Norwegian: helt Texas

[Grefsen]

I was thinking about some of the expressions a Norwegian friend of mine used to use when she was teaching me what she called "Oslo gatespråk" and one of the expressions she used was something like the following:

"Det var helt Texas, assa!"

Does "helt Texas" mean "quite crazy/wild" or am I mixing this expression up with something else.

På forhånd takk for hjelpen.

 

[oskhen]

Does "helt Texas" mean "quite crazy/wild"

You're completely right

"Helt Texas" - "Completely Texas"/"Totally Texas" is normally used to describe a situation as really wild, crazy or the like. I suppose it conveys a rather specific idea of Texas...

 

[vestfoldlilja]

In my own dialect helt Texas can aslo mean that something is very big/large.

 

[oskhen]

In my own dialect helt Texas can aslo mean that something is very big/large.

Really? Never heard of that before. You're from Vestfold, I suppose?

 

[vestfoldlilja]

Yeah, Vestfold, maybe I should have mentioned that The most common meaning here as well is crazy/wild, but I have used it to mean big and heard other use it as well. It is not uncommen at least.

I don't think we really only mean Texas, but Texas in a way sums up how we at times can experience USA in a vice versus look between the US and Norway. Two common views here might be: Norway; small versus US; big and that when you do something, anything really, in the US it is done in a much larger scale and perhaps in a way that may seem over the top, and is perceived to be wild and crazy to Norwegians.

It's not meant as an offence to Americans though, so I hope no one takes it that way It’s a positive way to express that something is great.

 

[Pteppic]

I've always assumed what the expression compares whatever situation it describes to is the prototypical (stereotypical) wild west scenario - a semi-anarchical society with limited law enforcement - with Texas being the prototypical wild west state. Never heard it used merely about the size of something.