slamkrypare

Swedish

Etymology

Compound of slam (“sludge”) +‎ krypare (“crawler”). First attested in 1876.

• The trick question sense originates from an incident during the 1957 quiz show Kvitt eller dubbelt. The question required the contestant (Ulf Hannerz) to identify which fish, out of a selection, had eyelids. The contestant answered "mudminnow," but the judges expected slamkrypare (“mudskipper”) and eliminated the contestant. However, since mudskippers don't "blink" using eyelids the question itself was disputed by experts, as no truly correct answer ever existed. The contestant was allowed to return and continue the following week.
• The boot sense; as this type were worn by the contestant mentioned above.

Noun

slamkrypare c

1. A mudskipper. [since 1876]
2. (informal) A type of trick question; an ambiguously worded question in a quiz or test. [since 1957]
   • 1966, J.H. Schultz, Nordisk råd [Nordic Council. Session], page 506:

     Nämnda antal innefattar även anmärkningar om s.k. »slamkrypare« i frågesportprogram.

     Said number also includes remarks on so-called »trick questions« in quiz shows.

   • 2012 September 13, Mikael Mölstad, “Vanligaste druvan en okänd bekant [The most common grape, an unknown acquaintance]”, in Svenska Dagbladet:

     Det var redaktionen på På Spåret i Göteborg som ringde. De ville att jag i princip skulle bekräfta att cabernet sauvignon är världens mest odlade blå druva. […] Mitt svar blev alltså att det hela är högst oklart. Och som bekant ska man inte ha oklara svar i frågesportprogram – kanske räddade jag dem från en slamkrypare?

     It was the editorial team from På Spåret in Gothenburg who called. They basically wanted me to confirm that cabernet sauvignon is the world's most widely cultivated red grape. […] So my answer was that the whole thing is highly unclear. And as we know, you shouldn't give unclear answers in quiz shows – maybe I saved them from a trick question?

3. (informal) A type of winter ankle boot made of textile, featuring a rubber sole and front-facing zipper. [since 1958]
4. (nautical) A type of submersible motorised wagon used for launching and hauling out boats.

Declension

Declension of slamkrypare

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	slamkrypare	slamkrypares
	definite	slamkryparen	slamkryparens
plural	indefinite	slamkrypare	slamkrypares
	definite	slamkryparna	slamkryparnas

Hypernyms

• kuggfråga (“trick question”)