# Ask the Icelandic dude **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629 "2008-09-08T16:31:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/161 "2008-09-10T18:32:05Z")
What percentage of Iceland have you personally seen/visited? (estimate) ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/162 "2008-09-10T18:59:36Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I think I wrote I was pretty good at English, but thanks šŸ™‚ > > Everybody knows of him, but [JĆ³n PĆ”ll Sigmarsson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3n_P%C3%A1ll_Sigmarsson) is the one that stands out. He was the first and therefore the most famous! > > JĆ³n PĆ”ll won 4 times and MagnĆŗs Ver 4 times - cool šŸ˜ƒ _[Ekkert mĆ”l fyrir JĆ³n PĆ”ll!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRe8BDUfzIo)_ This is so well-known a phrase that Thule (an Icelandic company) made a set of beer ads, [one of which referenced JĆ³n PĆ”ll](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRSBD6-czZk). > [@eleanorigby](#): > > The Santas sound a lot like trollsā€“nice that youā€™ve switched them to good. Do potatoes grow there? Thereā€™s actually a lot of the same information out there about the ā€œSantasā€-- they vary in number from 9 to 13 (Iā€™ve got a calendar around here somewhere that references 13 and the days they arrive and leave), and not everyone uses the same guys. Their parents are trolls, named GrĆ½la and LeppalauĆ°i (sp?), and GrĆ½la has a cat that eats bad children. (:eek:) As **Worm** had said, these guys used to do really nasty things, and got tamed down in the 20th century, although some of the folks up in Iceland are bringing back the sinister nature to these ā€œSantasā€. > [@auRa](#): > > I just thought of another question. Finns, being inhabitants of a fairly small country off to the side of everywhere, seem to suffer from Small Country ā€˜They Noticed Us!ā€™ Syndrome. \ > > How about Iceland? Do you guys suffer from this same syndrome? How strong is your national sense of self-esteem? Does the press always run it to the ground if Iceland is mentioned somewhere? Do you walk around with ear-to-ear smiles whenever some Hollywood celebrity is revealed to have an Icelander or two in the family tree? Or is your country so effortlessly trendy that you donā€™t have to care what others think about you anymore? šŸ˜‰ My momā€™s an immigrant from Iceland, and she notices Icelandic stuff everywhere. She probably knows almost every Icelander in her region of FL (or at least she did 10 years back when she kept up with the IAASFL), and sheā€™s full of useless information about Iceland. Iā€™ve picked up this relatively silly habit from her, and somehow my non-Icelandic fiancĆ© has started doing this too. > [@Septima](#): > > My condolences to your women. We can handle it. šŸ˜‰ Since nobody else has asked it, I was wondering whether you eat any of the ĆžĆ³rri food, and if so, whatĀ“s your favorite item? Is there anything you avoid like the plague among it? (Personally, Iā€™ve never tried hĆ”karl or pickled ramsā€™ testicles, but the last time I saw a full ĆžĆ³rri spread was when I was 13; I didnā€™t become a really adventurous eater until I was at least 16.) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/163 "2008-09-10T19:14:35Z")
Youā€™re both from Iceland (how come I never noticed that before?). Do you know each other? No fair making Iceland sound really cool and fun and interesting, with gorgeous scenery and cultured people and er, unique cuisine. No fair teasing us like that. ā˜¹ (I really want to go, but must save my pennies). Tell you what, if in a year or so, I can go, Iā€™ll have a beer with you both. Deal? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/164 "2008-09-10T19:21:21Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Youā€™re both from Iceland (how come I never noticed that before?). > > Do you know each other? > > No fair making Iceland sound really cool and fun and interesting, with gorgeous scenery and cultured people and er, unique cuisine. No fair teasing us like that. ā˜¹ > > (I really want to go, but must save my pennies). Tell you what, if in a year or so, I can go, Iā€™ll have a beer with you both. Deal? My motherā€™s from Iceland, but Iā€™m an American raised in a culturally Icelandic household with lots of Icelandic family friends. I straddle the line between both cultures, really, and Iā€™ve spent a few summers over there with relatives, but I am not a native Icelander. I just happen to be immersed in some of the culture from the earlier half of the 20th century. (My mom grew up in the 1950s in Iceland, and I learned from her. If **Worm** and I met up and I try my [now] bad Icelandic on him, heā€™d probably laugh about me speaking like an old lady.) You might want to just travel down to the Orlando area for the next Dopefest if you want to have a beer with me, though. I havenā€™t been to Iceland in over ten years, and I donā€™t know when Iā€™m going to be there next. If we all go around the same time, maybe we can arrange a Dopefest in Reykjavik. