# Obsucre question about a former ''Miss Iceland''

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 29, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863 "2004-10-29T15:47:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/1 "2004-10-29T15:47:07Z")

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An obscure actress, Sirry Steffen, appeared on the first season of “The Beverly Hillbillies” as Mr. Drysdale’s “upstairs maid.” ;)😉 I’ve seen references that she was a former “Miss Iceland.” If so, under which one of these names might she have won the title?

[http://www.missiceland.is/prvWinnersr.asp](http://www.missiceland.is/prvWinnersr.asp)

Also, what’s the deal with Miss (?) Iceland 1983?

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/2 "2004-10-29T16:21:35Z")

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[IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825136/) suggests the title came from this:

> [@](#):
>
> Notable TV Guest Appearances
> 
> “Michael Shayne” playing “Miss Iceland” in episode: “Death Selects the Winner” (episode # 1.12) 23 December 1960

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/3 "2004-10-29T16:22:33Z")

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Dont you mean “81”?

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**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/4 "2004-10-29T16:35:24Z")

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1981: “Engin keppni haldin”  
According to my on-line free translator this means “none competition supposed” which I guess means they didn’t have the contest.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/5 "2004-10-29T16:38:57Z")

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Nope. 1983. Unnur Steins_son_

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/6 "2004-10-29T16:40:10Z")

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> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#):
>
> Also, what’s the deal with Miss (?) Iceland 1983?

As you may know, most Icelanders do not have surnames, but patronymics. Hence the last name of women usually ends in -dóttir. Jónsdóttir means “daughter of Jón” so you can be sure Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir’s father’s first name is Jón.

But a few Icelanders do have surnames, many of which are derived from the male form of the patronymic and end in -son, as in English. Unnur Steinsson’s father was probably not named Stein, but one of her distant ancestors was.

Unnur, in case you were wondering, is a girl’s name.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsucre-question-about-a-former-miss-iceland/271863/7 "2004-10-29T18:54:47Z")

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Steffen was “Miss Iceland” in the _Miss International Beauty_ contest in Long Beach, Ca. in 1960.