saken är biff
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Swedish
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally, "the thing is beef steak". Unknown origin.
Some unproven hypothesis exists:
- From the abbreviation bif., from bifalles (“second, approve”). Thus meaning "the thing is approved" or "granted".[1]
- Ultimately from klara skivan (literally “manage the [game/table] board”), whence skiva (“board; slice”) was turned into klara biffen (literally “manage the beef steak”), whence saken är biff (literally “the thing is beef steak”).[2]
Phrase
[edit]- (idiomatic) Something being (successfully) finished, or can be considered as finished, or can be taken for granted.
- 1944 September 10, Aftonbladet, page 21:
- Nå men så slutar man röka. Saken är biff som man säger i yngre kretsar.
- Well, quitting smoking is a done deal. As they say in younger circles, "the deal is in the bag."
- 1956, Barbro Alving, Dagbok från Långholmen, page 68:
- Strax före 8 kommer en signal och jag svarsknackar med amatörens blyga ticktick. Tack och lov, saken är biff!
- Just before 8, a signal comes in, and I respond with the shy tick-tick of an amateur. Thank goodness, the matter is settled!
- 2024 March 22, Ludvig Hällström, “Saken är biff – svenska stjärnkocken klar för ”kock-VM” i Lyon [It's a done deal – Swedish star chef ready for "Chef World Cup" in Lyon]”, in Café:
References
[edit]- ^ Gösta Langenfelt, quotee (2018 September 26) “Varför är saken biff?”, in Faktoider (in Swedish), quoted in Officersjargong och manskapsslang i Sverige 1645–1945
- ^ “Varför är saken biff?”, in Faktoider (in Swedish), 2018 September 26