Adventures in learning Finnish

Lost in translation.

- There are no roses for pigs

- One potato at a time

- Put ice in their hats

- The horses are escaping

- She's no spring onion

1955 kids book with a lot of casual colonial racism has some odd entries I can't decode, like this, any ideas?

A kind of Dr Seuss Edward Scissorhands Nightmare on Elm Street Wicker Man kinda vibe.

Meanwhile, in Finland.

nautitaan lämmöstä, let's enjoy the heat

A birthday email from Finnkino, a cinema chain in Finland. For someone from the UK, the idea of having poppers in the cinema is hilarious.

Is there really only one word for both snail and slug in Finnish?

Noun, etana: slug, snail

Here's a particularly Finnish classified ad:

Kokenut raitis autoileva Joulupukki kera tontun.

Experienced sober driving Santa Claus with an elf.

My partner tells me that one year a hired Santa turned up drunk at their house, hit on her grandma and refused to leave, so I guess you need to specify! 

"Tukkoisuutta" (congestion)

"Ilmatieallergiaa" (airborne allergies)

"Poskiontelovaivoja" (sinus problems)

"Nuha" (runny nose or cold?)

"Astma" (asthma)

Halloween ideas for kids from 1983 Finland.

Thanks, Finland, now I can never sleep again in case the breadface children sneak into my bedroom.

Vau, miten makeet naamarit

Presenting the MINI SAUNA!

Finns love sauna so much that there's a market for a 1m³ hot box! Perfect for that 40m² flat in the centre of Helsinki.

Tunnissa pystyyn ja kunnon löylyyn

So this means up in an hour and into a proper ... and then Google says proper bath (wrong), chatgpt says good sauna which I think misses the mark?

Doesn't it mean a proper löyly? And is there even a translation for that? 😄

löyly — the steam that rises from the sauna stove (kiuas) or the heat of the sauna

Wikipedia tells me that löyly derives from earlier languages meaning soul, spirit or ghost, which I do find rather lovely and poetic.

Soon after I hear, 'Morjens, morjens!' 

I figure it's not directed at me so just walk on. 

Next, louder, 'Mikä sun nimi on?' 

Do they mean me? I hesitate...

The Finn says, 'Look, I've been bitten by something on my Lady Toe.'

'Your...' I try to remain nonchalant, 'Lady Toe?'

'Yes.' she says, pointing to it.

'Is there... a Gentleman Toe?'

And apparently there is—toes have gender in Finnish, she tells me.

'What, all of them?' I ask, looking at her feet.