Meaning
Reacting with shock to news.
Cultural Background
Norway is the second-highest consumer of coffee per capita in the world. Coffee is central to almost every social interaction, from business meetings to 'dugnad' (community work). Similar idioms exist across the Nordics (Swedish: 'få kaffet i vrångstrupen'), reflecting a shared coffee-and-newspaper culture. Norwegian tabloids like VG and Dagbladet frequently use this idiom in headlines to describe public reaction to government decisions or celebrity scandals. The 'kaffepause' is where most office gossip happens. Using this phrase in the office implies you were part of that social circle when the news broke.
Use it for prices!
The most common modern way to use this is when complaining about how expensive something is in Norway.
Don't be too literal
If you actually choke on water, just say 'Jeg satte vannet i halsen'. 'Vrangstrupen' is almost always for the idiom.
Meaning
Reacting with shock to news.
Use it for prices!
The most common modern way to use this is when complaining about how expensive something is in Norway.
Don't be too literal
If you actually choke on water, just say 'Jeg satte vannet i halsen'. 'Vrangstrupen' is almost always for the idiom.
Tabloid Talk
If you see this in a newspaper headline, it usually means the public is angry or surprised, not just one person.
Test Yourself
Fyll inn det manglende ordet i idiomet.
Da jeg leste om de nye prisene, fikk jeg kaffen i _______.
Det riktige ordet i dette faste uttrykket er 'vrangstrupen'.
Hvilken situasjon passer best for dette uttrykket?
Når ville en nordmann sagt: 'Jeg fikk kaffen i vrangstrupen'?
Uttrykket brukes for å beskrive sjokk eller stor overraskelse.
Fullfør dialogen.
A: Visste du at sjefen skal slutte i dag? B: Nei! Nå fikk jeg ____ i vrangstrupen!
Selv om man drikker andre ting, bruker man nesten alltid 'kaffen' i dette idiomet.
Match uttrykket med riktig betydning.
Hva betyr 'å få kaffen i vrangstrupen' i denne setningen: 'Han fikk kaffen i vrangstrupen da han så resultatet'?
I denne sammenhengen betyr det at resultatet var et sjokk.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesDa jeg leste om de nye prisene, fikk jeg kaffen i _______.
Det riktige ordet i dette faste uttrykket er 'vrangstrupen'.
Når ville en nordmann sagt: 'Jeg fikk kaffen i vrangstrupen'?
Uttrykket brukes for å beskrive sjokk eller stor overraskelse.
A: Visste du at sjefen skal slutte i dag? B: Nei! Nå fikk jeg ____ i vrangstrupen!
Selv om man drikker andre ting, bruker man nesten alltid 'kaffen' i dette idiomet.
Hva betyr 'å få kaffen i vrangstrupen' i denne setningen: 'Han fikk kaffen i vrangstrupen da han så resultatet'?
I denne sammenhengen betyr det at resultatet var et sjokk.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes! The idiom is fixed. Even if you are drinking water, tea, or nothing at all, you still say 'kaffen'.
Both are correct. 'Få' is slightly more common in speech, while 'sette' is common in writing.
It's a folk-term for the trachea (windpipe). In modern medicine, we use 'luftrøret'.
Not at all. It's very common and safe for almost all social situations.
You can, and people will understand you, but it sounds like a deliberate joke or a 'creative' variation.
The closest is 'to nearly choke on one's coffee' or 'to do a double take'.
Yes, though they might use it more ironically or when talking about prices/news.
Usually, it's for a 'shocking' or 'indignant' surprise, but it can be used for a very big happy surprise too.
Får (present), fikk (past), har fått (present perfect).
Yes, 'å få kaffien i vrangstrupen' (note the spelling 'kaffien').
Related Phrases
å sette i halsen
similarTo choke on something (literal or figurative).
å miste munn og mæle
similarTo be struck dumb with surprise.
å falle i staver
contrastTo daydream or lose focus.
å ta på senga
builds onTo catch someone off guard.
