A house in Snorrslida, Sweden, has been on the market for more than three years because the village name is deemed to be rude in the Swedish language.
The housing shortage in Sweden normally implies that a house like this should be sold within minutes. This house has, however, despite being offered at a low 5.500 USD, not been sold due to its genital-based address.
Snorrslida, which in Sweden translates to ‘penis vagina’ is a small village near Laholm, but many Swedes have pereviously been completely unaware that there was a village with such a name in their country.
But that was until now. When the house was advertised for sale recently, the ad went viral in Sweden.
However, real estate agent Henrik Håkansson, who helps potential Danish buyers relocate to Sweden, does not believe the name of the village is what has put off prospective house buyers.
“The house is in a bad condition, and the difficulties selling it are not related to the name,” he told a domestic news service.
The two Scandinavian languages are similar, and Swedes and Danes are often able to understand one another. But not all words are identical, and while Snorrslida can lead to misunderstandings in Swedish, the word would not raise any attention at all in Denmark.
Håkansson still believes they’re able to sell the house, but admitted that the area is small with few potential buyers.
Place name expert Annette Torensjö at Lantmäteriet (the authority that maps Sweden’s geography and properties) says that ‘Snorr’ used to be a common name in Viking times, and ‘lida’ means ‘hill’ in ancient Norse. The name has thus nothing to do with either penises or vaginas.
“It’s in the eyes of the beholder to determine if it is ugly and dirty,” she told public broadcaster SVT.
Feature image on top: The property in Snorrslida, Sweden. Photo: Dansk Ejendoms Consult
Rude-Sounding Village Name in Sweden, written by Tor Kjolberg