ablegøye

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Probably a mixture of Danish abeløjer (“hijinks”), consisting of both abe (“monkey, ape”), from Old Norse api (“ape, monkey; fool”), from Proto-Germanic *apô (“ape, monkey”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“(body of) water”) + løjer (“antics”), as well as Norwegian gøy (“fun”). Possibly from Dutch babbelguigje.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /abləˈɡœʏə/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -œʏə
• Hyphenation: ab‧le‧gøy‧e

Noun

ablegøye m (definite singular ablegøyen, indefinite plural ablegøyer, definite plural ablegøyene)

1. (archaic) mischief and imagination

   Synonyms: fantasi, innbilning, fanteri, sprell

   • 1884, H. Meltzer, Smaabilleder af Folkelivet: Skizzer, page 35:

     og dertilmed saa er det mere ablegøi, mirakler og fanteri i sjøgræs end i nogen anden ting

     and besides, there is more imagination, miracles, and fantasy in seagrass than in any other thing

   • 1884, H. Meltzer, Smaabilleder af Folkelivet: Skizzer, page 30:

     dette var da ingen ablegøi lel

     this was then no mischief after all

   • 1949, Knut Hamsun, Paa gjengrodde stier, page 74:

     at nogen skulde kalde paa mig er den rene ablegøi

     that someone should call on me is pure imagination

2. (chiefly in plural) pranks and games

   Synonyms: narrestrek, spillopp, apestrek

   gjøre ablegøyer ― do pranks

   • 1919, Johan Falkberget, Fimbulvinter, page 62:

     [hun] sang og gjorde ablegøier

     [she] sang and made games

   • 1917, Halfdan Kjerulf, Av hans efterladte papirer, page 257:

     der blev gjort utallige abilgøis med [Jansen]

     countless pranks were done with [Jansen]

   • 1996, Bergljot Hobæk Haff, Skammen, page 164:

     han var et oppkomme av vitser og ablegøyer

     he was a genius of jokes and amusements

See also

• ablefynte and apefynte (“trick, prank”)

References

• “ablegøye” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “ablegøye” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “ablegøye” in Store norske leksikon

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

ablegøye f (definite singular ablegøya, indefinite plural ablegøyer, definite plural ablegøyene)

1. a prank

References

• “ablegøye” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.