Tüng laagriks / Prank for camp
Aug 11, 2017
Estonian Life No. 32 2017
Tüng is a colloquial (kõne/keelne) expression for alt/vedamine or having the rug pulled out from under you. If you are the prankster: sa teed kellelegi tünga aka alt/vedamine, you tugged the rug, so to speak. If you yourself are pranked, sa SAAD tünga aka alt/minemine – you went blindly under the limbo bar and fell victim. Sind tõmmati alt you were tugged, right on your backside.
When writing LAAGRIKS, the word LAGRITS (liqorice) came to mind. Both these words come from German (Lager and Lakritze). Try saying "Lagrits laagriks" 10 times fast! Ajab keele sõlme. It ties a knot in your tongue. Another classic to try is "pagari piparkook".
Kui sa tahad tünga laagriks, (if you want a prank for camp), you might offer a surprise with some soome (Finnish) salmiakki – soolane or salty liquorice. The little, black tongue-numbing drops are speculated to have their origin at apteegid (pharmacies) that manufactured their own cough medicine with ammonium chloride. Ammoonium/kloriid + lagrits = a candy lemmik (favourite) since the 1930s in Skandinaavia and Holland aka Madal/maad, (“the low countries”) – what Nederland(s) means. (Les Pays-Bas aussi.) How low can you go? Not too low with the tüngad, please! Mõistuse piires – within reason or the limits of your mõistus.
Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