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/165 "2008-09-10T19:26:13Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > What percentage of Iceland have you personally seen/visited? (estimate) Far to little. Iā€™ve seen most of the south, west and northern coast - but am almost completely lacking experiences of the eastcoast and most importantly, the Highlands. The Highlands will be corrected as soon as I buy that F-150 I want šŸ™‚ (which may be quite a while considering a liter of gas costs around $ 1,8) ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/166 "2008-09-10T19:28:25Z")
**nashiitashii** I only eat the Rotten-Food-Festival-food (ƞorri) on two occasions. Either at office-parties when I get enough free booze to manage it, or when I have foreign visitors when I have someone to laugh at šŸ™‚ But when I do eat it - I make a habit out of trying it all. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/167 "2008-09-10T19:30:41Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Iā€™m afraid Iā€™m drawing a blank on the Old-Norse names for you and shooting safe with MargrĆ©t - maybe Mathildur? > > Hot springs are nice and comfy to soak in for hours on end šŸ™‚ Hm, neither one really trips my trigger ā€¦ may have to do some research on my own=) I just have to make due with a hot tub=( not the same at _all_ I am not sure where the nearest hot springs are in the US - i know where a whole bunch of cold ones are. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/168 "2008-09-10T19:33:23Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > We all do šŸ˜‰ > > Heā€™s about to get a Titan from his Corp so heā€™s pretty high up in 0.0-space. Sweet=) I just got the blueprint for an Apocalypse, my racial battleship, a corp buddy and I invested in a dozen single use blueprints and are planning on making them all, and selling the ones that we do not want to fly. I mine a lot, and he mines, so for about 6.6 million ISK we will be making a heck of a lot of profit. I already have about a quarter of the materials to make the one I want=) and by the time I get the rest I will have had the training I need to fly it=) When I log in I will have to see if I can find him=) ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/169 "2008-09-10T19:34:09Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > (I really want to go, but must save my pennies). Tell you what, if in a year or so, I can go, Iā€™ll have a beer with you both. Deal? **Nashi** answered the first part, but Iā€™m always game for a beer and showing people the good places. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/170 "2008-09-10T19:35:50Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Hm, neither one really trips my trigger ā€¦ may have to do some research on my own=) > > I just have to make due with a hot tub=( not the same at _all_ > > I am not sure where the nearest hot springs are in the US - i know where a whole bunch of cold ones are. MarĆ­a, Mathildur, Melkorka, Merrilind, MargrĆ©tā€¦ not many cool ones starting with an ā€œmā€ Iā€™m afraid ā˜¹ Aruvqan though - what about AĆ°alheiĆ°ur? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/171 "2008-09-10T19:39:35Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Sweet=) > > [ā€¦] > > When I log in I will have to see if I can find him=) I think heā€™s in Razor and/or the Thundercats. And good luck with the Apocalypse! Now time for the second half of Iceland-Scotlandā€¦ stupid Scots are up 1-0, but we will triumph! ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/172 "2008-09-10T19:46:00Z")
If I were to give myself an Icelandic name, Iā€™d probably pick FjĆ³la. Somehow, as a child who grew up in an Icelandic dominant household, I got a Russian name and a Finnish name (to reflect the other ethnic backgrounds), but not an Icelandic one. Two out of three isnā€™t too bad, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/173 "2008-09-10T20:00:14Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Nah, I think you just add an Icelandic name if you become an Icelandic national. Iā€™ve met some new Icelanders from Thailand that go by e.g. ā€œShirawat ĆžĆ³rĆ°ur Thaksinā€ - it always strikes me as odd šŸ™‚ > > William would be VilhjĆ”lmur I was actually supposing as if I and my father were born in Iceland. But stillā€¦ ĆžĆ³rĆ°ur VilhjĆ”lmursson! Yes! šŸ™‚ Having ƞ or Ć° in your name must make it interesting when you go to the States and have to write your name on a form. Do these letters appear on car license plates as well? