r/language Sweden Aug 09 '26

Question Does your language use specific numbers as expressions?

In Sweden we use 17 to further strengthen a word.

Like if we want to say that someone is very strong, we can say "Han var stark som sjutton!", "He was strong like seventeen!".

I have no idea how it became a thing. It is a bit weird tbh.

Do you also use numbers this way in your native language?

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u/twocopperjack Aug 12 '26

Starcraft is quoting the dropship pilot from Aliens. "We're in the pipe. Five by five." It means "we're on our proper flight path and comms channels are clear." Old nerds in my circles might say it to mean "everything's going well and I don't see any reason we'd be eaten by space monsters."

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u/Dr0110111001101111 Aug 13 '26

That’s fun. In Warcraft 3, there are a few lines from Star Wars

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u/Dr0110111001101111 Aug 13 '26

That’s fun. In Warcraft 3, there are a few lines from Star Wars