In the 1970's and 1980's a couple of generations of Swedes grew up with Astrid Lindgrens many characters as their everyday heros. This has made a huge impression on Swedish culture, and many people make common references to scenes or the characters in her books, and later on the movies and TV-series' that followed.

Let's make you well acquainted to some of what you may encounter when hanging out with Swedes, especially those who were children during the "golden years".

First, a general overview:

Ronja Rövardotter (Ronja the Robber's Daughter)

Emil i Lönneberga (Emil, That boy Emil)

Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking)

Madicken  (Mardie)

Mio min mio (Mio's Kingdom, Mio My Son)

Kajsa Kavat (Brenda Brave)

Lotta på Bråkmakargatan (Lotta says No!)

Saltkråkan (Seacrow Island)

Bröderna Lejonhjärta (The Brothers Lionheart)

Karlsson på taket (Karlsson on the roof)

Barnen i Bullerbyn (The Children of Noisy Village)

Kalle Blomqvist (Kalle Blomqvist, the Detective)

Rasmus på luffen  (Rasmus and the Vagabond)

Nils Karlsson Pyssling (Simon Small)

and many more - you'll find a lot of information about Astrid and her beloved stories and books on www.astridlindgren.com

• rumpnisse - rumpnissar (the small "trolls", living under tree stumps and stones in Ronja Rövardotter). Literally translated as "butt-hobgoblin/bugan.
• grådvärg - grådvärgar (the grey, furry creatures in the woods, coming out at night when someone fears them)
• vildvittra - vildvittror (the cruel hybrids of women/birds that eat humans)
• de underjordiska (the mystical people enchanting anyone who walks in the forest when there is fog) 

Expressions you might hear from the movie:

"Far åt pipsvängen" ("Go away!")

"Tvi dig!" ("I despise you!")

"Måtte vildvittrorna ta dig!" ("May the vildvittror take you!")

"Söstra mi" ("Sister of mine")

"tjyvahundar" ("thieving dogs!")

Expressions you may encounter: 

"Förgrymmade onge!" (You mischievous child!")

"Jävlar i mamma" (Emil teaches his little sister which cursing words she is not allowed to say, literally means: "Devils in mummy", from the original expression "jävlar anamma")

"Snickeboa" (the carpentery shed)

"hyss" (mischief)

"Hujedamej" (Voy voy, oh dear, my goodness)

Kapten Efraim Långstrump (Pippi's father)

Herr NIlsson (Mr Nilsson, Pippi's monkey)

Lilla Gubben (Little old man, Pippi's horse)

Kling och Klang (the two policemen in her village)

Dunder-Karlsson och Blom (the two thieves in her village)

Prussiluskan (the social worker who tries to move Pippi to a child care institution)

Expressions you may encounter from Pippi's many movies, books and TV-series:

• "Pluttifikation" (multiplication)
• "4 liter medusin" (4 litres of medicine)
• "Fina lilla krumelur, jag vill inte bliva stur" ("Nice little thingy, I don't want to grow big", but with a changed spelling of "stor"/big to rhyme with "krumelur".)
• "Nej, jag lider inte av fräknar!" (Pippi in a dialogue with a pharmacist about her freckles. Outside the pharmacy she had seen a poster asking "Do you suffer from freckles?". So Pippi goes inside, declaring that she does not. "But your face is full of freckles!" "Yes! But I don't suffer! I like them!")

There are literally hundreds of references going around from all these movies and books, so when you feel more comfortable with Swedish, it will for sure also be enjoyable to listen to the original movies and read the books in Swedish, and have a native close at hand to get the oh so charming make-believe expressions come alive for you, too!

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