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Dutch Word of the Month October: Vagevuur Posted by on Oct 28, 2019

October, the month of Halloween and spookiness. Of course, there are spooky Dutch words related to this as well. The Word of the Month of October – Vagevuur. Click here for previous Words of the Month What does it mean? Vagevuur means “Purgatory”. According to some Christians, it is the state between dying and going to heaven…

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Dutch Blitz: The Game That’s Not Dutch At All! Posted by on Oct 24, 2019

In another post in our series on “Dutch”-terms, we are looking at another economic term, like the “Dutch disease” post last time. Today, we will look at the Dutch Blitz – what is it about? Let’s find out. Check out other “Dutch”-terms posts here. A not-so-Dutch Card Game Dutch Blitz, as it turns out, is…

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Spreekwoorden en Uitdrukkingen (Sayings and Expressions) 12 – Halloween Special Posted by on Oct 17, 2019

Halloween is coming up! The pumpkin-carving fest is celebrated more and more in the flat country I call my home. So the appropriate spreekwoord (saying) and uitdrukking (expression) can’t be missing. While we don’t have spreekwoorden or uitdrukkingen that are directly about Halloween, we have a few fitting ones. Let’s dive in spreekwoord first! For other sayings and expressions…

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Spreekwoorden en Uitdrukkingen (Sayings and Expressions) 11 – Nopjes! Posted by on Oct 7, 2019

It’s October, which means summer is definitief (definitively) over! And that, in turn, means getting your winterkleren (winter clothing) out again. So let’s talk about nopjes! Wait, what? For other sayings and expressions in this series, click here. Kinderen zijn een zegen des Heren maar zij houden de noppen van de kleren Literally: Children are a blessing from the Lord…

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150 Years of Fries in the Netherlands Posted by on Oct 1, 2019

This week marked 150 years of the delicious and crispy fries in the Netherlands. 150 years ago, a kermis or fair in Breda introduced the Dutch to fries and life was never the same! Patat of friet? There is an ongoing debate in the Netherlands as to what is the right name for fries. Boven de rivieren or the…

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Dutch Word of the Month September: Koopkracht Posted by on Sep 30, 2019

koopkracht-Netherlands-welfare

September! Out of the boring months, here comes something important for all to hear: news about the begroting (budget) for the next begrotingsjaar (fiscal year). Presented every derde dinsdag in september (third Tuesday in September) on Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day). And besides money for onderwijs (education), zorg (healthcare) or infrastructuur (infrastructure), there is always something about koopkracht. What is that, and why does it matter? Here we go! Click…

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Why Are The Dutch Called Dutch When They Shouldn’t Be? Posted by on Sep 23, 2019

So, you may or may not have been wondering about this, but I certainly have. As a Dutch-German, I’ve always been stumped by the confusing demonyms (“a name used for the people who live in a particular country, state, or other locality”, thanks dictionary.com)  used in English to refer to my two native countries. Why…

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