Fun with Danish

Speaking of farts, the Danish word "fart" means "speed" as well as something like "journey." This leads to endless fun for English speakers as we giggle at all sorts of silly words. The apocryphal story goes that back in the 50s during a visit by Queen Elizabeth II, the Danish government was asked to cover up the signs for the well-known city of Middelfart. It's the city you have to pass through as the midpoint on your way from the mainland of Jutland over to the islands of Fyn and Sjaelland, but evidently it was too much for Her delicate sensibilities. Then there's the upcoming holiday, Kristi Himmelsfart, which literally memorializes "Christ's Heavenly Journey," but has always struck me as a bit blasphemous in a bilingual way.

Recently, my friend Martin and I were driving up to northern Sjaelland for a meeting and passed through a road construction area with a reduced speed area, which led to my favorite sign of all time: "Fart kontrol." I giggled all the way from Copenhagen and back, thinking of the Danish police handing out tickets for violating the fart kontrol.