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Brenda Heenan's avatar

"Interestingly, flashing female genitalia at men’s weapons was thought to strip them of their power, as feminine energy was considered stronger than masculine."

The Canadian granny militia might try this if we need to defend our sovereignty. The horror.

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Yes! Let us all, women of the world, get together and flash our private parts at weapons and arms so that they can NEVER be used to kill anybody!!!!

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Kristina M's avatar

Kiitos! As a Finnish born Canadian whose family moved when I was 3 years old, I appreciate this explanation of Finnish swear words. I still speak and read Finnish but didn't know some of this background. Olen Kanadalainen Mummi ja nautin lukea sinun kirjoitukset.

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Kiitos kanadalainen mummi 😃 Kiva että osaat vielä suomea. Se on aika hankala kieli. Terveisiä Kanadaan!

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Arthur Sanders's avatar

Interesting how close the words for female genitals are in Finnish and Norwegian: Fitte. (A word I never say out loud.)

Swearing in Northern Norway is an art form. The most powerful is Hæstkuk (horse dick).

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Interesting, yes! In Swedish, they call it fittan. Va fittan! (=what the fuck). I will immediately start using Hæstkuk! It sounds obscene even if one does not know what it means 😆

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Jane's avatar

Excellent post, will try to employ them. 👏🕊️🕊️

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Please do! They work!

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Jane's avatar

I tried to say the P word in the garden centre today. I think I might have to write on the palm of my hand and chant it in preparation for launch 🚀, then it’ll become my go to!

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Jane's avatar
Mar 4Edited

https://substack.com/@rebeccamack1/note/c-97360243?r=39nsb&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Join us here Kati. you can influence more women in the art of swearing in Finnish🥰🕊️🕊️

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

I believe that, in God’s eyes, swearing is a much lesser evil than killing, spreading hate, or being greedy, selfish, or cruel - absolutely! This made me laugh - and swearing can be used in solidarity and claiming agency. Thanks

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

That´s what I am saying - swearing has never killed anybody. I am glad you had a laugh 😃

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Hans Jorgensen's avatar

I'm sharing this with the Finns I know at church (several here). They'll enjoy. The only Finnish I know is hauskaa Joulua :)

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Deborah Thompson's avatar

Jumalauta! OMG that’s my favourite word of all time! Now I’m going to have to use it (and hope there are no delicate Fins around me! I still love some of the French Canadian swear words I grew up with, as my Dad was French Canadian. The expression I love the most and which I still use a lot when I am angry at myself is “Maudit tabernac!” A “tabernac” is the ornate box that Roman Catholicism priests use to hold the “Holy Communion” (the Body of Christ”. So it is very bad to say “Maudit Tabernac” because you are saying “Stupid Body of Christ”…. Lolol.

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Yes - people get so creative with swear words 😆 It is the one place where adults can be naughty, like kids!

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Susan's avatar

Fascinating! The American word that is related to women’s genitalia and a common swear word is cunt… have never been able to figure it out that men call other men a cunt to indicate they’re weak, stupid, etc. then go home to get all up in their womans cunt for sex. If they’re lucky. lol

Going to save this and start swearing in Finnish 😂

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Haha - yes, go ahead and do your swearing! I guess words referring to the ladyparts have become swear words because they are so powerful 😃. Women´s sexuality has always been considered a bit scary. Happy Sunday to you, sister 🌞

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Gillian Fletcher's avatar

I’ve always thought of swearing as the seasoning for language. Just enough for flavor but no fun if it overpowers. Love learning more about the roots of the words in your tongue!!

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Thank you. Finnish is such a weird language, with lots of peculiar words 😃

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Gillian Fletcher's avatar

I’m delighted to add it to my list of languages where I know a bit of the dirty talk 🤓

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Nordic Nobodies's avatar

I love this Kati - I think will start to swear in Finnish in public as no-one will know I am actually swearing :-) I can give you some in Danish if you like.

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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Yes, please! Seems like Scandinavians are good at swearing 😃

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In the gathering dark's avatar

Very interesting, thanks for both the swearing info and that on exposing female genitals as an act of defiance.

The ancient Greeks referred to the skirt lifting gesture as “anasyrma”. It has been linked to the mythic stories of Persephone/Demeter. A crone named Baubo used the act to make Demeter laugh. This laughter broke the goddesses’ mourning for her daughter and circumvented the potentially disasterous consequences for humanity that followed. Therefore as an act of profanity, mockery, or cursing, exposing the genitals or buttocks has the potential to create a circuit breaker on the status quo - like swearing. According to Wikipedia a potent contemporary example was used by women in Nigeria against the petroleum industry 😊

See also the painting “The Bravery of the Persian Women” by Flemish artist Frans Franken the Younger (1581 - 1642) referencing Plutach.

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Prajna O'Hara's avatar

I love this creative fun, healthy way of using swearword like Vittu.

I was never much of a swearer, certain words always left a bad taste in my mouth, including the word fuck which now has become part of our common language, which in a way takes the steam and the fun out of it. I find myself using it more than I want to, but I use it with a twist like that is absolutely fuckernuckles.

Great post. I am happy to find you and our common age and language.

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Paul Butler's avatar

I feel your pride! Great piece. Thank you.

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Lynn's avatar

I love this💕

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Ella's avatar

Yiddish too is a language of curses. My current favorites for the man in the White House is Paskudnyak ( a revolting, disgusting evil person) or schmuck (which means an unclean penis). The advantage of Schmuck is that in English it is interpreted to be a jerk...

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Peter Frood's avatar

I am looking forward to applying my new Finnish vocabulary in the near future on a visit to Finland. How do you say hello?

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Mar 3
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Kati Reijonen's avatar

Aren´t words fascinating?

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