The Norwegian language has a tendency to sprinkle word pairings throughout conversation and writing, like bits of linguistic spice. These phrases are fun to say and add a poetic flavor, since they often appear in rhyming and or alliterative pairs.
In English, we also like to use pairs when just one word would do:
You can say that doing taxes is part and parcel of owning a business, or that your friend is not merely sad, but down and out. A person can visit an antique shop to encounter all kinds of bits and bobs. And sometimes you get carried away and buy the whole kit and caboodle.
There is such an abundance of these pairs in Norwegian that we can sort them into groups:
Alliterative phrases
ting og tang – bits and bobs
På butikken var det et flott utvalg av ting og tang å kjøpe. / At the store, there was a great selection of bits and bobs to buy.
fyr og flamme – be passionate or really excited about something (literally, fire and flame)
Samboeren min var i fyr og flamme da hun kom hjem i dag. / My partner was really excited when she came home today.
null og niks – absolutely nothing; zero, zip, nada (literally: zero and nothing)
Nå vet jeg at han er null og niks for meg. – Now I know that he is absolutely nothing to me.
først og fremst – above all, primarily (literally: first and foremost)
Det var først og fremst læreren som fortalte oss om det. / It was primarily the teacher who told us about that.
Over stokk og stein – all over the place / go overboard (literally: over log and stone)
Da jeg flyttet til Tromsø for å arbeidet gikk ting litt over stokk og stein. – When I moved to Tromsø to work, things went a little overboard.
Rhyming phrases
Rett og slett – simply, merely, only
Jeg har rett og slett ikke ord for dette. / I simply have no words for this.
sus og dus / et liv i sus og dus – hustle and bustle / living the high life (literally: huff and puff)
Vi er tre venner som lever i sus og dus. – We are three friends living the high life.
kjas(et) og mas(et) – hustle and bustle, hectic pace
Bygden ligger fjernt fra byens kjas og mas. – The village is far away from the frantic pace of the city.
Two similar things
Fryd og gammen – peachy-keen, hunky-dory
Bortsett fra det, er alt fryd og gammen. – Aside from that, everything is peachy-keen.
der og da – there and then, in that moment
Der og da bestemte jeg meg for å bli lege. – There and then, I decided to become a doctor.
i ny og ne – from time to time, every once in a while
Det er lov å more seg litt i ny og ne. – You’re allowed to have fun every once in a while.
Two different things
takk og lov – thank goodness (literally: thanks and praise)
Takk og lov at du er kommet. – Thank goodness you came.
slå krone og mynt (or mynt og krone) – flip a coin (literally: strike crown and coin)
La oss slå krone og mynt om det! – Let’s flip a coin for it!
Pepper these phrases into conversation to liven things up here and there!