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/174 "2008-09-10T20:37:40Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I was actually supposing as if I and my father were born in Iceland. But stillā€¦ ĆžĆ³rĆ°ur VilhjĆ”lmursson! Yes! šŸ™‚ > > Having ƞ or Ć° in your name must make it interesting when you go to the States and have to write your name on a form. Do these letters appear on car license plates as well? ĆžĆ³rĆ°ur VilhjĆ”lmsson (no -ur), you have to put the words in the right form šŸ˜‰ I guess most people just switch the ƞ to T and Ć° to d, when theyā€™re abroad - my dad and brother do it that way. Ɛ (Ć°) is never used in the beginning of words and ƞ is never used inside words (apart from two words being put together). And with that Iā€™m saying that Iā€™ve seen ƞ on license plates, but not Ɛ. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/175 "2008-09-10T20:53:44Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Now, to crush the Scots on Wednesday. Not to be! šŸ˜ƒ Mind, I donā€™t think either of us will be troubling anyone at the top table. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/176 "2008-09-10T20:55:16Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I was actually supposing as if I and my father were born in Iceland. But stillā€¦ ĆžĆ³rĆ°ur VilhjĆ”lmursson! Yes! šŸ™‚ > > Having ƞ or Ć° in your name must make it interesting when you go to the States and have to write your name on a form. Do these letters appear on car license plates as well? In my experience, Icelandic names with Ć° and Ć¾ generally get written as d and th, respectively. Very few American systems allow for these special characters, so itā€™s generally replaced with phonetic ā€œequivalentsā€ in the American alphabet. It makes some Icelandic names more confusing for non-Icelanders, though; until you speak and read the language for a while, you donā€™t get the hang of when to pronounce a translated d as d or Ć°. I read Icelandic literature in English these days, and my familiarity with the language, place-names, and the naming system are the things that help me discern how itā€™s pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/177 "2008-09-10T20:55:37Z")
> [@Struan](#): > > Not to be! šŸ˜ƒ > > Mind, I donā€™t think either of us will be troubling anyone at the top table. Grumble, grumbleā€¦ yeah- we both suck ā˜¹ (but the ref was even worse) ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/178 "2008-09-10T23:25:01Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > MarĆ­a, Mathildur, Melkorka, Merrilind, MargrĆ©tā€¦ not many cool ones starting with an ā€œmā€ Iā€™m afraid ā˜¹ > > Aruvqan though - what about AĆ°alheiĆ°ur? Hm, how do you pronounce that ath-al-HEI-thur? Middle name is Isabel. Anything spiffy with an I or Y? =) Though your suggestion is nifty=) Might just have to come up with an icelandic SCA persona =) ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/179 "2008-09-10T23:26:24Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I think heā€™s in Razor and/or the Thundercats. > > And good luck with the Apocalypse! > > Now time for the second half of Iceland-Scotlandā€¦ stupid Scots are up 1-0, but we will triumph! About to log in and check - though my corp just got wardecced for some bizzar reasonā€¦ so I am pushing on the tech 2 weapon and gear trainingā€¦so i might end up being a bit busy discussing training and gear for a while ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/180 "2008-09-10T23:47:51Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Hm, how do you pronounce that ath-al-HEI-thur? > > Middle name is Isabel. Anything spiffy with an I or Y? =) Though your suggestion is nifty=) Might just have to come up with an icelandic SCA persona =) Ath-al-HEI-thur, sounds about right in my head. But both th.s are very soft - like the one in although. SCA? Whatā€™s that? My littlest baby cousinā€™s second name is Isabel! But sheā€™s half dutch, which is why she got a more international name than most. But for the really cool stuff - guess what her first name is šŸ˜‰ (yup, AĆ°alheiĆ°ur) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629.md?page=10)