Swedish dad's guide to 21 set expressions embodying common Swedish stereotypes

In the vibrant and diverse Swedish society, various compound labels are used to describe social, political, and cultural groups or personalities. These labels often reflect identities connected to language, gender politics, geography, and cultural subgroups.

One such example is the Swedish Women's Lobby (Sveriges Kvinnoorganisationer), a non-partisan organization that represents the women's movement with a focus on gender-critical and anti-gender positions, opposing the inclusion of trans women in certain feminist analyses. This label carries political and social connotations in gender debates.

Another category of compound labels is language and dialect-based, such as the Finland-Swedish cultural sphere describing Swedish-speaking Finns. Regional cultural identities within Swedish-speaking Finland, like the Ostrobothnian dialect or the Nyland dialect, are sometimes used as markers of regional identity.

Urban social identities are also represented through compound labels. Suburban Swedish or Rinkeby Swedish, for instance, are well-known labels linked to the sociolect or vernacular language varieties associated with suburban areas of Stockholm, often used as cultural markers for urban youth identity, immigration background, and social class.

Other labels include the "Militärt Överintresserad Personer", or "möpare" in the plural - nerdy men who follow every arms order sent to Ukraine with obsessive detail. At the bottom of the class spectrum, you'll find the "A-lagare", a derogatory way of describing people who sit in public places, drinking alcohol.

The "rödvinsvänstern" is a term for someone with left-wing views and a white collar job. The term "grönavågare" refers to people who escaped city life between the 1960s and the 1980s to live in farmsteads in the countryside.

The term "lattepappor" refers to men who take long paternity leaves in monied, bohemian parts of Swedish cities. The term "Kulturmannen" describes men who are part of the cultural elite. Gay men who support right-wing parties, particularly the Moderaterna, are grouped together as "högerbögar", right-wing gays.

The term "godhetsknarkare" means a "goodness-addict" and is similar to "do-gooder". The term "surgubbar" refers to a specific kind of bitter middle-aged men. The privileged young men in upmarket parts of Stockholm who ostentatiously consume champagne are called "stekare".

The term "kulturvänstern" is roughly equivalent to "woke". A child or young adult who focuses their lives entirely on schoolwork is known as a "plugghäst", or "study-horse". The term "PK-maffian" refers to people who police language for politically unacceptable positions.

In English, the "Middle-aged man in Lycra" (Mamil) becomes "lycramannen", "the lycra man" in Swedish. The term "kulturtant" is used to label women whose cultural aspirations go beyond football, Hollywood films, and barbecuing.

Stockholm residents are referred to as "Stockholmare" by people living elsewhere, and historically as "nollåttor" (08ers) after the dialling code for Stockholm. A middle-aged woman can also be a "surtant", and a middle-aged man might also be a "mysfarbror", a kindly, cardigan-wearing middle-aged man. However, these terms are less likely to be used derisively compared to the "surgubbar".

Historically, badly made-up teenage girls who jump on every trend and pretend to be older than they are have been dismissed as "fjortisar". Lastly, the term "surdegspappor" refers to grown-up hipster men who brew their own IPA and have bushy beards.

Though an exact exhaustive list of all such compound labels is not presented, these examples cover the types of compound labeling common in Sweden today. For details on other specific compound labels (e.g., political party nicknames, ideological labels), more focused search might be required.

Lifestyle labels in Swedish society include the "lattepappor," who take extended paternity leaves, and the "stekare," privileged young men in upmarket parts of Stockholm who conspicuously consume champagne.
In the realm of food and drink, the term "surdegspappor" is used for grown-up hipster men who brew their own IPA and sport bushy beards.
For those with an interest in fashion and beauty, the "kulturtant" label describes women whose cultural aspirations reach beyond typical interests like football, Hollywood films, and barbecuing.
In the sphere of home and garden, the term "grönavågare" refers to individuals who abandoned city life between the 1960s and the 1980s to reside in rural farmsteads. Traveling enthusiasts can be labeled as "Mamils" or "lycramenn" in the context of food and drink, originating from the Middle-aged man in Lycra label in English.