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The Book Of Reykjavik
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Book Synopsis The Book of Reykjavik by : Friðgeir Einarsson
Download or read book The Book of Reykjavik written by Friðgeir Einarsson and published by Comma Press. This book was released on 2021-08-12 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reluctant to observe a new family tradition, a boy finds himself stranded outside a graveyard on the night before Christmas... Three farming brothers, forced to relocate to the city by poor harvests, discover an unexpected demand for their green-fingered talents... Residents of a new apartment block are woken in the early hours by the eerie sound of a table saw that once operated on the building’s grounds... Iceland is a land of stories; from the epic sagas of its mythic past, to its claim today of being home to more writers, more published books and more avid readers, per head, than anywhere in the world. As its capital (and indeed only city), Reykjavik has long been an inspiration for these stories. But, as this collection demonstrates, this fishing-village-turned-metropolis at the farthest fringe of Europe has been both revered and reviled by Icelanders over the years. The tension between the city and the surrounding countryside, its rural past and urban present, weaves its way through The Book of Reykjavik, forming an outline of a fragmented city marked by both contradiction and creativity. Includes a foreword written by award-winning Icelandic author Sjón. Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, Philip Roughton, Lytton Smith, Meg Matich and Larissa Kyzer. Published with the support of the Icelandic Literature Center.
Book Synopsis 101 Reykjavik by : Hallgrímur Helgason
Download or read book 101 Reykjavik written by Hallgrímur Helgason and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hlynur Björn is an Icelandic slacker who spends his time on the Internet, watching daytime television and generally gawping at girls in pubs. Imagine his surprise when his mum comes out as a lesbian and her Spanish girlfriend moves into the family home.
Book Synopsis Reykjavik Nights by : Arnaldur Indridason
Download or read book Reykjavik Nights written by Arnaldur Indridason and published by Minotaur Books. This book was released on 2015-04-21 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this stunning prequel to his critically acclaimed Inspector Erlendur series, Arnaldur Indridason gives devoted fans a glimpse of Erlendur as a young, budding detective. The beat on the streets in Reykjavik is busy: traffic accidents, theft, domestic violence, contraband ... And an unexplained death. When a tramp he met regularly on the night shift is found drowned in a ditch, no one seems to care. But his fate haunts Erlendur and drags him inexorably into the strange and dark underworld of the city. The writer whose work The New York Times describes as "having the sweep and consequence of epic story telling" has outdone himself in this multi-layered and masterful suspense story. His latest book in the series, Strange Shores, was nominated for the 2014 Crime Writers of America Gold Dagger Award.
Download or read book Barflies written by Snorri Bros. and published by powerHouse Books. This book was released on 2018-12-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barflies: Reykjavík 2 is a photography book by the Snorri Bros. portraying the regulars of iconic Reykjavik bar Kaffibarinn, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018. Opening its doors for the first time in 1993, the downtown Reykjavík bar was an overnight hit, attracting artists, musicians, media types, and other cool cats and creatures of the night. The crowd was young and had a huge lust for life, the atmosphere was an irresistible mixture of sweet innocence and hardcore partying. Kaffibarinn has certainly evolved and matured, but perhaps the most beautiful thing about the place is that it still attracts a similar type of clientele as it did in the early days. As the name suggests Barflies: Reykjavík 2 is a follow-up book. Again, the people portrayed are Kaffibarinn regulars. Some of the faces from the first book will be recognized, they're just now a quarter of a century older. All of the portraits were shot on location at Kaffibarinn, and just as in the earlier book all the photos are framed in the same way: shot on the same Hasselblad camera, with the same 50mm silver lens, against the same background, and with the same lighting. The Snorri Bros. shot each subject only one time, seizing the person in front of the lens in a timeless portrait. How did Kaffibarinn manage to develop into the ultimate endurance runner of Reykjavík's bar scene? Because it is a shapeshifter that can become what you want it to be. Its central location in the old part of Reykjavík makes it a perfect spot for a meeting over coffee or tea. For some, it is a daily pit stop for a relaxed pint or two on their way home from work. It can also be a quiet bar for early evening candle-lit encounters. At the opposite end of that spectrum, Kaffibarinn is the perfect latenight dive bar for Reykjavík's nighthawks, open until the early morning. After midnight this small and cosy bar changes into one heaving dance floor with the DJ crammed into a corner next to the bar. Those are the electric nights that have cemented Kaffibarinn's status and changed Reykjavík's nightlife forever.
