Dutch word of the day

Welcome to the Dutch Word of the Day!
This Dutch language blog covers a Dutch word or expression in English almost every weekday and is meant as a fun study aid for those learning to speak Dutch. The examples, expressions, related words and extra info on Dutch culture are an entertaining supplement to any Dutch language course!

Kletsmajoor

chattering fool, blabbermouth
[noun]
[de klets-ma-joor, klets-ma-joors]

"Kletsmajoor" literally translates to chatter major. A "kletsmajoor" talks a lot, not specifically gossip, just a lot :-)

A popular synonym is "kletskous" (lit.: chatter sock, see also Kletsen). Sometimes you may also see the somewhat outdated "kletsmeier".

Examples:
- "Frank is gewoon een ordinaire kletsmajoor." 
("Frank is just a tacky blabbermouth.")

- "Je noemt mij een kletsmajoor? Je bent niet goed snik!" 
("You're calling me a chattering fool? You're out of your mind!")

- "De griep zal de mensheid binnen 20 jaar decimeren..." - "Jij kletsmajoor..." 
("The flu will decimate mankind within 20 years..." - "You blabbermouth...")

- "Wees voorzichtig met wat je zegt. Kletsmajoren komen niet ver in de politiek..." 
("Be careful with what you say. Chattering fools will not get far in politics...")

Expressions:
- "Iemand de oren van het hoofd kletsen.": to talk the hind leg off a donkey / to talk really much. (Literally: to talk the ears off someone's head).
- "Uit je nek kletsen.": to talk nonsense. (Literally: to talk out of your neck).

Example:
"Frank zat weer behoorlijk uit z'n nek te kletsen tijdens de vergadering."
("Frank was really talking nonsense again during the meeting.")

Related words:
- Kletsen: to chat, to chatter [verb] [kletsen, kletste, h. gekletst].
- Roddelen: to gossip [verb] [roddelen, roddelde, h. geroddeld].

Example:
- "Ik? Een affaire met de buurvrouw? Wie heeft er geroddeld? Dat slaat nergens op!" 
("Me? An affair with my neighbour? Who told you that gossip? That makes no sense at all!")

Ordinair

vulgar, tacky
[adjective/adverb]
[or-di-nair]

Although Dutch "ordinair" can be used in the same meaning as English "ordinary", it's mainly used in the meaning of "vulgar" ("vulgair" in Dutch), "tacky", or "uncivilized". Informally, some people use the abbreviation "ordi" for "ordinair".

Examples:
- "Wat een ordinaire jurk, je kunt er recht doorheen kijken!" 
("What a tacky dress, you can see right through it!")

- "Of je dat ordinair vindt of niet, is een kwestie van smaak." 
("If you find that vulgar or not, is a matter of taste.")

- "Hij gebruikt in elke zin minstens drie scheldwoorden; wat een ordinair taalgebruik." 
("He uses at least three swearing words in every sentence; what a vulgar use of language.")

- "Al dat nepgoud maakt het er niet geraffineerder op, het ziet er eerder ordinair uit." 
("All that fake gold doesn't make it more refined, it rather makes it look tacky.")

- "Ze heeft niet zoveel met al dat bling-bling, dat vindt ze ordinair." 
("She doesn't really like all that bling-bling, she thinks it's vulgar.")

Related words:
- Tuig: scum [noun] [het tuig, <no plural>].
- Platvloers: coarse, uncivilized [adjective/adverb].

Example:
- "Die comedian heeft erg platvloerse humor."
("That comedian has very rough humor.")

- Onbeschaafd: uncivilized [adjective/adverb].

Opsporen

to track, trace, detect
[verb]
[op-spo-ren, spoor-de op, op-ge-spoord]

"Opsporen" is both used for people and errors. In case of people it is mostly used in the context of law enforcement.

Examples:
- "Het spijt ons, maar de fout is nog steeds niet opgespoord." 
("We are sorry, but the error still has not been detected.")

