What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
(OP)
Dear all,
What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand. It's funny and (partly) true at the same time.
Please follow this link for the proper format, Word or PDF-file.
http://www.mini-prikbord.nl/
NB. Dutch is a language spoken in the Netherlands (Holland).
Any comments, additions?
CARF / Netherlands
What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand. It's funny and (partly) true at the same time.
Please follow this link for the proper format, Word or PDF-file.
http://www.mini-prikbord.nl/
NB. Dutch is a language spoken in the Netherlands (Holland).
Any comments, additions?
CARF / Netherlands





RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Question: <Any question>
Answer: <yes>
Meaning of answer: <I have understood your question>
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Not quite. The meaning is "I have heard your question."
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I've got to say most of the Dutch people I've met had a pretty good grasp of English to the point they got a lot of the subtle points brought out in this list, so I think maybe it's a bit unfair on our friends from the Netherlands.
Sompting, you're ahead of me. I've had a few conversations/email exchanges with our field support in Korea. I have no confidence they even understood the question, this is complicated that by email they rarely actually reply and on the phone they just go over the same point time & time again! I'd consider learning Korean but I have the same trouble with the Philipines as well and we have a bunch of other countries I just haven't had to deal with yet.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
- I'm going to ask you a question
- Yes
- The question requires a yes/no answer
- Yes
- Here is my question
- Yes
- Do you want to spend 10 million pounds on this engine programme?
- Yes
- Wooohooo
- Excuse me
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Don't worry, I am Dutch, we Dutch are bunch of people difficult to insult ; )
Groeten uit Amsterdam, thanks for the star!
CARF
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I've usually heard it called just Holland or even Dutchland, especially over here in the States.
As you said you were difficult to insult, reminds me of an old joke:
"Did you hear about the trouble in Europe?
No.
Apparantly the Dutch have taken over the Netherlands."
I'd sign off with the only Dutch I know but:
A. I can't pronounce it properly,
B. I don't know how to spell it
and
C. it's a very vulgar phrase that a Dutch Guy called Hugo taught me about doing something in the Kitchen.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Them: Could you possibly make this <this> change to our <sizable> contract?
Me: Yes, we can do it. It will cost $XXX extra and a few days' delay.
Them: <no reply>
Them: <some months later, after delivery> Why didn't you make the change we specified?
Me:
1. You didn't specify a change, you asked about the possibility of making a change. We said it's possible and stated the impact. You didn't then say, "do it", not even verbally.
2. You didn't send money.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I've had similar conversation the other direction.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
It's true that Americans are probably the most "verbal" people in the world. If it is not said, or better, not written, it does not exist.
Even written jokes don't exist if there's no smiley behind them. I have had my share of very painful misunderstandings and I won't forget them. I guess they must have been puzzled by my "between the lines" kind of communication, even though Dutch people like me are probably the most verbal people in the world... after the Americans (just to get back on-topic).
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Mike McCann
McCann Engineering
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
"The pig is hard in the brook"
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
we should understand and appreciate their culture, and they should appreciate ours.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
rb1957,
is´nt that difficult, when you want an answer?
Maybe it is crucial timing for the job.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Thought the original was:
"The pig stood rightup in the brook"?
Any more ; )?
CARF
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I see you read the book 'I always get my sin' too.
Greetings
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Now, I discovered they were really were Pennsylvania "Deutsche" since most of the original settlers were from the old location of the present Germany. Through the years, all terms get turned around because of conditions and events. Did Anne Frank think she was Deuteche?
My family names is Schumacher (usually Gernman), but I have many relatives from Luxembourge with given names of Pierre, Jean Paul, Jean Baptiste, Michelle. etc., so I often think I may be "French".
The old borders and names have little resemblance to modern day maps and politics and it changes daily.
There is still only one Amsterdam! (in my opinion).
During my international travels, I quickly learned the difference in speaking languages between "English" and "American".
The thing I could never understand is that my friends in Hungary have a natural "ear" for both Korean and Finnish - must the the Vikings and the Huns. - They have the natural affection for the Poles because of history.
Its a small world and getting smaller and easier to understand if you keep your ears open.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
NASA had a real problem designing Space vehicles that were international efforts, such as the ISS.
If these projects were truly to be an international effort, then how would NASA get American, British, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, Italian, etc engineers working in lock-step with each other to prevent comical or catastropic errors from creeping in??
One thing that was obvious to all of us who have worked with foreign counterpart engineers, is that we all tend to be very capable/competant at our jobs... but our methods of communication, understanding/use of facts/data, design methods/approaches, etc were very much based on our educational, cultural, generational, ethnic, language and experience differences [etc]. For instance, working with my **** engineering counterparts, I discovered that there was an inviolable age hirearchy that trumped education and skill: I just could not by-pass the older engineers in favor of the younger guys who "got-it" easily... I had to bring everyone along... and make suggestions. In some cases I had to set-up little tests/exteriments that explained my points to everyone... and let the chips fall gently.
