You're speaking my language(s). When I was working in Holland I was still smoking, and would occasionally run out of cigarettes, so I'd ask me of my lab mates "mag ik even een shaggie van je draaien?"
An American friend here lived in Holland when her kids were small, and she'd put them to bed saying "slaap lekker, hoor!" which they heard as "sleep like a whore!" So whenever I see Natalie, that's how we say goodbye, to the consternation of all around us.
And it seemed that every Dutch person I knew would say backside when they just meant back!
My Dutch Iab mates and I had great fun using literal English translations of Dutch idioms and words in meetings with our American overlords, such as "may I have a shag?" and some cross-lingual creations, such as calling an obstinate piece of lab equipment a "cut thing."
To shag in American English tends to mean "to dance the shag" and is not automatically taken to mean what it means in the UK. American cinemas were able to advertise the Austin Powers movie The Spy Who Shagged Me without any problems because Americans don't say that, although they could surmise what it means. Americans use "snuff" or "chewing tobacco" for "loose tobacco" unless it's loose tobacco for a pipe (in which case it's actually called "pipe tobacco"). I'm not sure what the Dutch word means but I assume it means snuff.
Actually, I think that tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes is called "loose tobacco" in the US. I've never used tobacco, so I'm not one to ask. But I do think that the US/UK difference in the use of shag is significant. If you look up shag competition on YouTube, you'll find videos of people dancing their feet off (and not doing what shag suggests in British English).
If it makes you feel better, the article that I link to in the newsletter does note that "shag" as a slang term for sex is British English, it also talks about shaggy carpets and shaggy dogs. I didn't know about dancing the shag, though, so I'll make sure to add it. It's an old article, looking at it now I see a lot of room for improvement, anyway. It's going on my to-do list! https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/shag/
When I was learning Swedish after having learned German, I took the famous Swedish word fika (meaning to enjoy a coffee break) to mean ficken in German! Talk about misunderstanding...
In Italian, "to fuck" is, among others, "fottere", from Latin "futuere" from Proto-Indoeuropean "*bʰew-", which means "to hit", the same root of "fustis" – Latin for "stick, club."
It's a fabulous article, and I can't get enough of your posts. They're insightful and extremely helpful - especially when you discuss Dutch words and phrases that are difficult to translate. I think you have a real gift for coming up with perfect solutions in English!
I'm surprised to hear hoor and hoer used and misused in this way. Hoor in DUTCH MEANS EAR AND HEAR and my experience, is a figure of speech tacked on the end of a sentence for emphasis. For example, "Ill see you later, hear!" Meaning: "Ik zee je laater, hoor". Hoor means HEAR, and hoer means WHORE and no Dutch person would mix them up. Whore in Dutch is HOER pronounced like WHO and it's not ever anywhere pronounced the same as HOOR. The Dutch HOOR is pronounced almost exactly like the English WHORE. Perhaps that confused this writer. Just wrong I think.
I'm not saying Dutch speakers are mixing up "hoor" and "hoer", I am saying that some Dutch speakers are taking the Dutch word "hoor", and tacking it onto the end of English sentences. Of course, the listener doesn't know that the speaker switched to Dutch for the last word, and therefore understands "whore".
I have taught English to many Dutch speakers, and I have heard this quite often.
Ah yes, mixing up languages is a frequent lapse, especially under a bit of stress. My parents were native Dutch and learned English on the streets of America, unlike young Dutch people who learned Dutch in school. They often spoke English with Dutch syntax. Their accent was very different from young Dutch people. They sounded German to Americans which was not a good thing back in the WW2 days. I do the opposite from them and often speak Dutch with English syntax. Dutch people think it's pretty funny.
“Danish used to have fukke (move back and forth)” - maybe it has a Viking origin. That would actually make sense
Hahaha I like it!
You're speaking my language(s). When I was working in Holland I was still smoking, and would occasionally run out of cigarettes, so I'd ask me of my lab mates "mag ik even een shaggie van je draaien?"