Download or read book Snare written by Lilja Sigurdardóttir and published by Orenda Books. This book was released on 2017-09-12 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DIVA young mother resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, as she struggles to keep custody of her son, with devastating results ... First in the addictive, award-winning Reykjavik Noir Trilogy by the Queen of Iceland Noir. ***Longlisted for the CWA International Dagger*** 'Stylist, taut and compelling' Daily Express 'Snare will ensnare you' Marie Claire 'A taut, gritty, thoroughly absorbing journey into Reykjavik's underworld' Booklist ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– After a messy divorce, young mother Sonia is struggling to provide for herself and keep custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whose years of experience frustrate her new and evermore daring strategies. Things become even more complicated when Sonia embarks on a relationship with a woman, Agla. Once a high-level bank executive, Agla is currently being prosecuted in the aftermath of the Icelandic financial crash. Set in a ReykjavÍk still covered in the dust of the EyjafjallajÖkull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 'A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters' The Times 'Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns' Sunday Times 'Sharp shocks of chapters hit with increasing energy ... a towering powerhouse of read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting' LoveReading 'The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year' New York Journal of Books 'This first novel of a planned trilogy is stylish, taut and compelling and a film adaptation is in the pipeline. With characters you can't help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride' Daily Express 'Lilja Sigurdardottir delivers a diabolically efficient thriller with an ultrarealistic plot ... We cannot wait for Sonja's next adventure' L'Express 'A smart, ambitious, and hugely satisfying thriller. Striking in its originality and written with all the style and poise of an old hand. Lilja is destined for Scandi super stardom' Eva Dolan 'For a small island, Iceland produces some extraordinary writers, and Lilja is one of the best. Snare is an enthralling tale of love and crime that stays with you long after you have turned the last page' Michael Ridpath 'Zips along, with tension building and building ... thoroughly recommended' James Oswald 'Crisp, assured and nail-bitingly tense, Snare is an exceptional read, cementing Lilja’s place as one of Iceland’s most outstanding crime writers’ Yrsa Sigurdardottir ‘Clear your diary. As soon as you begin reading Snare, you won’t be able to stop until the final page’ Michael Wood ‘Snare is a great read and the finale is both shocking and unexpected … a Wizard-of-Oz ending, without the laughs. Terrific and original stuff' European Literature Network/div
Book Synopsis Reagan at Reykjavik by : Ken Adelman
Download or read book Reagan at Reykjavik written by Ken Adelman and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-05-06 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The dramatic, first-hand account of the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Iceland—the definitive weekend that was the key turning point in the Cold War—by President Reagan’s arms control director, Ken Adelman. In October 1986, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met for a forty-eight-hour summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. Planned as a short, inconsequential gathering to outline future talks, the meeting quickly turned to major international issues, including the strategic defense initiative and the possibility of eliminating all nuclear weapons—negotiations that laid the groundwork for the most sweeping arms accord in history the following year. Scrupulously researched and based on now-declassified information, Reagan at Reykjavik tells the gripping tale of this weekend that changed the world. Filled with illustrative accounts of the private discussions between Reagan and his team, Ken Adelman provides an honest and up-close portrait of President Reagan at one of his finest and most challenging moments. Reagan at Reykjavik includes 16 pages of black-and-white photos and 11 illustrations.
Book Synopsis The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life by : Nava Atlas
Download or read book The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life written by Nava Atlas and published by Sellers Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Popular author Nava Atlas explores the writing life of famous women writers in this beautifully designed and illustrated book. The journals, letters, and diaries of twelve celebrated women writers, including Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Madeleine L Engle, Anais Nin, George Sand, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf, illuminate the author s creative process. Nava s own insightful commentary provides reassuring tips and advice on such subjects as dealing with rejection, money matters, and balancing family with the solitary writing process that will resonate with women writers in today s world. With 100+ vintage photos, illustrations, and ephemera, this book is a splendid gift book for writers.