Try telling a joke to a foreigner who understands basic english... but has NO cultural basis for understanding the "context", "culture", or is unable to "visualize the joke scenario", etc. I once told my counterparts that the "shit was about to hit the fan" [for something I had done deliberately... assuming forgivness would follow]. Try translating "shit was about to hit the fan" to serious **** engineers, who insisted on knowing what it ment.
Back-to-my point. NASA did what NASA is good at: it commisioned a major study of inter-engineer communication. It surveyed American trained/employed engineers of various ages and disciplines... then did the same survey in various countries with equivalent engineers [in the native language].
Results of the study are both intuiative and non-inutative... depending on how much foreign interaction You may have had. Also there were interesting differences between generations... etc. A big difference existed in language: Americans tended to arrogantly insist on communication in English, since over 90+% surveyed had NO skill in a second language. Foreign engineers took language skills far more seriously... Europeans typically skilled in at least (3) languages [I wonder-why?].
For those of You interested... go to STINET http://stinet.dtic.mil/ and search on the phrase: aerospace knowledge diffusion research project
Regards, Wil Taylor
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Back on the threat again, which was supposed to be about misunderstandings caused by cultural differences and lack of understanding each other cultures and languages.
Reminds me of the famous
Unit-of-measure mix up tied to loss of $125 Million Mars Orbiter
(Boston Globe, October 1, 1999):
“NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter was lost because engineers did not make a simple conversion from English units to metric, an embarrassing lapse that sent the $125 million craft off course. The navigators (JPL) assumed metric units of force per second or newtons. In fact, the numbers were in pounds of force per second as supplied by Lockheed Martin (the contractor).”
link found through NASA.gov website
htt
Regards,
CARF
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
From England we ordered a part from our supplier in the US.
The quote we received for the part came in two formats; one declared the metric size of the item (for English use) the other declared the imperial size in 'english' inches (for US use).
How ironic!
Luckily I am ambidextrous as I was educated in imperial units and metric units. Sometimes I say things are 2 metres, give or take an inch! Blank looks from those over 60 and under thirty!
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
You mean 2 yards 6.74 inches plus or minus .0254 of a meter.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
The US will get metric: inch by inch
; )
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I'll 'google' for the facts but, I'm sure there was a time, not so long ago, when the US and Imperial inches were different, by a matter of the odd thou.
Bill
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I have begun some preliminary investigations into combining both the metric (good) and imperial (old-fashioned, cumbersome, tiring and bad) systems.....
I have decided that there is a combined system (which I have decided to call Prohammy's Milometre System, PMS for short) that will provide all things for all men/women......
1 Milometre - .0003937 Kilometers (therefore 0.00219779 Miles)....
Kevin
“It is a mathematical fact that fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class." ~Author Unknown
"If two wrongs don't make a right, try three." ~Author Unknown
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
And not all US people only know English, its just really hard to keep an interest in a multi-languages when you can’t use them ever!, I studied German, Spanish, and Czech and have yet to use then for anything other and asking for more beer/food (When abroad) and swearing at people…. or Cheers when drinking beers!!
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
5 feet, that must be: 1.542 meter
10 inch, that must be: 0.254 meter
1.542 + 0.254 = 1.796 meter
Now serious; today I learned that 1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch?
So 44 mil = 44/1000 of an inch ?
Metric people will pick up 'mil' as millimeter so they will think: 44 mil = 44 millimeter
Down goes the spacecraft ...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Similar to your example:
When I started here everyone talked about microns. I had no idea what they meant. In the UK I didn't recall ever hearing or seeing this. I wasn't sure if it was the same as mil = 1/1000" or something different.
I eventually worked out they mean 1/1000000 or 1x10-6 of a metre.
What I would have called a micrometre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometre
I guess another case of the US being behind the times in units of measure
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Go to
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?
subchannel_id=1&story_id=15670
luis marques
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Kenat, I had the reverse situation. When I started work in London the specification template I was given had 'micrometres', which I thought sounded ridiculous and assumed was incorrect.
My specifications went out with 'microns', the secretary didn't know any better and no one else ever questioned it.
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
Hardcover | 128 Pagina's | Bzztoh
ISBN10: 9045305615 | ISBN13: 9789045305615
Beschrijving:
I always get my sin is een vermakelijke bloemlezing van fouten die Nederlanders maken als zij Engels spreken.
I do not want to fall with the door in house
Het geeft een hilarisch beeld van het taalgebruik van onze Nederlandse ministers, state secretaries en top hotemetotes.
How do you do and how do you do your wife?
I always get my sin is samengesteld door Maarten H. Rijkens. Als directeur bij Heineken heeft hij jarenlang te maken gehad met Nederlanders die Engels spreken. Momenteel is hij voorzitter van de Industriële Grote Club.
We have to look further than our nose is long.
Rijkens: 'I believe we should all be interesting in this subject and hopely you will enjoy it just as much as I do. Please deal it out on some friendly undertakers, because it is clear that it can so not longer.'
May I thank your cock for the lovely dinner?
RE: What the English say, what they mean and what the Dutch understand.
I doubt however whether much of this was really said out loud by innocent people, much of it is too.... far-fetched (which as far as I know has the same meaning in English as in Dutch!), knowing that Dutch people have 3 hours English classes every evening... subtitled American TV!