A question to the poster called "Holy makkara, Toivo!".

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How did you come up with your name?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 09:39 (twenty years ago)

I was wondering when/if you'd call me out on this one, Tuomas!

(warning: this is kind of a stupid story)

I'm from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which has a large Finnish immigrant population. I'm not of Finnish descent, but I grew up in the area and went to school with lots of Juntunens, Ahos, Makis, Savolainens, etc. Finnish culture is celebrated by just about everyone who lives there. As such, you can buy some different foodstuffs from Finland or with Finn influence -- including a locally-made sauna makkara...

http://static.flickr.com/6/6236792_a3daf95419.jpg?v=0

This doesn't really explain my current screen name though. "Holy makkara" is actually a colloquialism that many local people use to express disbelief, like "holy shit!" I added the "Toivo" because it sounded like a common enough Finn name to round things out.

So, I hope this makes sense (it probably doesn't, and moreover probably shouldn't.) Such is the way of the backwoods.

You should come visit sometime, you'd love it!

― Holy makkara, Toivo! (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:16 (twenty years ago)

Does "makkara" sound like "mackerel"?

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

"Muh-Kuh-Ruh" as far as I know. Tuomas can probably set it straight.

Also it's "Sow-nuh" not "Saw-nuh" for all you n00bs out there.

― Holy makkara, Toivo! (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

http://www.klafs.de/media/image/upload/sauna/Klafs-Sauna-9000_586.jpg

― Man Man (kenan), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

That's what I'm talking about.

― Holy makkara, Toivo! (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

I bought some juustoleipa with the expectation that it had to be the best food ever, but...it wasn't.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:29 (twenty years ago)

Oh man. I grew up in the same town as Mr. Holy Makkara, and I am of Finnish origin. In fact, I've saunaed and consumed makkara with him on more than one occaision.

Dan, you forgot about my favorite aspect of UP Finnish culture - Carl Pellonpaa, host of Finland Calling:

http://wluc.images.worldnow.com/images/120468_G.jpg

― joygoat (joygoat), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 23:34 (twenty years ago)

Man TV6's web design is AWESOEM.

― Holy makkara, Toivo! (OutDatWay), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 23:55 (twenty years ago)

I'm kinda amazed by this. All the folks in the lower peninsula I know tell Yooper jokes, I didn't realize it was also a Finnish hotbed!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 27 April 2006 00:12 (twenty years ago)

Well, all the folks in the Upper Peninsula tell troll jokes!

― Holy makkara, Toivo! (OutDatWay), Thursday, 27 April 2006 00:33 (twenty years ago)

I think we tell more Yooper jokes than they do.

My understanding is that the Finns showed up last to do the mining work and never bothered to leave when the copper mines shut down, possibly due to the similarity of the landscape to that of Finland.

― joygoat (joygoat), Thursday, 27 April 2006 00:34 (twenty years ago)

Ah, I thought the explanation to your name would be something like this. I don't know that much about Finns in the US though. And the correct pronounciation is indeed muh-kuh-ruh.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 27 April 2006 09:31 (twenty years ago)

It's kinda funny that the "Saunamakkara" package has a picture of a stereotypically German guy...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 27 April 2006 09:33 (twenty years ago)

Ooh, I know someone who's Michigan/Finnish.

bye!

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 27 April 2006 10:14 (twenty years ago)

suomi kutsua!! i watched that show on sunday morning at my girlfriend's grandparents place! or maybe it was christmas morning. well, i've seen it twice anyway.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 27 April 2006 12:25 (twenty years ago)

How interesting! We have lots of Swedes in West MI, but no Finns.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 27 April 2006 12:28 (twenty years ago)

weird. the whole yooper accent seems (to me) to be so finnish-based.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 27 April 2006 12:33 (twenty years ago)

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