Because something like 70% of the male population has been a kipinämikko at some point in their lives due to compulsory military service.
Well one is very unofficial combination of two words, literally spark Mikko, Mikko being a male name.
The other one translates to fire watchman.
A lot of finnish words are combinations of other words.
Tulivartiomies is the “official” term but no-one ever uses it because in the army it is always either the kipinämikko, or formally the lähivartiomies. Tulivartiomies would only look after the fire, but lähivartiomies also guards the immediate area around the fire/tent.
The synonym is the formal word, kipinämikko is military slang, every country’s armed forces has that and the names are all silly because soldiers are a bunch of immature crayon eaters.
One is slang the other is the official name :p and it’s really nice to keep warm.
why not
🤣🤣
Similar phrase is baarimikko, basically the bartender.
”Spark jockey”
We have at least two words for everything. Preferably, they also meant something else, depending on the context. We also like to mix in double letters. The meaning can be totally different depending also if it’s a double or single letter in the middle of the words. We like to keep foreigners on their toes when they try to learn Finnish language.
Never used that word for it though. More like fire guardian. Tulenvahti.
First one (”kipinämikko”) is slang and could be translated as something like ”sparktender” kind of like ”bartender” but for the spark.
Second one is official military expression (”tulivartiomies”) that translates into something like ”firewatchman”.
Seeing as most men do the reserve military service in Finland, it means that most guys also have experience of being the kipinämikko at some point in their service.
That’s a very important task in Finland
Also kipinämies, kipinävartija
As the saying goes, “Rakkaalla lapsella on monta nimeä” or “a beloved child has many names”. The amount of slang and jargon especially in military contexts is usually a lot and Finland is no exception. And with conscription the amount it’s represented in the general population is proportionally much larger. I can throw words like “släbäri” and “kakanola” and “jumppakuutio” in here and instantly make a portion of the userbase reminisce and/or have PTSD
In military slang in particular, there is a colloquial term for just about everything, and the official terms are only used in written documentation and when superiors speak to subordinates unless they are being unusually casual about it. Just about the only official term I can think of off the top of my head that is simple and neutral enough to be used in casual conversation as well is “pakki”.
Another example is “levysukka”, which is universally known as “jalkarätti”.
Mikko (same root as Michael) is a name that is sometimes added to a job. Ovimikko = bouncer, puhemikko = speaker of the house, baarimikko = bar tender, lentomikko = military pilot, kaukomikko = traveling salesman, to name a few.
Love it! I might use that next time my Finnish boss asks me to cover for him when he goes on holiday.
Google says the literal translation is “spark plug” is that accurate?
If only there were just the two…
The Finns always have more than one word for a thing – two at the minimum: one “proper” book Finnish and one that everybody actually uses.
Tulivartiomies (lit. FireGuardMan)- Official formal title you’d see on a military manual.
Kipinämikko (lit. Spark-Mike) – Shorter slang title people would actually say in conversation.
It is an awfully dreadful task to be woken up for in our winter/fall conditions and splits your very, very limited sleep into two even shorter fragments. Every man gets to be one a handfull of times during military service. Its kind of universal and iconic in that way.
I can come up with more words right now and people would probably understand what I mean, like kaminakyylä or kekälevahti
It’s also the kipinämikko’s sacred duty to whittle a leirikyrpä to pass the time.
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Only kipinä knows 🤷♂️
It is nice not to wake up frozen
Because something like 70% of the male population has been a kipinämikko at some point in their lives due to compulsory military service.
Well one is very unofficial combination of two words, literally spark Mikko, Mikko being a male name.
The other one translates to fire watchman.
A lot of finnish words are combinations of other words.
Tulivartiomies is the “official” term but no-one ever uses it because in the army it is always either the kipinämikko, or formally the lähivartiomies. Tulivartiomies would only look after the fire, but lähivartiomies also guards the immediate area around the fire/tent.
The synonym is the formal word, kipinämikko is military slang, every country’s armed forces has that and the names are all silly because soldiers are a bunch of immature crayon eaters.
One is slang the other is the official name :p and it’s really nice to keep warm.
why not
🤣🤣
Similar phrase is baarimikko, basically the bartender.
”Spark jockey”
We have at least two words for everything. Preferably, they also meant something else, depending on the context. We also like to mix in double letters. The meaning can be totally different depending also if it’s a double or single letter in the middle of the words. We like to keep foreigners on their toes when they try to learn Finnish language.
Never used that word for it though. More like fire guardian. Tulenvahti.
First one (”kipinämikko”) is slang and could be translated as something like ”sparktender” kind of like ”bartender” but for the spark.
Second one is official military expression (”tulivartiomies”) that translates into something like ”firewatchman”.
Seeing as most men do the reserve military service in Finland, it means that most guys also have experience of being the kipinämikko at some point in their service.
That’s a very important task in Finland
Also kipinämies, kipinävartija
As the saying goes, “Rakkaalla lapsella on monta nimeä” or “a beloved child has many names”. The amount of slang and jargon especially in military contexts is usually a lot and Finland is no exception. And with conscription the amount it’s represented in the general population is proportionally much larger. I can throw words like “släbäri” and “kakanola” and “jumppakuutio” in here and instantly make a portion of the userbase reminisce and/or have PTSD
In military slang in particular, there is a colloquial term for just about everything, and the official terms are only used in written documentation and when superiors speak to subordinates unless they are being unusually casual about it. Just about the only official term I can think of off the top of my head that is simple and neutral enough to be used in casual conversation as well is “pakki”.
Another example is “levysukka”, which is universally known as “jalkarätti”.
Mikko (same root as Michael) is a name that is sometimes added to a job. Ovimikko = bouncer, puhemikko = speaker of the house, baarimikko = bar tender, lentomikko = military pilot, kaukomikko = traveling salesman, to name a few.
Love it! I might use that next time my Finnish boss asks me to cover for him when he goes on holiday.
Google says the literal translation is “spark plug” is that accurate?
If only there were just the two…
The Finns always have more than one word for a thing – two at the minimum: one “proper” book Finnish and one that everybody actually uses.
Tulivartiomies (lit. FireGuardMan)- Official formal title you’d see on a military manual.
Kipinämikko (lit. Spark-Mike) – Shorter slang title people would actually say in conversation.
It is an awfully dreadful task to be woken up for in our winter/fall conditions and splits your very, very limited sleep into two even shorter fragments. Every man gets to be one a handfull of times during military service. Its kind of universal and iconic in that way.
I can come up with more words right now and people would probably understand what I mean, like kaminakyylä or kekälevahti
It’s also the kipinämikko’s sacred duty to whittle a leirikyrpä to pass the time.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Military/s/rN0pmT5sr5
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