An American friend here lived in Holland when her kids were small, and she'd put them to bed saying "slaap lekker, hoor!" which they heard as "sleep like a whore!" So whenever I see Natalie, that's how we say goodbye, to the consternation of all around us.
And it seemed that every Dutch person I knew would say backside when they just meant back!
My Dutch Iab mates and I had great fun using literal English translations of Dutch idioms and words in meetings with our American overlords, such as "may I have a shag?" and some cross-lingual creations, such as calling an obstinate piece of lab equipment a "cut thing."
Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Such great anecdotes! Thank you, John!
To shag in American English tends to mean "to dance the shag" and is not automatically taken to mean what it means in the UK. American cinemas were able to advertise the Austin Powers movie The Spy Who Shagged Me without any problems because Americans don't say that, although they could surmise what it means. Americans use "snuff" or "chewing tobacco" for "loose tobacco" unless it's loose tobacco for a pipe (in which case it's actually called "pipe tobacco"). I'm not sure what the Dutch word means but I assume it means snuff.
It's the kind of loose tobacco that you roll cigarettes with, so quite similar to pipe tobacco!
Thanks for your comment; I usually note differences between American and British English but this one slipped by me!
Actually, I think that tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes is called "loose tobacco" in the US. I've never used tobacco, so I'm not one to ask. But I do think that the US/UK difference in the use of shag is significant. If you look up shag competition on YouTube, you'll find videos of people dancing their feet off (and not doing what shag suggests in British English).
If it makes you feel better, the article that I link to in the newsletter does note that "shag" as a slang term for sex is British English, it also talks about shaggy carpets and shaggy dogs. I didn't know about dancing the shag, though, so I'll make sure to add it. It's an old article, looking at it now I see a lot of room for improvement, anyway. It's going on my to-do list! https://hoezegjeinhetengels.nl/shag/
When I was learning Swedish after having learned German, I took the famous Swedish word fika (meaning to enjoy a coffee break) to mean ficken in German! Talk about misunderstanding...
Reminds me of picking up my dog up as a puppy from a "fokker" in Friesland. Couldn't keep a straight face.
In Italian, "to fuck" is, among others, "fottere", from Latin "futuere" from Proto-Indoeuropean "*bʰew-", which means "to hit", the same root of "fustis" – Latin for "stick, club."
Loved this! Never thought about ‘fokken’ as ‘to trick or to prank someone’, but it even makes sense now. (Niet met mij fokken!)
It's a fabulous article, and I can't get enough of your posts. They're insightful and extremely helpful - especially when you discuss Dutch words and phrases that are difficult to translate. I think you have a real gift for coming up with perfect solutions in English!
I'm surprised to hear hoor and hoer used and misused in this way. Hoor in DUTCH MEANS EAR AND HEAR and my experience, is a figure of speech tacked on the end of a sentence for emphasis. For example, "Ill see you later, hear!" Meaning: "Ik zee je laater, hoor". Hoor means HEAR, and hoer means WHORE and no Dutch person would mix them up. Whore in Dutch is HOER pronounced like WHO and it's not ever anywhere pronounced the same as HOOR. The Dutch HOOR is pronounced almost exactly like the English WHORE. Perhaps that confused this writer. Just wrong I think.
Hi George,
I'm not saying Dutch speakers are mixing up "hoor" and "hoer", I am saying that some Dutch speakers are taking the Dutch word "hoor", and tacking it onto the end of English sentences. Of course, the listener doesn't know that the speaker switched to Dutch for the last word, and therefore understands "whore".
I have taught English to many Dutch speakers, and I have heard this quite often.
Ah yes, mixing up languages is a frequent lapse, especially under a bit of stress. My parents were native Dutch and learned English on the streets of America, unlike young Dutch people who learned Dutch in school. They often spoke English with Dutch syntax. Their accent was very different from young Dutch people. They sounded German to Americans which was not a good thing back in the WW2 days. I do the opposite from them and often speak Dutch with English syntax. Dutch people think it's pretty funny.