vad skådar mitt norra öga

Swedish

Etymology

Disputed. Literally, “what does my north eye behold?”.

Phrase

vad skådar mitt norra öga?

1. (idiomatic) what do I spy with my eye? (upon seeing something remarkable)

   Vad skådar mitt norra öga? Nisse! Jag trodde du gått under med båten.

   What do I spy with my eye? Nisse! I thought you had gone down with the boat.

Usage notes

Usually deliberately quaint and jocular.

References

• Cronache di Maja blog - various theories on etymology