[ I'm including this already classic article by Lee Choquette in the
   FAQ. Posted some years ago, it has stood the test of time pretty well,
   which I suppose tells something quite fundamental about the nature of
   this newsgroup. ]
   
From: Lee Choquette
Date: 24 Nov 92 11:58:18 MST

   I got the idea for this article from one about the US presidential
   debates posted in rec.humor.funny last month. I've also seen such
   games for several different TV shows. Now I introduce...
   
                    THE SOC.CULTURE.NORDIC DRINKING GAME
                                      
   You need a supply of your favorite drink (aquavit, koskenkorva, a
   glass of vodka in a pitcher of Pommac, whatever) and a stack of
   articles from soc.culture.nordic, if your local pub doesn't have
   Usenet. Read through the articles, and take a drink (sip) each time
   one of the following conditions is met:
   
   1
          An American asks what "canulla" means. Two drinks if a Swede
          responds and can't figure out what the word is.
   2
          A heated argument erupts over whether Vikings had horned
          helmets, or where Santa Claus lives. Take an additional drink
          for each week the thread continues. The whole glass if someone
          draws a color-coded graph of which Internet domains believe
          Vikings had horned helmets.
   3
          Someone complains about software that strips the eighth-bit.
          Two drinks if it's not someone from Iceland.
   4
          Someone criticizes the Swedish king. Two drinks if s/he
          mentions the Norwegian prime minister or the 1994 Winter
          Olympics in the same sentence.
   5
          Someone relates an anecdote demonstrating the kindness and
          earthy humanity of the Norwegian king or his father. Two drinks
          if it involves mass transit.
   6
          You hear about the Danish prince who doesn't use mass transit.
          Two drinks if it's a story about a new crash.
   7
          There's an article about Olof Palme again. Drink the whole
          glass if someone actually talks about Palme's life or beliefs,
          not just his death.
   8
          An American asks about an obscure Scandinavian band, and the
          conversation somehow shifts to Vikingarna and how awful
          dansband music is. Two drinks if someone confesses to having
          played Vikingarna on a jukebox.
   9
          Jungle animals are on the loose in Finland. Two drinks if the
          topic turns to alcoholism in Finland.
   11
          Russian submarines are detected in the Stockholm archipelago.
          Two drinks if the topic turns to alcoholism in Sweden. Three
          drinks if it turns to drunk tourists in Copenhagen.
   12
          A genealogist to the group asks about a place one of his/her
          ancestors came from, and for a couple of weeks we talk about
          how to translate län and kommun into English.
   13
          An American asks what this newsgroup is for, and unwittingly
          sparks a flame war over the meanings of "Scandinavia" and
          "Skandinavien." Two drinks if the debate is instead over
          whether sports comes under culture.
   19
          The Great Whaling Debate resumes. Two drinks if it doesn't
          continue beyond a single article.
   18
          Swedish-speaking Finns are referred to as aristocrats. Two
          drinks if a Finland-Swede refers to his potato-farming
          ancestors.
   17
          A Finnish-speaking Finn complains about mandatory Swedish
          classes. Two drinks if s/he can't write in Swedish despite the
          classes.
   26
          We face the age-old question, "Why 'Italien' and 'italienare,'
          or 'Förenta staterna' and 'amerikanare,' but 'Finland' and
          'finländare'?"
   81
          Finns in Sweden are portrayed as the victims of racism, ethnic
          cleansing, or genocide. One drink for each of the following
          words or phrases you see:
        a.
               home language or hemspråk (2 drinks for "skolbyråkratisk
               term");
        b.
               Forest Finns, skogsfinnar, or Värmland (2 drinks for
               Nätti-Jussi);
        c.
               Tornedal Finns (2 drinks if someone disputes that they are
               Finns);
        d.
               Nazi Germany, Holocaust, or the like; or
        e.
               Hasan B. Mutlu.
          
   I hope I didn't offend anyone by this game. I mean it as a
   good-natured (self) parody of this newsgroup.


[ the sections above are available at the www-page
  http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq16.html ]