drawing for the IKEA gift card...here are the details

The word is flamsig. Pronounced flum (as in plum) + see (as in look at). Flumsee. You know how late at night when you've been working hard all day on a project with either someone else or a group, and decorum starts to break down, and people get a little giddy, pretty soon laughing at every little thing that happens, which is only funny because it's late at night and you're dead tired and laughter is your body's defense against sheer exhaustion? That's flamsig.

Another example. You've been in the car all day with your siblings and it's getting late at night and you've been told to be quiet so that your younger brother will keep sleeping. All of a sudden everything is funny and being quiet is impossible because everything makes you giggle. Uncontrollable silly laughter that is unstoppable, even IF your strict father says sternly from the driver's seat, “Flamsa INTE!” I probably don't even need to translate that...it means don't be flamsig...so you put your pillow over your face to try to mask your laughter. But it's a tenuous quiet. All it takes to start the whole cycle again is one look at your sister making a goofy face and you're in trouble again.

My boys know this word. I've shared it with many of my friends who are also moms. It's a very useful word. So all you have to do when you want the lot of them to stop being silly, and giggly, and loud and disturbing the peace is to say, “FLAMSA INTE!” (in + te, as in telephone) (oh, and the verb form, flamsa, is flum, still as in plum, + a, as in I want “a” banana.)

See you Monday for reflections on the April A-Z Challenge.  Yes, I'll explain the schedule thing then.

9 comments:

Brian Miller said...

ha that is a useful word....whatever you do, have a good weekend tina...smiles...

Nikki said...

Haha! My boyfriend never taught me this word, I can't believe it, I love it! What a nice word for that :D I asked him and he said it can be different for different people, he uses it to mean kind of messy, but that he uses it for this situation too. It's really cool :)

Dana said...

That is a great word! I'm going to use it today. :)

Amanda Lee said...

Hahaha! Loved this post -- I'm pretty sure we've been flamsig together on occasion. Or maybe that was hysteria we shared...?

klahanie said...

Hey Tina,
Did you think I'd forget about you? No way! Just because that gosh darn fun alphabet challenge so many of you got involved in is over, rest assured, in the true spirit of a sharing, caring blogging community, this shy, humble and oh so unassuming dude, is still around to leave yet another 'award winning' comment :)
I'm somewhat flamsig from being so proactive and trying to encourage others in blogland. In fact, I'm so tired, I'm giggling about it....
Have fun with all the reflecting. My alternative postings to the challenge are over for another year.
Have a wonderful weekend.
In kindness, Gary

Unknown said...

Hej Tina!
Underbart bonus-ord! Flamsig, Flamsa

Tack for besöket på mitt blogginlägg om att skriva något till en bild för RFWers. Du är välkommen att deltaga, men nästa gång kommer vi inte att skriva något, utan vi får möjlighet att visa upp ett inlägg från "A to Z" som vi tycker extra mycket om. Min tanke är att visa upp ett av dina vykort från Sverige, kanske den allra första, så att RFW lär känna dig extra snabbt och lär sig lite svenska.
Får jag göra det? Går det bra med "A"? Eller om du tycker extra mycket om någon annan bokstav, men jag tänkte att det är lättast om vi visar upp det första vykortet.
Hjärtliga hälsningar,
Anna
Anna's RFW challenge 35
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From REW's blog:
Talking of future challenges, Donna is organising a special treat for our second prompt this month, called Appreciating the Zealotry. Basically Donna is offering you a break. On Friday May 18, instead of crafting a story/poem, Donna is asking you to post your favorite blog post written during the A-Z Challenge or anytime during April if you didn't participate in the challenge. Post onto your blog and link in the usual way at the RFW linky list. We'll post the full deets later...

http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.se/

Unknown said...

Hej igen Tina!
Du kan göra det själv! Välj den texten som du tycker bäst om från hela april-utmaningen och länka med RFW.
Jag kan länka med en berättelse som jag skrivit.
Kram,
Anna

Mimi said...

great word!!
we had a bit of Flamsig last night. too many people at the house, good times for sure.




Mimi Torchia Boothby

Anita said...

Love it :)
I went on an intensive course years ago & we all went out for a meal on the final night. Flamsig is just the right word for how we were. Our waitress must've thought we were crazy as we were so loud & just hysterical with laughter!