Are you becoming a Norwegian?

Outside the borders of Norway, Norwegians are known for being a bit timid and shy.

However, when you first get to know a Norwegian he or she will open up and stay your friend for life. Or so the saying goes. A typical Norwegian is a person of few words, and as a consequence, polite words such as 'please' and 'thank you' are either not so frequent or non-existent in the Norwegian language.

'Sorry' or 'excuse me' (“unnskyld”) are also less frequently heard and Norwegians can for such reasons be seen as rude, blunt or impolite. As illustrated in the following frequently shared image on social media:

In other words, you might be close to turning into a Norwegian when you forget or cannot remember to say please or excuse me.

Other signs that you are turning into a Norwegain:

• You use ”mmm” as a conversation filler.
• A sharp intake of breath ("jah") has become part of your unconcious "vocabulary".
• You know the difference between blue and red ski wax.
• You love spending all holidays in a little cabin without electricity and water.
• An outside temperature of 9 degrees Celsius is mild (in June).
• You get scared when a stranger randomly starts up a conversation with you.
• You start to love your ”matpakke” with bread and brown cheese.
• It no longer seems expensive to spend a $100 on drinks one night.
• You don’t fall over when walking on ice.
• You actually believe there is nothing like bad weather just bad clothing.

And so on and so forth.

Now, do you feel Norwegian?