smörgås

Compound of smör (“butter”) +‎ gås (“a lump of butter”), originally referring to small pieces of butter that float to the surface of milk as it is churned. These were spread on bread, and gave the name to the combination of bread and butter (and other toppings).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsmœrˌɡoːs/, /ˈsmœrˌɡɔs/

• Audio (Gotland); “en smörgås”:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: smör‧gås, definite: smör‧gås‧en
• Rhymes: -oːs, -ɔs

smörgås c (countable)

1. an (open-face) sandwich (slice(s) of bread with toppings, usually buttered)

   att bre sig en smörgås

   to make oneself a sandwich

   en ostsmörgås

   a cheese sandwich

2. (collectively) sandwiches (as a dish)

   Volontärerna fick te och smörgås

   The volunteers were given tea and sandwiches [sandwich]

• Open-face sandwiches are the most common type in Swedish cuisine. A sandwich with two pieces of bread can be qualified as a dubbelmacka.
• Almost always buttered (in addition to any toppings), unbuttered bread being considered dry.

• macka c

• bröd (“bread”)
• frukost (“breakfast”)
• pålägg (“food put on a sandwich; topping, filling, spread, cold cuts, etc.”)
• smör (“butter”)

• smörgås in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• smörgås in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• smörgås in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• smörgås in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)