Catch phrase

[Jaquim]

Recently, after I spontaneously started speaking in my native tongue, a friend of mine used this expression. I was unable to get him to explain the meaning to me, but managed to get the spelling.

So, what does the expression "mitäs tässä- ritari ässä" mean? Does it imply that the subject has good ridding skills ? Or is one of those you can't say in public places?

[enk]

Whazzup Knight Rider? It's just a rhyme and doesn't mean anything bad,
unless being called David Hasselhoff is an insult to you

-enk

[Jaquim]

I deeply regret to ever been a fan for that series. Back in those days it was the peak of coolness to speak with a car...

So if I understood correctly this rhyme is used to ask to repeat the last statement? Like "say what?" but with a tip of satire.

In my native Portugal Knight Rider is someone who thinks he's totally cool but is just silly, sillyer than macGyver. Is it the same in Finland pop culture?

Thank you for giving this poor guy some cultural clues.

[EP]

No, it is not like "say what?" It is an answer to a question "How are you? What are you doing?" "Mitäs tässä" means "Well, nothing much" or "I guess I am just fine". Ritari Ässä added to it really means nothing. It is just a saying that popped up because of the rhyme in the glory days of Knight Rider.

[Jaquim]

Thank you, enk and EP.
...i have much to learn...

[Hank W.]

Mitä kuuluu?
Paskaaks tässä, läjässä ollaan.

Whazzup?
S*t as usual, all piled up we are.

[sammy]

There are others as well!

Nyt alkoi juominen, sanoi Jamppa Tuominen.

Eikun menoks, sanoi Annie Lennox.

And so on

[hande]

Is "Mitä jätkä, kypärä ja prätkä" which I heard from our foreign trainee at work when picking up coffee in kitchen. Somebody told this to him in bar and he asked later what the hell it means.

I have many times successfully used this phrase in various places. Also when I am asked to say something in Finnish here abroad, this works perfectly

[EP]

"Mitä jätkä, kypärä ja prätkä"

= a guy, helmet, and motorbike.

Yes, except that is a question, while Ritari Ässä was an answer. Those two would make a nice pair:

Question: Mitä jätkä, kypärä ja prätkä?
Answer: Mitäs tässä, Ritari Ässä.

In English:

Question: How are You today?
Answer: I am OK, thanks for asking.

[enk]

Sorry about the bad translation; around where I lived, whazzup is the answer to whazzup .

-enk

[Mark I.]

Kato mikä jono, sano Yoko Ono.

[EP]

Sorry about the bad translation; around where I lived, whazzup is the answer to whazzup

Sure, "mitä" and "mitäs" can be both question and answer. But if somebody says "Mitäs tässä, Ritari Ässä", that can only be an answer. You cannot take words out of the context.