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.