älgtest

Swedish

Etymology

Calque of German Elchtest, coined by the German press in 1997 after a Mercedes-Benz had overturned at 60 km/h (less than 40 mph) during the Swedish standard test simulating an evasive maneuver. The obstacle was then identified as an elk as a Swedish stereotype, typically of tabloid humour. The original Swedish name, used for decades but now all but displaced, was undanmanöverprov.

Noun

älgtest n

1. moose test (see also Wikipedia): test of the maximum speed at which a vehicle can still steer clear of obstacles (such as moose walking across the road)
2. (dated) moose test: test which takes a product into a very harsh situation, which was not predicted by the constructors, and which turns out to identify one or more severe problems with the product

Declension

Declension of älgtest

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	älgtest	älgtests
	definite	älgtestet	älgtestets
plural	indefinite	älgtest	älgtests
	definite	älgtesten	älgtestens

Synonyms

• undanmanöverprov
• väjningsprov

Further reading

• älgtest in Svensk ordbok.
• (Swedish)