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Thursday, April 02, 2009
Bathroom update and some Gronings for you.
Hehehehe, there were some hiccups with the bathroom (that isn't why I'm laughing actually), so there was a pause in the bathroom assembling activities, but finally someone arrived this morning to rectify it all (we live in hope).
The guy (his name is Wim) who arrived this morning is a new one. We haven't seen him before.
But he's quite entertaining. He is a local guy and doesn't speak Dutch but Gronings. Which is something like Scottish compared to British I guess. I love Gronings and understand it too. Can't speak it though. Local people who hear my feeble attempts to say something in Gronings usually shake their heads in disbelief and ask me to please not try that ever again. But Groningers love to exaggerate.
My parents come from this part of the country and moved to Amsterdam just after they got married. My brother, sister and I were born in Amsterdam. Friends used to ask us from which country our parents originated. Gronings just sounds like a different language. On Dutch television it will even be subtitled.
Since I have reclaimed my desk in the 'Great Hall' I am in direct contact with Wim while he is at work in the bathroom. Wim started to do interesting things to one of the taps and the only thing I have heard him say so far is: 'Shit! Shit. Shitterdeshit hey. Shit! Shitshit. Hey shit. Shit. Hey.' Not a word of Gronings actually, hehe.
It cracks me up, but I am trying to keep a straight face. I do not longer live in hope though. By the sound of it things aren't going according to Wim's plan. But I'm afraid to ask.
Now he's singing. Perhaps that is a good sign.
Oh god, now he's groaning. I wonder why?
Hehehe. I'm not leaving my desk today. I'm having too much fun listening to Wim.
Gronings? Well, for instance:
English: ice skating
Dutch: schaatsen
Gronings: scheuveln
or
English: boots
Dutch: laarzen
Gronings: stevels
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I'm just SO glad Shit! is universal...
ReplyDeleteMy sister used that word once (normally she says shoot): on a rollercoaster she said shit the whole ride. It lasted about three minutes and the only thing I could hear next to me was: shiiiiiiiiiit, shit shit shit, oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, noo, shit shit shit shitshitshit etc. I thought it was so funny!
ReplyDeleteI love linguistics, although I'm fairly horrible at anything other than English. I'm fascinated by how words came to be. Why "boots" in English, "laarzen" in Dutch, and "stevels" in Gronings? Certainly, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for all three being as they are, and I don't expect you to supply the answer, but I'm always delighted to find out the reason for stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteJinksy,
ReplyDeleteit is! We Dutch adopted it from your beautiful language (or does it originate from the Americans?) and we use it passionately, hehe.
The word, that is.
Mara,
hehehehehehe
Suldog,
interesting isn't it. I love that sort of thing, always try to find a similarity somewhere, but boots, laarzen and stevels....nope, even I am perplexed ;-)
I worked with a Frenchman who used a multi-syllabic expletive that rolls of the tongue as easily as "shit," but in English sounds so much more sophisticated.
ReplyDeleteThis, of course, is extremely important to me because four letter words don't require as much ink and the big words do. Since I sell ink it is important to encourage the use of big words.
Ivan Toblog,
ReplyDeleteNow I'm curious what the multi-syllabic French word is.
I'm guessing that you are not a fan of email then?
Shitshitshitterdeshit.....so funny! It's been too long since we visited....everything seems somehow more hectic now the dogs are "romancing" hehe!
ReplyDeleteAlfie is glad you appreciated his PlayDog shot ;) He sent it to Mason Dixie and she replied with some naughties of her own, these dogs have better fun than I do!
Wim sounds like a real dude, i'd be inclined to sit and listen to his shit all day too! You take care :D
Slobbers xx
Oh, and "not long now"....how many times have you heard/read that lately?!
Dughallmor Beagles,
ReplyDeleteI had such a laugh yesterday, about and with Wim. I have some updates that I'm going to post today I think.
Your the 67th person to say that this week, hehehe. Not long now no ;-)
Oh, that's so funny! I'd be up there watching, listening and chatting, I think! Yes, 'shit' is fairly universal isn't it? I think it's Old English or Old German .. it's definitely European though. The Americans must've got it from us! ;)
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was saying shit because he was doing it. That doesn't really explain the singing though does it? I'm not even going to guess at the moaning. At least not in writing. :P
ReplyDeleteJay, Old German, there's a thought. Since the German for shit is scheisse. But scheisse scheisse scheisserdescheisse....I don't know, doesn't have the same satisfying sound I think. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSkittles,
God I hope not. Since this is a bathroom without a loo. ;-)
Caroline -
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that they is two words - "zut alors." The expression carries about the same meaning as the more scatological expletive, without the smell.
I really do like email. The ink remark was mostly tongue in cheek.
Yes...we Americans are nothing without our shit. :D
ReplyDeleteHILARIOUS post girlfriend...
Ivan,
ReplyDeleteZut alors....hmmmm, yep, will do nicely.
Shitterdeshit proves to be a big hit amongst my blogreaders too. And a reasonable amount of syllables, oui?
Thanks for the update ;-)
Shitterdeshit - classic shitism.
ReplyDeletePouty Lips,
ReplyDeleteShitism, sounds suspiciously like shiitism (if that's a word). Thát can't be good.
Shitterdeshit, it rolls deliciously off your tongue though, doesn't it? ;-)