Harry (derogatory term)
Encyclopedia
Harry is a Norwegian
derogatory term used in slang, derived from the English
name Harry. The best English translation may be "cheesy" or "tacky". Norsk ordbok
defines "harry" as "tasteless, vulgar".
The term "harry" was first used by upper class
youth in Oslo
in the beginning of the 20th century, and was used to describe people who belonged to the working class
. People in the lower social classes at the time often gave their children English
first names such as Harry. The middle and upper classes mostly preferred Scandinavian or German (and occasionally French) names. English names (except English names that are also widely found in other European languages) had no tradition in Scandinavia and were generally considered bad taste and as a phenomenon of the working-class of the time in all the Scandinavian countries. The traditional elite of Norway mostly used conservative Danish names.
A person who is harry is often perceived as unsophisticated, vulgar or with bad taste. The effect of bad taste is often characterized with the term harry, e.g. a harry dress or a harry car. Since the definition of good and bad taste is defined by fashion, there is no precise definition of harry. D.D.E.
, Sputnik
, shopping in Sweden
, Raggare
culture and mullet
s are often mentioned today. In the 1970s it was the 1960s' hairwax or sharp shoes that were harry. In the 1980s the 1970s' flared pants or whiskers, and in the 1990s more or less everything that could be associated with the 1980s. Yesterday's fashion will often be interpreted as harry. Often what is harry in one period can be hip retro
fashion the next year.
Harry may also be interpreted as something like macho
. The feminine parallel is doris.
The term was used by then minister of Agriculture Lars Sponheim
in 2002 to describe Norwegians who drive for hours over the border to Sweden
in order to buy cheaper food. Responses to this were retorts that seeking out bargains is smart shopping, and Swedish shops introduced humorous campaigns with one shopkeeper giving 1000 SEK
to customers named "Harry". The terms Harrytur ("Harry trip") or Harryhandel ("Harry trade") have since been popular descriptions of this trade.
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
derogatory term used in slang, derived from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
name Harry. The best English translation may be "cheesy" or "tacky". Norsk ordbok
Norsk ordbok (Riksmål)
Norsk ordbok is a dictionary of written Norwegian . It was first published in 1993 under the title Norsk illustrert ordbok...
defines "harry" as "tasteless, vulgar".
The term "harry" was first used by upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
youth in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in the beginning of the 20th century, and was used to describe people who belonged to the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. People in the lower social classes at the time often gave their children English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
first names such as Harry. The middle and upper classes mostly preferred Scandinavian or German (and occasionally French) names. English names (except English names that are also widely found in other European languages) had no tradition in Scandinavia and were generally considered bad taste and as a phenomenon of the working-class of the time in all the Scandinavian countries. The traditional elite of Norway mostly used conservative Danish names.
A person who is harry is often perceived as unsophisticated, vulgar or with bad taste. The effect of bad taste is often characterized with the term harry, e.g. a harry dress or a harry car. Since the definition of good and bad taste is defined by fashion, there is no precise definition of harry. D.D.E.
D.D.E.
D.D.E. is a Norwegian pop/rock group founded in Namsos in 1992. The members were previously in a band called After Dark, but when the band split up, the remaining members decided to form a new group.-Current members:...
, Sputnik
Sputnik (singer)
Knut T. Storbukås , more commonly known by his stage name, Sputnik, is a musician and truck driver from Bostrak in the village of Tørdal which is in the municipality of Drangedal, Telemark...
, shopping in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Raggare
Raggare
Raggare is a subculture found mostly in Sweden and parts of Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany and Austria...
culture and mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
s are often mentioned today. In the 1970s it was the 1960s' hairwax or sharp shoes that were harry. In the 1980s the 1970s' flared pants or whiskers, and in the 1990s more or less everything that could be associated with the 1980s. Yesterday's fashion will often be interpreted as harry. Often what is harry in one period can be hip retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
fashion the next year.
Harry may also be interpreted as something like macho
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
. The feminine parallel is doris.
The term was used by then minister of Agriculture Lars Sponheim
Lars Sponheim
Lars Sponheim is a Norwegian politician. He was leader of the Liberal Party from 1996 to 2010. He was a member of the Storting from 1993 to 2009, and a government minister from 1997 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2005. He is the current County Governor of Hordaland, serving since March 2010.Sponheim was...
in 2002 to describe Norwegians who drive for hours over the border to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in order to buy cheaper food. Responses to this were retorts that seeking out bargains is smart shopping, and Swedish shops introduced humorous campaigns with one shopkeeper giving 1000 SEK
SEK
SEK may stand for:*Swedish krona, the currency of Sweden*Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches *SEK Studio, a North Korean animation studio* Stagecoach in East Kent...
to customers named "Harry". The terms Harrytur ("Harry trip") or Harryhandel ("Harry trade") have since been popular descriptions of this trade.