I have been studying a few examples of “bokstavligen” and “formligen”, and they appear to me to be exact synonyms, both translated by English “literally”, and both equally liable to misuse as I pedantically call it as general förtstarkningsord, just as "literally" is. Have I got this right? Can you suggest any examples where one would definitely be preferred to the other?
Has ”bebis” now replaced ”småbarn” in the Swedish Language? Is this as regrettable as I, as an outsider, think it is? I know I could have chosen plenty of other words to focus on, but I was brought up short by this article in SvD, precisely because it’s on a scientific subject (describing research on how dogs interpret human speech). The headline goes: ”Det blir allt tydligare hur hundar gör för att förstå mänskligt språk – de använder samma trick som bebisar.”
Who was kapten Orvar, mentioned in this extract from today’s SvD in a story about Vänsterpartiets attitude to government formation?
Ingen av de tillfrågade vill luckra upp partiets röda linje. Samtidigt riktas tydlig irritation mot Centerpartiet. ”Just nu är det C som sitter där som någon kapten Orvar och tycker de ska bestämma”
“En flat berghäll” and “en flat tallrik” are two examples of use of “flat” given in SO. Could one also use “platt” here, or would that sound wrong? What about “att slå med flata handen”?.
How would you translate “har något visst över sig“ in this sentence?
“Ändå glittrar hans ögon, och Eva ser att han har något visst över sig.”
(It’s from “Hjortron myren”, and Eva is looking at an old photograph of a man she believes may, shockingly, be her grandfather.)
I read this sentence in yesterday’s SvD : ”Klart tycks vara att ingen information om MBZ:s varning förmedlades till cheferna för säkerhetstjänsten Shin Bet”. Whilst I understand the meaning - It seems clear that no information about MBZ’s warning was conveyed to the heads of the Shin Bet security service – I find it hard to pars first 3 words. They are equivalent to ”det tycks vara klart” I suppose? But the word order puzzles me. Is this an idiom I should be acquainted with?
Are ”att bluddra” and ”att bladdra” completely interchangeable in modern usage, or is there a difference in nuance? (I note that they have a different etymology and "bladdra" is much older.)
Is “Äta upp ord med senap” a common expression equivalent to English “eat your words”?
Found this sentemce in a 2014 article in SvD: “Och antagligen skulle Leopold tvingas äta upp sin åsikt med senap, efter att ha läst Avpixlat.” (Ulrika Knutson, Kritiken var I kris redan på 1840-talet)
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Am puzzled by "ur" in this sentence from today's SvD:-
"Damberg vill ha klara besked om ur stor del av reformutrymmet till 2030 som redan är intecknat."
Is it a typo for "hur", or a usage of "ur" that I am unfamiliar with?
How would you translate “överhetssamhälle”? Authoritarian society? That doesn’t sound quite right. The only example I’ve found is this from Synonymer.ie:-
“Liknar det inte det överhetssamhälle som Sverige var före det demokratiska genombrottet?”
"Turerna kring företagsnedläggningen kalfatrades i medierna” is the sole example given in SO for the usage of “att kalfatra”. Can someone translate it for me? It’s the word “Turerna” which baffles me.
Have just come across the expression “ligga på sofflocket”, and I can’t help wondering how it came about, as on the face of it, this seems like a very uncomfortable place to lie.
What would be the best translation of "uppstickar", which occurs in today's SvD but I can't find in any dictionary? Google translate suggests "upstart". The context is this paragraph:-
Progressiva poddare bidrar till att lyfta Demokraternas uppstickarkandidater. I oktober tvittrade Ben Rhodes, en före detta Obama-medarbetare, i desperat ton att det finns fantastiska kandidater som inte stöds av den officiella demokratiska kampanjapparaten. ”Snälla, snälla, stöd dem – partiet måste förändras för att ha någon chans att stå emot MAGA.”
Is there such a thing as "en uppstickare"?
Is fartyget förliste med man och allt a standard formula for a catastrophic shipwreck equivalent to English "lost with all hands"? . .
Can someone explain for me this example from Synonymer.se (illustrating the word "utvisning")?
"Det svenska nallebjörnsregnet över Vitryssland i somras ledde till en rad gripanden och utvisning av en omtyckt ambassadör."
I am wondering what "nallebjörnsregnet" might be (and am also curious about the much-liked ambassador).
What is the difference between “fåglalåt” and “fågelläte”? . :
I am trying to translate "avräkning av skuld mot fordran" (a definition of "kvittning" in SO). Would "discharge of an obligation" be right?