# Something new - the "Skol" greeting **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2015, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791 "2015-10-07T10:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791/21 "2015-10-08T06:08:10Z")
Well I’m only going off what I’ve been told. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791/22 "2015-10-08T07:34:40Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Bastard! Stealing our girls. 😃 > [@Septima](#): > > … Acknowledge your dinner-partner by holding the glass stiffly, drinking, and holding it stiffly again. Holding eye-contact all the while (opposite-sex only, by design). > > It can be seen demonstrated a few times at 26-29 minutes of [this danish tv-series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzlcTXnH4QU). Note the old woman who is giving no fucks. Pfft. Our _Fanny & Alexander_ can kick your _Matador_’s ass any ol’ day of the week. 😉 Nej men seriously though - even in that clip no one actually maintains eye contact throughout the _entire_ toast though, right? Even while bringing the glass to one’s lips and drinking, to the point where, as the OP puts it, “yeah that means you might miss your mouth or dribble but thats ok”? Ps. Damn… Now I’m gonna have to re-watch _Fanny & Alexander_ just to see how old-timey upper-class Swedes handled their toasts. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791/23 "2015-10-08T12:50:12Z")
People who were raised this way did not need to look at their glass while drinking, much like I don’t have to look at the keyboard while typing. It’s a skill, I imagine. I haven’t seen Fanny and Alexander - if there is a better clip of toasting, please link to it. I’d love to see other examples. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791/24 "2015-10-08T18:27:28Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > To clarify - the scandinavian word that we say when we want to klink glasses together or make a fuss about consuming alcohol is indeed “skål”. However, we just say it, raise the glass/beercan/bottle briefly or smush them together, and then drink. Staring into each others eyes is not a thing. > > However, it sounds as if this might be a bastardisation of european table etiquette from the old days. Where, if you were at a formal dinner, you would have to Acknowledge people around the table with lifted glasses, and then Acknowledge your dinner-partner by holding the glass stiffly, drinking, and holding it stiffly again. Holding eye-contact all the while (opposite-sex only, by design). > > It can be seen demonstrated a few times at 26-29 minutes of [this danish tv-series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzlcTXnH4QU). Note the old woman who is giving no fucks. > > However, this has really not been a thing since the war, or ever outside of really posh circles. Ok I watched that and caught them saying it very quickly, kind of like we would say “cheers”, and no eye contact. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791/25 "2015-10-08T23:06:40Z")
I vaguely remember ‘Skol’ from when I was at university in the late 80s. IIRC there was an advertising campaign for a beer of that name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-new-the-skol-greeting/733791.md?page=1)