OSLO, Norway, Oct. 22 (UPI) — A Norwegian slang term that apparently dates back decades is causing confused reactions in Texans who don’t see their state’s name as a euphemism for “crazy.”
The Norwegian use of “Texas” as a slang term — most often in the phrase “det var helt texas,” which Texas Monthly roughly translated as “it was totally/absolutely/completely bonkers.”
Tumblr user qnneli explained the origins of the term in a post from last year:
“The expression itself has to do with associations. It’s something that brings to mind chaotic, crazy conditions, like the ‘wild west,’ and at least back when the expression was coined, the ‘wild west’ held very strong Texas associations. Hell, even when I was a kid in the 80s, I thought that all American cowboys came from Texas, and that’s just how it was. Texas = land of the cowboys. And rodeos. And the wild west. A Western movie? Probably from Texas.”
The term has even made its way into the headlines of Norwegian news outlets and statements from police officials.
Norwegian Reddit users confirmed the trend, saying the term is decades-old.
“Texas means crazy when you talk about a party or if a situation goes out of Control. It is said when something is chaotic, or getting out of control — in a mostly positive way. Example: 3 busloads of hungry tourists stopped outside Our cafè today, we had to work like crazy to serve them all. It was completely TEXAS,” Redditor Biccbacc said.
Redditors hailing from Texas had mixed reactions to the term.
“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult,” user BrotyKraut wrote.
“We’re kind of a big deal y’all,” Redditor KissMyReardon wrote.
Some Redditors suggested turning “Norwegian” into a local idiom in Texas.
“That brisket was so Norwegian,” one user wrote.
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