THE NEWYORKER, MARCH 8, 2021 23
SHOUTS & MURMURS
LUCI GUTIÉRREZ
Friluftsliv (pronounced FREE′-loofts-liv) [is]
a Norwegian custom that means living “life in
fresh air,” or more simply, spending time out-
doors and being active.... Both in Norway and
other countries, the friluftsliv lifestyle can be
a potential way to combat wintertime sadness.
—CNN Health.
A
few other Scandinavian trends
to make your sad pandemic life
seem intentional:
HUNDAFVISE
Sitting on the floor to pet your dog,
but then your dog walking away, and
you just staying on the floor alone.
MORSKJULE
Rejecting an unexpected FaceTime
from your mom because even your
mom shouldn’t see how you look
right now.
DRIKKEDRUKNE
Slowly filling your bedside table with
empty mugs and wineglasses and one
full, old, ChapStick-rimmed glass
of stale water with dog hair floating
in it.
SMURTSVIN
Putting on so much hand lotion that
you can’t use your phone or computer.
OSTSKAM
Eating cheese with the refrigerator door
open so it counts as a light snack and not
a three-thousand-calorie cry for help.
UENDELIG SMERTE
Making a cup of tea that’s a thousand
degrees too hot and forgetting to drink
it until it’s cold.
BESKIDT HUS
Vacuuming, but not vacuuming your
baseboards or under any furniture, then
wondering why your house is still dirty
even though you just vacuumed.
NULLBUTIKK
Putting things that would make your
house nicer in online shopping carts
and then never buying them.
HELSEHELVETE
Reading about Scandinavian countries’
universal health care while on hold with
Aetna as you try to dispute a bill from
Quest Diagnostics.
FRILUFTSLIV NEI
Saying that you’re going to go for a
walk in the crisp, wintry fresh air and
then it suddenly being nighttime with-
out you even having put on pants.
HJÆLP
Google-translating words from En-
glish to Danish in an attempt to pass
off the true and pathetic details of your
depressing existence as amusing, relat-
able content.
BEYOND HYGGE
BY SUSANNA WOLFF
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WHAT’S THE
BIG IDEA?
Small space has big rewards.
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