goddag yxskaft

Swedish

Etymology

Known since 1800, from a story where a man - almost deaf - is sitting by the road, carving axe handles. He doesn't want to admit his lousy hearing, so when a stranger passed and says 'good day', he believes the stranger is asking what he's making, thus answering 'axe handles'. The rest of the conversation is just as disjointed. See also Danish goddag mand økseskaft.

Phrase

goddag yxskaft (good day axe handle)

1. (idiomatic) a response or answer that has nothing to do with the question; non sequitur