Saturday January 29, 2005

Helsinki, Finland

 

Hello Bill,

 

I have recently (since four years) got a special interest in Canadiana, and I have read your book Canadian Sayings 3. There were two sayings with Finnish links, and for the second one you asked readers to give more information, if possible. The sayings were:

 

”If you’re short of trouble, take a goat!”

 

“He has a head on him like a Finlander’s dick.”

 

I sent emails to all my Finnish friends, but no one knew anything. Then I wrote to the Finnish Literature Society (http://www.finlit.fi/english/index.htm), and got an answer. Researcher Juha Nirkko had to forward the question to a colleague, Outi Lauhakangas, because he couldn’t say for sure. Outi Lauhakangas wrote: ‘If you're short of trouble, take a goat’! is found in the M Kuusi International Database of Proverbs (only in Finnish!) http://lauhakan.home.cern.ch/lauhakan

/fin/cerpfin.html in the category of man’s pets and animals, marked FEe = Baltic Finnish, European, Eastern European.

 

‘He has a head on him like a Finlander’s dick’! is probably not found in any databases.

 

When I next time get to Canada, I’m going to buy Canadian Sayings 1 and 2, if available!

 

With kind regards,

Carita Nybom

Helsinki, Finland

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Konstit on monet sanoi akka kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki

 

“There are many ways, said the hag when she wiped the table with the cat.”

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Bill replies: Thank you, Querida Carita. All 9 of my books are in print and available. You don't have to wait to order them. Check out below or at the top of the page, click BUY BOOKS ONLINE.

 

See More Letters & Answers at Q&A

 

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