Say cheese!
In the Netherlands we say "Smile at the bird!" Back in the day, when they still had those big cameras where the photographer stood under a cloth, they would tell people (children) that a little bird would come out from under that cloth.
Now a days we also just you "Cheese!" (without imperative) in my country.
What word or sentence do you use in your country and what's the translation/meaning of it?
23 comments
Sorridi (smile!) or cheese
Appelsin! 🍊
Usually it’s “sýr” meaning literally cheese. But there’s the antiquated bird phrase too. “Pozor, vyletí ptáček” – Watch out, a small bird will fly out.
Patata, potato. Specifically paaataaaataaaaaaa.
*Omelett* (“omelette”, duh) would probably be the most traditional word for such, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used.
*Kamelskit* (“camel shit”) was the most common when I grew up.
I don’t really think it’s standardized much.
“Ameisenscheiße!” (Ant shit, lol)
Either cheese or some sort of expletive which will make everyone giggle or smile.
We say cheese as well, sometimes ouistiti (Callithrix?)
I don’t think it’s typical to try to force an “American smile” with teeth showing, but traditionally photographers try to get people to smile with the phrase *Sanokaa “muikku”!*, “Say “vendace””. The idea is that the syllable *muik* makes you smile.
I have heard “zele/зеле” (cabbage) being used in Bulgaria.
In Poland, it’s “ser” (meaning cheese), but nowadays it’s getting more popular to just say “cheese”.
Gjizë which sounds like cheese and is funny
Ptičica, like ptiiiiičiiiiiiicaaaaaaa, meaning little bird.
Or smješak, like smjeeešaak, meaning grin.
In Irish I’ve heard ispíní (sausages) or aoibh (smile), both have long eee /iː/ sounds that make you smile!
Even in English here you’ll hear “sausages” instead of cheese, to make people laugh 😂
Ptičica! (little bird)
Spaghetti is the most common I think.
I just say “smil” which means smile and also causes you to smile if you say it the way you would say it ”Cheese”.
Norway🇳🇴
We say «Piiiiiiikk»
It’s “syr”/”cheese”, which is an obvious Anglicism, but in a relaxed company the photographer might tell people to say “sisjki”/”tits”, which usually produces a more natural grin.
“Spaghettiiiiiiiiii” is quite common here.
We’d still say “look at the birdy!” to get young kids to look at the camera too. Or at least my family did.
I never knew why until recently. I’m pretty sure a lot of those big old cameras actually had a figurine of a bird on them too.
To smile though it’d mostly be “cheese”.
the used to say “say cheese” now they say “say yes”
Le petit oiseau va sortir! (the little bird is about to come out) or cheese/whisky.