Swedish expression of the day: att glida in på en räkmacka
Today's expression must rank as one of the most bizarre idioms in the Swedish language.
The räkmacka, or "open prawn sandwich", is a classic of Swedish cuisine, a staple you will find at every traditional 'konditori' café and by far the best thing to order at the buffet if you find yourself on an SJ train. But it's also the subject of one of Sweden's most common and certainly oddest idioms.
Att glida in på en räkmacka, literally "to slide in on a shrimp sandwich", means "to have it easy" or "to have everything handed to you on a plate".
As well as sliding in, you can also glida fram ("slide forward"), glida omkring ("slide around") , or simply glida ("slide") on a prawn sandwich, all of which have subtly different meanings.
You can use it if someone has been able to enjoy a reward without any of the expected effort, due to luck, circumstances, or an unfair advantage such as nepotism. Just picture them whooshing by atop a prawn sandwich, while all the rest of us work hard to get ahead.
A couple of years ago, for instance, there was a lively debate in Sweden's newspapers over the "prawn sandwiches" enjoyed by children of the country's cultural elite. In other words, they got things like newspaper columns and had second-rate books published almost as an inherited right.
It's such a well-known phrase that in Swedish, you can shorten it and say things like "it was no prawn sandwich" (it wasn't just handed to me) or "living in the countryside isn't just a prawn sandwich" (living in the countryside isn't just la dolce vita) and Swedish speakers will know what you mean.
Examples
Vissa människor glider på en räkmacka genom livet
Some people have everything handed to them in life
Bostadsrättsägare har glidit på en räkmacka de senaste fem år
Owners of cooperative apartments have had it easy over the last five years
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The räkmacka, or "open prawn sandwich", is a classic of Swedish cuisine, a staple you will find at every traditional 'konditori' café and by far the best thing to order at the buffet if you find yourself on an SJ train. But it's also the subject of one of Sweden's most common and certainly oddest idioms.
Att glida in på en räkmacka, literally "to slide in on a shrimp sandwich", means "to have it easy" or "to have everything handed to you on a plate".
As well as sliding in, you can also glida fram ("slide forward"), glida omkring ("slide around") , or simply glida ("slide") on a prawn sandwich, all of which have subtly different meanings.
You can use it if someone has been able to enjoy a reward without any of the expected effort, due to luck, circumstances, or an unfair advantage such as nepotism. Just picture them whooshing by atop a prawn sandwich, while all the rest of us work hard to get ahead.
A couple of years ago, for instance, there was a lively debate in Sweden's newspapers over the "prawn sandwiches" enjoyed by children of the country's cultural elite. In other words, they got things like newspaper columns and had second-rate books published almost as an inherited right.
It's such a well-known phrase that in Swedish, you can shorten it and say things like "it was no prawn sandwich" (it wasn't just handed to me) or "living in the countryside isn't just a prawn sandwich" (living in the countryside isn't just la dolce vita) and Swedish speakers will know what you mean.
Examples
Vissa människor glider på en räkmacka genom livet
Some people have everything handed to them in life
Bostadsrättsägare har glidit på en räkmacka de senaste fem år
Owners of cooperative apartments have had it easy over the last five years
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