In Norway, 'Texas' Is Slang for 'Crazy'

The Norwegian word gal translates as "crazy." However, citizens of the Nordic nation have apparently adopted a more unconventional slang term to describe something that’s unpredictable, chaotic, exhilarating, or simply scary—“texas.”

According to Texas Monthly, Norwegians have used the state-inspired expression for several decades now. It's meant to conjure the place's rough-and-tumble history—cowboys, lassos, outlaws—and all the wild associations that go along with it.

Apparently the term isn't capitalized, and it's employed as an adjective to conjure an atmosphere—meaning you wouldn’t be calling someone “texas,” but rather something or some situation. Instead of saying “That party was totally crazy,” you’d say “det var helt texas,” or “it was completely texas.”

To prove that “texas” is actually widespread terminology in Norway, Texas Monthly dredged up several news articles in which the state name is used to describe everything from truck drivers on dangerous routes to a wild soccer game to a rare swordfish caught in a fjord. And though that fish bit would most likely only happen in Norway, it’s interesting to see a word that’s so American be used to describe such a culturally foreign act.

We sense a new reality show coming—Texans going texas in Norway.

[h/t Texas Monthly]