Craft Slang and Casual Talk
Informal Swedish heard at a craft table — register notes included.
Craft-table slang: hafsverk and pilligt, skit- and as- intensifiers, the galloping-horse standard of good enough — samma sak nästa gång.
- 1
ett hafsverk
a botch job
Tip: Informal, mildly critical.
- 2
fixa ihop något
to bodge something
Tip: Neutral-casual; not necessarily bad.
- 3
good enough
good enough
Tip: English loan, common among younger crafters.
- 4
ett enda kaos
a right mess
Tip: Everyday informal.
- 5
pilla
to faff about
Tip: Very common; fiddly small work.
- 6
pilligt
fiddly
Tip: Casual, affectionate complaint.
- 7
en mardröm
a nightmare
Tip: Hyperbolic, everyday.
- 8
skitenkelt
dead easy
Tip: 'skit-' prefix = very; informal but common.
- 9
skitfint
dead nice
Tip: Same prefix, positive.
- 10
jättefint
really lovely
Tip: Softer alternative, all registers.
- 11
asfint
gorgeous
Tip: 'as-' prefix = very; slangy, youth-leaning.
- 12
skräp
rubbish
Tip: Neutral-informal.
- 13
bös
junk
Tip: Regional slang, Gothenburg.
- 14
ett fynd
a bargain
Tip: Standard informal.
- 15
skitbilligt
dirt cheap
Tip: Informal.
- 16
ocker
a rip-off
Tip: Slightly old-fashioned, still used.
- 17
på tok för dyrt
way too expensive
Tip: Common everyday emphasis.
- 18
slå på stort
to splash out
Tip: Idiomatic, informal.
- 19
vara pank
to be skint
Tip: Informal.
- 20
grejer
stuff
Tip: Very common informal plural.
- 21
en grej
a thingy
Tip: When the word escapes you.
- 22
en sak-där
a whatsit
Tip: Spoken only.
- 23
den här grejen
this thing here
Tip: Everyday.
- 24
massor av
loads of
Tip: Informal quantity.
- 25
hur mycket garn som helst
a ton of yarn
Tip: Idiomatic exaggeration.
- 26
hamstra
to hoard
Tip: Informal, self-deprecating.
- 27
vara helt såld på
to be obsessed
Tip: Idiomatic, positive.
- 28
fastna för
to get hooked
Tip: Neutral-informal.
- 29
tappa tidsuppfattningen
to lose track of time
Tip: Standard.
- 30
bara ett varv till
just one more row
Tip: The in-joke of every knitter.
- 31
lägga av
to give up
Tip: Informal.
- 32
slänga in det i en låda
to chuck it in a drawer
Tip: Informal.
- 33
testa
to have a go
Tip: Very common.
- 34
chansa
to wing it
Tip: Informal.
- 35
pricka rätt
to nail it
Tip: Informal, positive.
- 36
helt rätt
spot on
Tip: Everyday.
- 37
inte illa alls
not bad at all
Tip: Understated praise — very Swedish.
- 38
helt okej
pretty decent
Tip: Mild praise.
- 39
kunde varit värre
could be worse
Tip: Classic understatement.
- 40
det duger
it'll do
Tip: Everyday.
- 41
ingen kommer märka det
nobody will notice
Tip: The crafter's motto.
- 42
det syns inte från en galopperande häst
you can't see it from a galloping horse
Tip: Jokey fixed phrase.
- 43
skryta
to show off
Tip: Neutral-informal.
- 44
en dold skryt
a humblebrag
Tip: Modern coinage.
- 45
lägga upp det
to post it online
Tip: Everyday.
- 46
för likesen
for the likes
Tip: English loan, fully naturalised.
- 47
polare
mates
Tip: Informal, warm.
- 48
en pysselkompis
a crafting mate
Tip: Playful compound.
- 49
en träff
a get-together
Tip: Neutral-informal.
- 50
samma sak nästa gång
same again next time
Tip: Everyday sign-off.