Ógeðslega

By Gunnar Birgisson

Icelandic Roots welcomes guest writer, Gunnar Birgisson. Gunnar presents an interesting Icelandic word and offers his thoughts about it. Here are his thoughts on Ógeðslega.

Ógeðslega, or "disgustingly," is unquestionably Icelanders' favorite adverb. And its usage is unironic, entirely unironic. To declare that something is "disgustingly something or other" is the highest praise. If you say the dinner was ógeðslega góður matur (disgustingly good), your host will be pleased. You obviously enjoyed your meal very much. You licked your plate clean, had seconds, and licked your plate clean again.

Photo generated using DeepAI

You may think I'm leading you on with this one, that I'm trying to trick a foreigner who might be studying the Icelandic language or preparing for their first trip to Iceland into using this adverb in a conversation and unwittingly insulting and shocking the persons involved. Absolutely not. Icelanders freely employ sarcasm and irony, and are generally unafraid of speaking their minds.

Saying something is disgustingly good isn't said with a knowing sneer or smart-aleck attitude. It is in fact the highest praise. Saying the food was disgustingly good is much higher praise than just saying it was very good. It is as if saying it was absurdly good, just off the charts, incomprehensibly good.

Similarly, if you say a movie was ógeðslega skemmtileg bíomynd, (disgustingly fun), friends will want to see it. A house deemed ógeðslega flott hús, (disgustingly cool), is drawing the highest praise.

Note, however, that when used as an adjective—ógeðslegt—the meaning is not inverted. If you say the food was ógeðslegur matur (disgusting) rather than ógeðslega góður matur (disgustingly good), your host will be shocked. Better correct that one quickly, unless the food actually was atrocious and you wish to terminate that social relationship.

I am quite pleased to be including this word as one of the emblematic Icelandic words to discuss with Icelandic Roots readers. It is ógeðslega sniðugt, on my part, or disgustingly clever.

Gunnar is an Icelander currently living in Texas. He was active in the Icelandic Association of Washington, DC and served as president for seven years. While in DC he worked as a lawyer, but is now retired from full-time work and dedicating himself to various writing projects, including co-authoring a graphic novel to be published this year in Iceland.