Book Synopsis Miss Iceland by : Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Download or read book Miss Iceland written by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir and published by Grove Press. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Will appeal to readers of Elena Ferrante and Margaret Atwood . . . the unusual setting offers an interesting twist on the portrait of an artist as a young woman.” —Bookpage In 1960s Iceland, Hekla dreams of being a writer. In a nation of poets, where each household proudly displays leatherbound volumes of the Sagas, and there are more writers per capita than anywhere else in the world, there is only one problem: she is a woman. After packing her few belongings, including James Joyces’s Ulysses and a Remington typewriter, Hekla heads for Reykjavik with a manuscript buried in her bags. She moves in with her friend Jon, a gay man who longs to work in the theatre, but can only find dangerous, backbreaking work on fishing trawlers. Hekla’s opportunities are equally limited: marriage and babies, or her job as a waitress, in which harassment from customers is part of the daily grind. The two friends feel completely out of place in a small and conservative world. And yet that world is changing: JFK is shot. Hemlines are rising. In Iceland, another volcano erupts and Hekla meets a poet who brings to light harsh realities about her art—as she realizes she must escape to find freedom abroad, whatever the cost. Miss Iceland, a winner of two international book awards, comes from the acclaimed author of Hotel Silence, which received the Icelandic Literary Prize. “Only a great book can make you feel you’re really there, a thousand miles and a generation away. I loved it.” —Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon “[A] winning tale of friendship and self-fulfillment.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Download or read book Best of Reykjavik written by Fran Parnell and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lonely Planet's Best Of guides are the ultimate pocket guide for short-trip visitors, highlighting the best city experiences, sights and trends. They are written by experienced authors, chosen for their in-depth knowledge and insights."Bottom line: ... it's the lean easy-to-use and fact-filled Lonely Planet ... that we'll slip into our carry-on next time." -Washington Post
Book Synopsis Sigga of Reykjavik by : Solveig Eggerz
Download or read book Sigga of Reykjavik written by Solveig Eggerz and published by . This book was released on 2019-03 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a little girl Sigga lifted calves on the farm. Why? To get strong enough to smash the men whose fingers reached for her in the dark. One day she'd get her revenge. As a farm worker in Iceland 100 years before the #me too movement, Sigga was angry and eager to strike out on her own. Her struggle for independence plays out against the backdrop of Iceland's fight to free itself from the colonial power, Denmark. A newspaper advertisement for a corset making workshop sparks her imagination. She'd flee to Reykjavik. Corsets would make her free. But in the capital city, she faces poverty harsher than on the farm and a political turmoil she considers ridiculous. An unwise marriage, combined with the economic depression, forces her to become a fishwoman. Instead of stitching corsets, she washes, salts, and sells fish to support her family. But evenings, with swollen fingers, she embroiders horseflies and butterflies on underwear sets to sell in The Corset Shop-anything to gain a foothold in the corset business. Her desire for adventure outpaces her quest for security and poses a danger to her and her family. As a young widow she's intrigued by the arrival of Jewish refugees from Germany. When Fritz, a handsome intellectual from Berlin, is threatened with deportation back to Hitler's Germany, Sigga decides to save him. Is Fritz's life worth Sigga's humbling herself to the desires of an anti-Semitic official? Or can she channel her simmering anger to rescue Fritz?But Sigga's ultimate challenge comes when up to 50,000 Allied soldiers arrive in Iceland as part of the World War II occupation. The soldiers bring more money, more jazz, more lust, and more fun than Sigga ever thought possible. She's thrilled and her financial problems are over. But the conflict she faces is unbearable. Can she exploit the occupation as part of her struggle to survive while at the same time protecting her beautiful, red-headed teenage daughter from soldiers? The father of her child, the man she didn't marry, says No.
Download or read book Gnarr written by Jon Gnarr and published by Melville House. This book was released on 2014-06-24 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the epicenter of the world financial crisis, a comedian launched a joke campaign that didn’t seem so funny to the country’s leading politicians . . . It all started when Jón Gnarr founded the Best Party in 2009 to satirize his country’s political system. The financial collapse in Iceland had, after all, precipitated the world-wide meltdown, and fomented widespread protest over the country’s leadership. Entering the race for mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital, Gnarr promised to get the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park into downtown parks, free towels at public swimming pools, a “drug-free Parliament by 2020” . . . and he swore he’d break all his campaign promises. But then something strange started happening: his campaign began to succeed. And in the party’s electoral debut, the Best Party emerged as the biggest winner. Gnarr promptly proposed a coalition government, although he ruled out partners who had not seen all five seasons of The Wire. And just like that, a man whose previous foreign-relations experience consisted of a radio show (in which he regularly crank-called the White House and police stations in the Bronx to see if they had found his lost wallet) was soon meeting international leaders and being taken seriously as the mayor of a European capital. Here, Gnarr recounts how it all happened and, with admirable candor, describes his vision of a more enlightened politics for the future. The point, he writes, is not to be afraid to get involved—or to take on the system.
