Archive for 'Culture'
Dutch Idioms 28: Throwing the Child Away Posted by Sten on Mar 31, 2022
Today, I want to discuss one of my favorite uitdrukkingen (expressions) in the Dutch language. Because it is so weirdly unique, I want to dedicate this entire post of Dutch Idioms to it. It involves bathing your little baby in nice warm water, but then considering throwing out that water, including the baby! What on earth…
You Heard Of Dutchman Aldies Ghoet-Koper? Neither Has He. Posted by Sten on Mar 4, 2022
Because he doesn’t exist! Aldies Ghoet-Koper is a fictional character created forever ago by Caz! radio – a radiostation (radio station) in the Netherlands. Listen to the fragment below. Why was this character created, though, and what’s so funny about this? Here are Dutch jokes with names. Aldi is cheaper It’s no secret that supermarkten (supermarkets) fight for our attention…
Dutch Late Night Host Arjen Lubach Is Back! Posted by Sten on Feb 28, 2022
Arjen Lubach is a Dutch comedian who gained international fame with his show Zondag met Lubach (Sunday with Lubach). This show held every Sunday evening discussed news with a comedic twist, similar to American formats like The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight and the Colbert Report. Lubach became most famous for his short skit America First, The Netherlands…
What the heck is “grass duning”? – Curious Dutch Words Posted by Sten on Feb 15, 2022
We have plenty of weird, obscure words in the Dutch language. Here’s one that I really like, but that probably won’t survive. So perhaps by writing this blog, we can keep the word grasduinen alive. But what does grasduinen mean? It’s a regular verb, but it sounds odd. According to the Van Dale means “zich…
Dutch Idioms 27 – Is it the truth? Posted by Sten on Feb 11, 2022
Sometimes we read something in the news, or we hear something raars (strange), we frown, and we ask ourselves: klopt dat wel? (Is that actually true?) Then we start digging, to uncover the waarheid (truth). And as we all know, truth comes out in the end. Or well, we say something like that in Dutch Idioms. Here’s how the Dutch…
How The Dutch Reach Became an Official Recommendation in the UK Posted by Sten on Jan 31, 2022
Since last Saturday, the UK Highway Code explicitly includes a recommendation for the Hollandse Greep (Dutch reach). And this can be a live-saving move – if you open your door and hit somebody, you can be fined a £1,000! So what is this Dutch reach, why did it become a recommendation now, and – the…
Why You Have To Watch The Most Popular Dutch TV Show Posted by Sten on Jan 28, 2022
In its 22nd season this year, the Dutch TV show Wie is de Mol? returned for its annual thrilling jacht op de mol (hunt for the mole). I talked about this show way back in 2015, but this show deserves to be talked about again. And I believe that this Dutch success (it’s been running for 22…