Comments on: Expressions that Define Cultures

By: Travels in the Riel World - …cultivating a global curiosity » Understanding a culture through its expressions

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:27:50 +0000

[...] expressions. There was recently an article published on Matador Abroad that took a look at 10 expressions that define cultures. Here are two of them: Shoganai, Japan – “It can’t be helped.” Japan is for the most part a [...]

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By: Kristina

Kristina — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:52:18 +0000

Alan, you’re right. It’s spelled “lagom” and yes, it’s used by everyone. Depending on how it’s used, it means either “just right/adequate/enough” (i.e. referring to an amount) or “as wished, not too much and not too little” (i.e. the temperature). Or “not the best, but not the worst” as you put it Alan.

It’s not really a positive word, but a not a negative one either. It’s somewhere in between. And I would definitely put the term on the list as a word that defines the Swedish culture!

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By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:02:20 +0000

Isn’t the term Logam really popular in Sweden? I remember them talking about it with Anthony Bourdain. It means something like, “not the best, but not the worst.” Something like that.

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By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:57:04 +0000

I think it’s important to note that “Same Same But Different” is a pidgin English phrase, not a Thai or Vietnamese phrase – it reflects more on the dynamics of backpacker tourism than it does on any SE Asian culture.

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