Paul Gogojuice asked the following question on the Mama Lisa’s World Facebook Group:
Hi all. My grandmother is full Finnish and as a child she always had 2 different sayings that she’d say to us. I don’t know how to spell them or anything, but I’m going to do my best to explain them.
The first one was about a bird coming to get you. It sounded like “Keeva kava, asa houka toula. Skoopy skoopy skoopy”.
The second was about a pastor coming for dinner and sounded like “poplien appel poppel dopple” or something like that.
Any help would be amazing and would make my 10 siblings VERY happy. Thanks so much.
If anyone can help Paul, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
This article was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 4:08 pm and is filed under Countries & Cultures, Finland, Finnish, Languages, Mama Lisa, Proverbs, Questions, Readers Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
4 Responses to “Can Anyone Help with Two Finnish Sayings?”
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May 25th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I think you are looking for haukka tulle kiita kaavaa kaiva reika (tickle Tickle TIckle) I always thought it was a translation for the spider is coming climbing digging digging a hole and then (tiockling when the “hand spider” gets under the neck.
The other one might be the kyro kyro kirkko that is on this web page somewhere? I am teaching these to my grandkids :)
July 30th, 2009 at 7:02 am
First one would be;
“Lintu lentää, liitää laataa, kiitää kaataa, tekkee pessää kaiken kessää. Tuonne sen jo laittaa, Liisan niskaan laittaa.” – Aikuisen käsi lentää lintuna. Pesän voi tehdä niskaan, korvaan, polveen jne.
Similar thing that Maija suggested goes as follow:
Bird flies, glides, scuds and overthrow, Nests all summer. There she places it, On Alice neck. “- An adult hand flies as bird. Adult makes “nest” in the childs neck, ear, knee, etc.
And for second one would say one of the following tongue twisters;
* Appilan pappilan apupapin paksuposkipiski pisti poskeensa paksun papupurkin.
The thick-cheeked dog of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) ate a thick bean can.
* Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.
Bean casserole of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) boils and bubbles on the oven.
* Appilan pappilan piski paksuposki pakkas kapsäkin ja pinkaisi juoksuun.
The thick-cheeked dog of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) packed up a travelling-bag and started running.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am
These are great! Thanks for your help. -Mama Lisa
August 14th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Appila isn’t a name of any place, it means a place where father-in-law (appi) lives.