Book Synopsis Silence of the Grave by : Arnaldur Indridason
Download or read book Silence of the Grave written by Arnaldur Indridason and published by Minotaur Books. This book was released on 2007-08-21 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Now Iceland has its own Mankell." ---Holger Kreitling, Die Welt (Germany) Last year Jar City introduced international crime-writing sensation Arnaldur Indridason to rave reviews and a rousing welcome from American thriller fans. And now, Silence of the Grave, the next in this stunning series has won the coveted Golden Dagger Award. Presented by the British Crime Writers' Association, previous winners of this award include John Le Carre, Minette Walters, Henning Mankell, and James Lee Burke. In Silence of the Grave, a corpse is found on a hill outside the city of Reykjavík, and Detective Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson and his team think the body may have been buried for some years. While Erlendur struggles to hold together the crumbling fragments of his own family, slowly but surely he finds out the truth about another unhappy family. Few people are still alive who can tell the tale, but even secrets taken to the grave cannot remain hidden forever. Destined to be a classic in the world of crime fiction, Silence of the Grave is one of the most accomplished thrillers in recent years.
Book Synopsis The Reykjavik Confessions by : Simon Cox
Download or read book The Reykjavik Confessions written by Simon Cox and published by Random House. This book was released on 2018-03-22 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BASED ON THE CELEBRATED BBC NEWS INVESTIGATION 'gripping and bitingly cold... full of fine detail and outrage' – Sunday Times 'Gripping' - Evening Standard A true story of false memories. ‘Over decades and decades in Iceland people have gone missing without anyone finding anything out. They just sort of disappear...’ In 1974, 18-year-old Gudmundur disappears after a boozy night in a fishing town near Reykjavik. Eleven months later Geirfinnur, a quiet family man, goes missing from Keflavik harbour in the southwest of Iceland after being summoned by a mysterious phone call from home. Both men are eventually presumed dead, but their bodies are never found. This quiet island is in an uproar - two disappearances with no forensics, no leads, no clue what has happened. Soon, the vanishings set in motion an almost surreal series of events, a remarkable tale of corruption, forced confession, false memory and madness that stretches over 40 years. Based on author Simon Cox's celebrated BBC News investigation, The Reykjavik Confessions is a chilling journey of discovery into a dark corner of Icelandic history, and a riveting true-crime thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page.
Book Synopsis The Casket of Time by : Andri Snær Magnason
Download or read book The Casket of Time written by Andri Snær Magnason and published by Restless Books. This book was released on 2019-04-09 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A rose can rest in the casket for a thousand years without fading. An egg can remain there for centuries without going bad. A person could lie there for a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, completely protected from time." What happens when the world starts to fall apart, and no one will take responsibility for mending it? Sigrun’s family, along with everyone else, finds refuge from the crisis in a new technology called TimeBox®, which lets you hibernate until the world’s problems solve themselves. But Sigrun’s TimeBox® opens early, and she wakes to a city in chaos, overrun by nature. Sigrun joins a roving band of kids and a wise researcher named Grace, who tells them of the ancient kingdom of Pangea, and the greedy king who wanted to protect his daughter Obsidiana from pain, gloomy days, and growing older by putting her in a silken casket that time could not penetrate. But Obsidiana learns that sabotaging time is a dangerous business, with effects that ripple outward even to the present day. Sigrun realizes it’s up to her and her friends to face the crisis, break the curse, and fix the world before it’s too late! Winner of The Icelandic Literary Prize for Children and Young People’s Books Winner of The Icelandic Booksellers Prize for Best Teenage Book of the Year Nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize Winner of the The West Nordic Literature Prize Winner of the Reykjavik Children’s Literature Prize “The story confronts the concept of time and twists old fairy-tale memories with a passionate creativity.” —The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize Citation “Andri Snær Magnason has created an intimate epic that floats effortlessly between genres as diverse as fairy tale and political commentary, science fiction and social realism. The Casket of Time spans the chasm between ‘once upon a time’ and ‘have you heard the news today’ in a way that makes his philosophical fable feel both timely and timeless.” —Bjarke Ingels “The largest box of chocolate written in the Icelandic language that I have ever laid my hands on... This is confectionery for the mind!... This is a book for the 3 year old, the 30 year old, the 300 year old.” —Audur Haraldsdóttir, Channel 2, National Radio (Iceland) “The power of story animates a tale that communicates—but is not overpowered by—urgent messages.” — Kirkus Reviews
Book Synopsis Secrets of the Sprakkar by : Eliza Reid
Download or read book Secrets of the Sprakkar written by Eliza Reid and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Canadian first lady of Iceland pens a book about why this tiny nation is leading the charge in gender equality, in the vein of The Moment of Lift. Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman—but why? For the past twelve years, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women. What is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle, from electing the world’s first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home? The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar, an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women. Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised, and now first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. Throughout, she interviews dozens of sprakkar to tell their inspirational stories, and expertly weaves in her own experiences as an immigrant from small-town Canada. The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand. What makes many women’s experiences there so positive? And what can we learn about fairness to benefit our society? Like influential and progressive first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Michelle Obama, Reid uses her platform to bring the best of her nation to the world. Secrets of the Sprakkar is a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all.
