Tankero

Lore & Background

The tankero began as a fictional animal from a joke about Finnish President Urho Kekkonen visiting a Kenyan zoo in the 1970s. He reportedly misread a sign that said 'All animals are dangerous' and instead said 'All animals are tankeros.' The joke became so popular that a Finnish magazine held a drawing competition for what the tankero might look like. Political cartoonist Kari Suomalainen drew a strip featuring President Kekkonen and a strange-looking animal, with the animal denying being a tankero and instead identifying itself as Urho.

Reader's Guide

The tankero's significance lies in its evolution from a specific joke into a broader cultural term. During the 1970s, a number of jokes based on English–Finnish language misunderstandings were labeled 'tankero jokes,' often featuring Ahti Karjalainen as the main character. After Karjalainen's death, the original meaning fell into disuse, and the word became slang for something awkward or not properly developed, particularly abysmal knowledge of foreign language pronunciation or grammar. Today, the most common use is 'tankero-englanti' (tankero English), referring to poorly pronounced English with an extreme Finnish accent, though grammar and vocabulary may be correct. The term also appears in two Finnish songs: Juha Vainio's 'Tankero tango' (1974) and Kivikasvot's 'Tankeros love' (1975).

Did You Know?

• The word tankero comes from a Finnish joke where President Urho Kekkonen misread a Kenyan zoo sign.
• Kari Suomalainen drew a political cartoon featuring the tankero and President Urho Kekkonen.
• The term 'tankero-englanti' describes poorly pronounced English with a strong Finnish accent.