Sunday, January 01, 2017

Moist hygge

According to the BBC website 'Hygge will continue to be an important concept in 2017.'

Until I did my Christmas shopping and saw the displays in Waterstone's and ... somewhere else, I had no idea hyyge was already an important concept. Or even what it is. I still don't know. The displays suggested it was something to do with woodwork and Scandinavia - Ikea-love maybe?

Daughter tells me it's to do with being cosy and homespun. I suppose I could look it up. Or ask Alexa. But I don't know how to pronounce it and she has trouble enough understanding my accent as it is.

Ah, Ffion tells me that, according to Sandi Toksvig, it's sitting round a fire with friends and alcohol. As I don't have friends or drink alcohol that sort of scuppers it for me. I shall have to find an alternative concept for 2017.

Incidentally did you know that 'moist' almost won a global poll for the world's most unpopular word? It was organised by the OED but had to be abandoned after a 'rash of Islamophobic entries,' but not before 'panties' proved to be most unpopular in Australia.

3 comments:

CherryPie said...

I have no idea what hygge means either. I seemed to be the new word of the old year. Maybe in 2017 we can move onto a different word that everyone understands!

Marie said...

It's a Danish word and is essentially a lifestyle all about cosiness. I've understood from the BBC that "hygge" is so last year now and that the new buzz word for 2017 will be the Swedish word "Lagom", which you'll understand perfectly if you've read Goldilocks and the Three Bears - it means "not too little, not too much, but just right". I expect in 2018 we'll have a Norwegian word - what is it with marketing people and Scandinavia?

Liz Hinds said...

A new understandable word would be nice, cherrypie!

Marie, you're right: Scandinavia is very in - and I did love The Bridge which is about as far removed from hygge as could be.