Danish word of the day: Langhåret
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If you want to discuss topics like existentialism or the cosmos, you might find the conversation being described with today's word of the day.
What is langhåret?
An adjective literally meaning 'longhaired', langhåret has two meanings: its literal one and a figurative one.
While using langhåret to describe, well, long hair, is entirely normal and frequent in Danish conversation, the figurative meaning also crops up from time to time.
Meaning a concept that is very abstract, philosophical, metaphysical or plain unrealistic, you'll be most likely to hear langhåret used in academic situations. For example, if a professor is about to explain something longwinded, she might precede it by warning students that things are about to get "a little bit longhaired".
You might not be surprised to learn that the figurative use of langhåret is thought to have emerged during the 1960s, when the stereotypical image of someone discussing metaphysical topics would probably have had long hair (as well as round glasses and a flowery shirt).
Why do I need to know langhåret?
The literal use of langhåret is probably still the most common one, so if you don't know it can also be used figuratively, you might be thrown off a bit when someone says that your musings about the Theory of Relativity sound "longhaired".
The above definitions suggest that it belongs in the realm of high-brow conversations and experts. But using langhåret as an adjective to describe complex ideas also carries an element of self-deprecation which seems to fit well with a mindset of not excessively building up one's knowledge or achievements, and instead remaining modest -- a known Danish social more.
READ ALSO: Five Danish social norms that might be new to newcomers
There's no shame in saying you find something a bit "longhaired" and are therefore having trouble understanding it. If you describe something you already understand (or believe you do) as langhåret, this will be seen as a recognition of the complicated or abstract nature of the topic making it difficult to follow -- not self-praise for already knowing it.
Examples
Jeg kom op i Platons hulelignelse, da jeg var til eksamen i idehistorie. Jeg sagde noget totalt langhåret, men fik heldigvis lov til at bestå.
I was asked about Plato's Allegory of the Cave in my history of ideas exam. I said something totally longwinded and abstract but was luckily able to pass.
Det kan godt komme til at lyde lidt langhåret det her, men jeg tror, at der sker noget på et højere plan.
This is going to sound a bit metaphysical, but I believe there's something happening on another level of reality.
Comments
See Also
What is langhåret?
An adjective literally meaning 'longhaired', langhåret has two meanings: its literal one and a figurative one.
While using langhåret to describe, well, long hair, is entirely normal and frequent in Danish conversation, the figurative meaning also crops up from time to time.
Meaning a concept that is very abstract, philosophical, metaphysical or plain unrealistic, you'll be most likely to hear langhåret used in academic situations. For example, if a professor is about to explain something longwinded, she might precede it by warning students that things are about to get "a little bit longhaired".
You might not be surprised to learn that the figurative use of langhåret is thought to have emerged during the 1960s, when the stereotypical image of someone discussing metaphysical topics would probably have had long hair (as well as round glasses and a flowery shirt).
Why do I need to know langhåret?
The literal use of langhåret is probably still the most common one, so if you don't know it can also be used figuratively, you might be thrown off a bit when someone says that your musings about the Theory of Relativity sound "longhaired".
The above definitions suggest that it belongs in the realm of high-brow conversations and experts. But using langhåret as an adjective to describe complex ideas also carries an element of self-deprecation which seems to fit well with a mindset of not excessively building up one's knowledge or achievements, and instead remaining modest -- a known Danish social more.
READ ALSO: Five Danish social norms that might be new to newcomers
There's no shame in saying you find something a bit "longhaired" and are therefore having trouble understanding it. If you describe something you already understand (or believe you do) as langhåret, this will be seen as a recognition of the complicated or abstract nature of the topic making it difficult to follow -- not self-praise for already knowing it.
Examples
Jeg kom op i Platons hulelignelse, da jeg var til eksamen i idehistorie. Jeg sagde noget totalt langhåret, men fik heldigvis lov til at bestå.
I was asked about Plato's Allegory of the Cave in my history of ideas exam. I said something totally longwinded and abstract but was luckily able to pass.
Det kan godt komme til at lyde lidt langhåret det her, men jeg tror, at der sker noget på et højere plan.
This is going to sound a bit metaphysical, but I believe there's something happening on another level of reality.
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