Talking About Music: Expressions
Örhänge, spellista, dansbandsmusik — describing taste without sounding snobbish.
Music talk, Swedish edition: örhängen and sommarplågor, Melodifestivalen's liturgy, the car singalong — och barnen som skäms över det sen.
- 1
ett örhänge
an earworm
Tip: lit. 'an earring' — a tune stuck in your head.
- 2
fastna på hjärnan
to get stuck in your head
Tip: lit. 'stick on the brain'.
- 3
en spellista
a playlist
Tip: lit. 'a play list'.
- 4
gå på repeat
to be on repeat
Tip: lit. the same — English loan.
- 5
en hemlig favorit
a guilty pleasure
Tip: lit. 'a secret favourite'.
- 6
min typ av musik
my kind of music
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
ha bred musiksmak
to have broad taste
Tip: lit. the same — what everyone claims.
- 8
jag lyssnar på lite av varje
I listen to a bit of everything
Tip: lit. the same — the standard Swedish answer.
- 9
dansbandsmusik
Swedish dance-band music
Tip: lit. the same — a genre with its own festivals and devotion.
- 10
en sommarplåga
a summer hit
Tip: lit. 'a summer torment' — the song you can't escape in July.
- 11
Melodifestivalen
the melody festival
Tip: lit. the same — the six-week national Eurovision selection.
- 12
vinnarreprisen
the winner's reprise
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
sjunga med falskt
to sing along badly
Tip: lit. 'sing along out of tune'.
- 14
vara tondöv
to be tone deaf
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
en refräng som fastnar
a catchy chorus
Tip: lit. 'a chorus that sticks'.
- 16
texten är hemsk
the lyrics are terrible
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
den växer
it grows on you
Tip: lit. 'it grows'.
- 18
lyssna sönder en låt
to overplay a song
Tip: lit. 'listen a song to pieces'.
- 19
vara inne på vinyl
to be into vinyl
Tip: lit. 'be into vinyl'.
- 20
live är en annan sak
live is a different thing
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
bakgrundsmusik
background music
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
jobbmusik
music to work to
Tip: lit. 'work music'.
- 23
algoritmens förslag
the algorithm's recommendation
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
upptäcka ett gammalt band
to discover an old band
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
nostalgin slår till
nostalgia hits hard
Tip: lit. 'the nostalgia strikes'.
- 26
vi har helt olika smak
we don't share taste at all
Tip: lit. 'we have completely different taste'.
- 27
skicka länken
send me the link
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
deltävlingarna
the Eurovision semi-finals
Tip: lit. 'the sub-competitions' — four Saturdays in February.
- 29
andra chansen
the second chance round
Tip: lit. the same.
- 30
finalen i mars
the final in March
Tip: lit. the same — half the country watches.
- 31
juryn och tittarrösterna
the jury and the public vote
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
rösta i appen
to vote by app
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
en schlager
a schlager
Tip: lit. the same — the genre, unapologetically.
- 34
tonartsbytet
the key change
Tip: lit. the same — the moment everyone waits for.
- 35
en vindmaskin
a wind machine
Tip: lit. the same — essential staging.
- 36
en folkfavorit
a national favourite
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
en sommarlåt
a summer song
Tip: lit. the same — different from a sommarplåga.
- 38
sommarens låt
the song of the summer
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
en musikfrågesport
a music quiz
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
gissa låten på tre toner
to name the song in three notes
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
allsång i bilen
a car singalong
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
Allsång på Skansen
the community singalong on TV
Tip: lit. the same — Tuesdays in summer, since 1979.
- 43
kunna varje ord utan att försöka
to know every word without trying
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
en låt som tar en tillbaka
a song that takes you back
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
höra den och vara nitton igen
to hear it and be nineteen again
Tip: lit. the same.
- 46
föra musiken vidare till barnen
to pass music down to your children
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
de skäms över det sen
they'll be embarrassed later
Tip: lit. the same.