spela allan

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Swedish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Literally "play allan." Believed to be from the tough guy roles often played by actor Alan Ladd (1913 – 1964).

Verb

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spela allan (present spelar allan, preterite spelade allan, supine spelat allan, imperative spela allan)

  1. (idiomatic, colloquial) to act tough or superior (with implied ridiculousness)
    En kille i bar överkropp kom in på baren och skulle spela allan
    A shirtless guy walked into the bar and wanted to act tough ("was going to play allan")
    Han sparkade sönder baklyktan för att spela allan för polarna
    He kicked out the taillight to act tough in front of ("play allan for") his buddies

Conjugation

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References

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