And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
You don't say?
I'll never forget the first time I went to Sweden, in the late 70's, and noticed another quirky habit they had, which was to inhale sharply as they listened to your conversation. It was simply meant to signify that they were politely listening to what you were saying, and to signify mild agreement. To an English speaker, it sounded like you had said something a bit scandalous, enough to startle them. You half expected them to say, "You have now insulted the king, dirty American, and shall forthwith be expelled to Norway!"
Now in Umeå, and probably all points north, there is another hissing sound that they make that simply means "yes." Makes sense to the Swedes, who are famous for saying things in few words, if they can. Here, there isn't even a word! What an amusing language!
Via Tai Wiki Widbee.
My Mother and Grandparents are from Gothenberg. (Goteborg) They use a similar intake of breath, though not as pronounced, when saying ja. Not noticed when young, (50's) amusing/endearing when older. Miss the musical Swedish of my youth.
ReplyDeleteYeah, at the time my relatives were in Borås, just up the road from Göteborg. Must be a southern Sweden thing.
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