Archive for February, 2021
3 Ways The Dutch State Is Becoming More Inclusive Posted by Sten on Feb 25, 2021
Let’s talk about inclusivity. Not only regarding genders, and I don’t mean the discussion on what’s de and what’s het, we’ve done that before. No, today I want to talk about how the 2017 regeerakkoord (coalition agreement) noted the intention of the Dutch government to reduce the identification of gender where possible and making the state more inclusive, by…
What Dutch Drinking Games Were Like In The 17th Century Posted by Sten on Feb 22, 2021
The Dutch have quite an intricate relationship with alcohol. From the infamous Dutch courage to the nationwide Dutch celebrations like Koningsdag (King’s Day) or the bevrijdingsfestivals (Liberation Festivals), the Dutch enjoy a glass or two. And what’s better than enjoying drinks doing a drankspelletje (drinking game)? You might think that this is a rather recent mindset – but…
What Is Dutch About Dutch Process Cocoa? Posted by Sten on Feb 18, 2021
We’ve discussed some “Dutch”-terms here before, such as the Dutch Oven, going Dutch, Dutch Comfort and more. Today, I want to focus on another term like that – Dutch Process Chocolate. I’ve never heard of it, so what is it, actually? And what makes the process Dutch? What is Dutch Process, or Dutched Cocoa? Dutch…
The Dutch in America – What is a patroon? Posted by Sten on Feb 15, 2021
Recently, I’ve been indulging in the video game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which tells the story of a young Welshman who arrives in the West Indies in 1712, during the Golden Age of Piracy, looking to make a name and get rich as a pirate. At this point, the English and Spanish reigned the seas…
Curious Words in Dutch 7: Uitprinten Posted by Sten on Feb 11, 2021
Have you heard people say “to print out” and thought to yourself, that doesn’t sound right? Imagine the strangeness when “print” isn’t even a word native to your language. Welcome to the curiosity of the Dutch word “uitprinten”. Previous posts in this series: Curious Words In Dutch Uitprinten! Or… Printen? A word that is made up of…
CRAZY Snow Weather in the Netherlands Posted by Sten on Feb 8, 2021
This weekend, something miraculous happened in the Netherlands. It snowed like it hadn’t in a very long time. Thick layers of snow in some parts of the country allowed sleeën (sleighing), langlaufen (cross-country skiing) or even skiën (skiing)! Here’s a short overview of what happened and related Dutch vocabulary as well as some Dutch news articles with more information. SO MUCH…
Why Are Carrots Orange? Posted by Sten on Feb 4, 2021
You might have wondered before, perhaps you haven’t. But why are carrots orange? There’s actually a story. And it’s related to Dutch culture. Join me to unravel the myths and truths of our favorite orange root vegetable in today’s post here on the Dutch Language Blog. The Dutch invented the orange wortel – or did they?…