submitted 1 month ago by testing@fedia.io to c/fediverse@lemmy.world

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not only its sharkey instance seems to be affected, but also its lemmy instance ...

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[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 18 points 4 weeks ago

I still don't know what a blahaj is. It sounds like someone tried to ask for a blowjob, but had a stroke midword.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 55 points 4 weeks ago

It's Swedish(?) for "blue shark." I don't know how, or why, but Ikea started selling stuffed blue sharks and they got incredibly popular in the trans community and is like their mascot.

[-] Carighan@lemmy.world 18 points 4 weeks ago

Yeah it's written Blåhaj, blue shark.

[-] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 14 points 4 weeks ago

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 29 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Blahaj is a shark.

More specifically a stuffed shark plushie sold by IKEA.

The word supposedly means blue shark, or shark in Swedish, but I don't speak the language, so take that as you will.

Also supposedly, the shark being a rather gentle pastel blue and pink, which matches the trans flag, it became a favorite symbol within segments of the trans community, a sort of mascot. While I can't guarantee that's why it became a symbol, it is definitely popular among the trans community. Enough so that I don't know any trans people irl that don't partake in the knowledge and joke of it, and we're half a day's drive from the nearest IKEA store.

It's a fairly popular gift for trans folks that are coming out, or making a significant step in transition, or even just because.

[-] palordrolap@fedia.io 9 points 4 weeks ago

Well, it is pronounced "blow high" (or something pretty close). And to continue the fun facts, English used to have the word "haye" which is related to the Swedish word, but we stopped using it in favour of "shark". Since it sounds like a greeting (as does "high" for that matter) as well as a common feedstock for animals (hay), we'd probably use the alternative "hayefish", with or without the 'e', if we hadn't dropped it altogether.

[-] hyves@feddit.nl 6 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

In Dutch, "haai" (shark) sounds very similar to "hi" (the English word), same for "hooi" (hay) and "hoi" (hi). Which leads to this hilarious comic I saw once where a shark meets a bale of hay ^edit:^ ^somehow^ ^I^ ^typed^ ^bay^ ^of^ ^hale^