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How True Are Weerspreuken? Posted by Sten on Feb 27, 2018
Last month, we looked at weerspreuken – weather proverbs. We tried to predict the weather with the weerbericht (weather forecast) for the next 14 days. The weerspreuken made predictions for February as well – let’s have a look at whether the weerspreuken from January about February checked out… How True Were The Weerspreuken For February? Januari zonder regen, is voor de boerenstand een zegen…
Let’s Go Dutch! – Going Dutch Posted by Sten on Feb 19, 2018
You’re in a restaurant with friends. The food is great, the music is nice, the waiters are friendly, and you’re having a lot of fun. Suddenly: Hier is de rekening! (Here is the bill!) – who is going to pay? Are you paying for all, or are you going Dutch? Check out other “Dutch”-terms posts here. Let’s Go…
4 Reasons To Escape Carnival Posted by Sten on Feb 12, 2018
Every February, one of the largest events below the rivieren (rivers) is happening: Carnaval (Carnival). For a few days, the entire Dutch south, especially Noord-Brabant and Limburg, are a complete mess! On this blog, we have written before some of the nice things about Carnaval. But not everybody likes it! While there are many people coming into the…
Untranslatable Dutch: VOC-Mentaliteit Posted by Sten on Feb 8, 2018
There are certain words that are used in a language and are impossible to translate. You can try, but it will never be a completely accurate translation that catches its meaning. Such as the Zesjescultuur post, the Pottenkijker post or the Komkommertijd post. In the Untranslatable Dutch posts, we will explore Dutch words that cannot be simply translated to English. Enjoy!…
Untranslatable Dutch: Komkommertijd Posted by Sten on Feb 5, 2018
There are certain words that are used in a language and are impossible to translate. You can try, but it will never be a completely accurate translation that catches its meaning. Such as the Zesjescultuur post or the Pottenkijker post. In the Untranslatable Dutch posts, we will explore Dutch words that cannot be simply translated to English. Enjoy! Today, we…
Why Is Dutch Courage Dutch? Posted by Sten on Jan 29, 2018
Dutch courage. A well-known term for anyone that ever did something they never thought they were confident enough or strong enough for after drinking alcohol. How is that related to the Dutch? Last week, we looked at the “Dutch angle”, a film maker’s device for framing a shot, and how it is Dutch. Today, we…
The Gouden Eeuw: A Golden Time for the Dutch Posted by Sten on Jan 28, 2018
The 17th century does not spring to mind for many as a very prosperous and important time for the average person in the 21st century. After all, we now have the internet, electricity, good health care and we can travel all over the world in a matter of days. Despite that, the Dutch refer to…