EKG: Utterly Crass, the Q Must Make a Comeback!

A columnist for Dagens Nyheter has penned a piece that begins with an unexpected ire towards the word "quiz." The author questions the shift away from the established Swedish term "frågesport" (quiz competition), finding the adoption of the English word jarring, especially since the concepts are identical.

Despite initial reservations about the terminology, the author champions the activity itself, describing quizzes as enjoyable, stimulating, and educational. They recall a personal experience of publishing a weekly quiz about Stockholm for over 15 years, receiving positive feedback from readers who took pride in completing all the questions. This engagement, the author suggests, stems from an innate curiosity and the importance of asking questions that elicit more than a simple yes or no answer.

The essay then takes a turn, evolving into an ode to the letter Q. The author laments the infrequent use of this "beautiful letter" in Swedish, attributing its decline to a 1906 spelling reform that mandated words be spelled as they were pronounced. This led to "qvinna" (woman) becoming "kvinna" and "qvart" (quarter) becoming "kvart," a change the author finds aesthetically displeasing, preferring the "more elegant" appearance of "q."

While not directly related to the letter Q, the author notes that the upcoming six days mark "fruntimmerveckan" (women's week), a historical period of celebration, before concluding their reflection on the underappreciated letter.