Download or read book North written by Gunnar Karl Gíslason and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unprecedented look into the food and culture of Iceland, from Iceland's premier chef and the owner of Reykjavík's Restaurant Dill. Iceland is known for being one of the most beautiful and untouched places on earth, and a burgeoning destination for travelers lured by its striking landscapes and vibrant culture. Iceland is also home to an utterly unique and captivating food scene, characterized by its distinctive indigenous ingredients, traditional farmers and artisanal producers, and wildly creative chefs and restaurants. Perhaps no Icelandic restaurant is as well-loved and critically lauded as chef Gunnar Gíslason’s Restaurant Dill, which opened in Reykjavík’s historic Nordic House in 2009. North is Gíslason’s wonderfully personal debut: equal parts recipe book and culinary odyssey, it offers an unparalleled look into a star chef’s creative process. But more than just a collection of recipes, North is also a celebration of Iceland itself—the inspiring traditions, stories, and people who make the island nation unlike any other place in the world.
Book Synopsis The Little Book of Icelandic by : Alda Sigmundsdottir
Download or read book The Little Book of Icelandic written by Alda Sigmundsdottir and published by Little Books Publishing. This book was released on 2022-01-21 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Icelandic is one of the oldest and most complex languages in the world. In this book, Alda Sigmundsdóttir looks at the Icelandic language with wit and humor, and how it reflects the heart and soul of the Icelandic people and their culture. Many of the Icelanders' idioms and proverbs, their meaning, and origins are discussed, as is the Icelanders' love for their language and their attempts to keep it pure through the ongoing construction of new words and terminology. There is a section on Icelandic curse words as well as Icelandic slang, which is mostly derived from English. Throughout, this book deconstructs Icelandic vocabulary, and the often-hilarious, almost naive, ways in which words are made. Among the fascinating topics broached in The Little Book of Icelandic: • The Language Committee: how Icelanders struggle to keep their language “pure” • Let's make a word!—How names for new things are constructed • Old letters, strange sounds: wrapping your tongue around the Icelanders’ tongue • $#*!%&!“#$%*, or how Icelanders curse • The missing dialects—why Icelandic has none • Which is the prettiest of all: contests to find the most lovely word in Icelandic (and the ugliest!) • Quintessential Icelandic words and phrases (the ones that describe the Icelanders like no others) • Useful phrases to impress your new Icelandic friends! • Klósett—the unexpected origin of the Icelandic word for toilet ... and so much more! This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the Icelandic people, their culture—and of course their language. Excerpt "Idioms and proverbs provide a unique insight into the soul of a nation. They say so much about a people’s history—the heartfelt, the tragic, the monumental, the proud. Icelandic has a vast number of idioms and proverbs that are a direct throwback to our nation’s past, especially idioms relating to the ocean, which is such a massive force in our nation's history. Many of them we use all the time without ever giving a thought to their origins. What follows is a random sampling—I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I did. — Idiom: Eins og skrattinn úr sauðaleggnum Translation: Like Satan out of the sheep’s leg bone Meaning: Unexpectedly, out of the blue If someone suddenly appeared, especially someone I didn’t really want to see, I might say hann kom eins og skrattinn úr sauðaleggnum, literally “he appeared like Satan out of the sheep’s leg bone”. Where the affiliation between a sheep’s leg bone and the prince of darkness comes in I could not tell you. However, I can tell you that, in the old days, Icelandic children (being impoverished and everything) had no proper toys. Instead, they played with sheeps’ bones, each of which was assigned a role. The jawbones were the cows, the joints of the legs were the sheep, and the leg bones were the horses. So maybe folks were worried that Satan—being the crafty bugger that he was—would install himself in a sheeps’ leg bone when the kids were playing and then suddenly BOO! pop out and scare the bejeezus out of them. It’s just a theory. Incidentally, the use of this idiom is not confined to people—it is also successfully used to comment on unwanted happenings, as in: “Damn, this huge phone bill comes like Satan out of a sheep’s leg bone!”
