friggebod

Swedish

Etymology

Since 1979 from the last name of a former Swedish minister of housing, Birgit Friggebo who introduced the concept. The term is a wordplay based on the common term bod "(tool) shed; shack".

The friggebod reform implied that anyone could build a shed of maximum 10 square meters on their premises without obtaining a construction permit from the municipality. In Sweden, the reform became a widely popular symbol of liberalisation. From the onset of 2008, the area was increased to 15 square meters.

Pronunciation

• /ˈfrɪɡɛˌbuːd/

Noun

friggebod-en, -arna

1. A small structure of no more than 15 square meters and 3 meters in height that may be built without a special permit.

   Vi byggde vår friggebod när jag var liten.

   "We built our friggebod when I was young."