Talk:Dunglish

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This has become a fun article!

I removed the part about "throwing the baby away with the washwater"; while a wrong translation, this proverb exists in English as throwing out the baby with the bath water, so it's not nearly as bad as it sounds, and you won't be misunderstood. JRM · Talk 19:29, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

There comes the monkey out of the sleeve (In Dutch: Daar komt de aap uit de mouw) is also very Dunglish. The meaning of this saying is something like 'The hidden trick is finally exposed'.

Yes, and likewise that kite won't fly ("die vlieger gaat niet op"), now breaks my wooden shoe ("nou breekt mijn klomp") and other literally translated idioms, but in general none of those belong in the article unless they have been prominently used. Over-literal translation is an endless source of amusement and many examples can be constructed, but we shouldn't. JRM · Talk 17:26, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Similar, I want to talk to you under four eyes ("Ik wil je onder vier ogen spreken"). Ahv 21:46, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

1 "I fok horses"
2 Steenkolenengels
3 SOV / SVO
4 Err
5 J and Y
6 A possible source for some of this, and more

[edit] "I fok horses"

I removed the part about Gerbrandy saying "I fok horses" to Churchill, as I can't find any definitive source for it. Other sources claim the Grebrandy did say "Goodbye" when he was introduced to Churchill, but it was Joseph Luns that claimed to "fok horses" to John F Kennedy, to which JFK replied "Pardon?" and Luns enthusiastically said "Ja, inderdaad, Paarden!" ("Yes, exactly, horses!"). However I can only find one source for either story, so I removed the paragraph. risk 20:18, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

The 'fok horses' joke is a Dutch classic.

It has been atributed to almost anyone.

I don't think it's of any use in an english language encyclopedia. (Only Dutch speakers immediately get the joke, and we all knew it anyway.)

As far as I remember, Gerbrandy's "Goodbye" is genuine. (I find that plausible, cause it's not even remotely funny.)

On a different note: I (a Dutchman) was talking to an Englishman tonight about "next Friday". It took half an hour before he understood that I meant this Friday. (Not worth including either, I guess, but maybe some Dutchman reading this might learn from my mistake.) ('next Friday' is kennelijk niet aanstaande vrijdag maar vrijdag-over-een-week.) Bart van der Pligt 03:45, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Similar: I (a Dutchman) invite an Englishman for a meeting at "half six". Following dutch grammar I expect the meeting to start at 5:30 (half zes) but the Englishman will arrive at 6:30 (half six, short for half-past-six), an hour later ! Ahv 21:37, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Steenkolenengels

The information identifying Dunglish as "coal English" occurs twice in the article so I am editing it. -- House of Scandal 10:33, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] SOV / SVO

Dutch is SOV in sentences with modal auxiliary verbs, but the examples given are not due to that reason, but due to English' peculiar usage of writing periphrastic sentences with the verb "do" (a complex usage that globally is rather rare. I attempt to rewrite...) 惑乱分からん 12:10, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Err

"They have realised the building project." is valid english.

[edit] J and Y

Don't really know how to put this in the article, my English isn't that good ^^ Maybe somebody else will?? In Dutch the J is pronounced like the Y is pronounced in English. Dunglish speaking Dutchmen will probably say yoke instead of joke. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kbarends (talk • contribs) 12:37, August 26, 2007 (UTC)

The mistake is common in Scandinavia, where the English J-sound isn't found in native words. I guess it's possible it exists in the Dutch-speaking area, too, but pronunciation mistakes don't primarily stem from spelling/ortography. 惑乱分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 12:25, 8 September 2007 (UTC)