- "Het opsporen van misdadigers zou de eerste prioriteit moeten hebben!" 
("(The) Tracking down (of) criminals should have the first priority!")

- "De privédetective maakte furore door diverse vermiste personen op te sporen." 
("The private investigater caused a furore/furor by tracking down several missing persons.")

- "De politie heeft de dader nog niet opgespoord en roept de hulp in van de kijkers." 
("The police have not yet tracked down the perpetrator en request the assistance of the viewers." Also see the Extra: "Opsporing verzocht".)

Related words:
- Spoor: track, trace, mark [noun] [het spoor, de sporen].
- Opsporing: tracing, location [noun] [de opsporing, de opsporingen].
- Spoorzoeken: activity of tracking, tracing [noun] [het spoorzoeken]. Note that 'spoorzoeken' is also a verb but only used in the infinitive form.

Extra:
"Opsporing verzocht", literally "Tracing requested" is a popular Dutch tv program in which the police ask the viewers for help with tracking down perpetrators by showing real footage or reconstructions of a crime. This method proves to be very successful.

Uier

udder
[noun]
[de ui-er, de ui-ers]

"Uiers" are the mammary glands of ruminants: mammals that re-chew their plant-based food before further processing. The most well-known Dutch animal with "uiers" is of course a "koe": a cow :-) 

Sometimes "uiers" are used to refer to a woman's (large) breasts, but this is strongly sexist and derogatory.

"Uier" has nothing to do with "ui": onion...

Examples:
- "Een koe produceert melk via de uier." 
("A cow produces milk via the udder.")

- "Ken jij nog meer dieren met uiers?" - "Jazeker: geiten en schapen hebben ook uiers." 
("Do you know more animals with udders?" -"Sure: goats and sheep have udders too.")

- "Anita is afgestudeerd op de invloed van uierbehandeling op de kwaliteit van melk." -"Te gek! Dat wist ik niet!" 
("Anita has graduated on the influence of udder care on milk quality." - "Great! I didn't know that!")

Expressions:
- "Melk is goed voor elk": (Dutch rhyme) milk is good for everybody.

Related words:
- Melk: milk [noun] [de melk, <no plural>].
- Melken: to milk [verb] [melken, molk, h. gemolken].

Example:
- "Koeien worden tegenwoordig niet meer door de boer zelf maar door een machine gemolken."
("Nowadays, cows are no longer milked by the farmer himself, but by a machine.")

- Borst: 1. chest. 2. breast [noun] [de borst, de borsten].
- Koe: cow [noun] [de koe, de koeien].
- Schaap: sheep [noun] [het schaap, de schapen].
- Geit: goat [noun] [de geit, de geiten].

Extra:
For more information on Dutch dairy farming, check out the (Dutch) website of "Productschap Zuivel", literally: productship dairy. A "productschap" is a public organization that represents businesses that process one product/resource in different phases of the product chain.

Niet goed snik

out of one's mind, crazy
[Dutch phrase of the week]

A "snik" is a sob. "Niet goed snik" is used to refer to a person's deranged state of mind. Synonymous expression is "niet goed wijs" or "niet wijs" (lit.: not wise).

Examples:
- "Je bent niet goed snik: drie wollen dekens op je bed is veel te warm voor nu!" 
("You're out of your mind: three woollen blankets on your bed is much too warm for now!")

- "Sinterklaas die op een schimmel over de Nederlandse daken rijdt, je bent niet goed snik, dat is onmogelijk!" 
("Sinterklaas who rides on a grey over the Dutch rooftops, you're out of your mind, that's impossible!")

- "Je bent niet goed snik als je met dit weer in de auto stapt! De wegen zijn veel te glad door de sneeuw." 
("You're out of your mind if you get in the car with this weather! The roads are way too slippery because of the snow.")

Expressions:
- "Niet goed wijs" / "Niet wijs": out of one's mind.
- "Van de pot gerukt": out of one's mind. Lit.: ripped from the pot.

Related words:
- Gek: 1. crazy [adjective]. 2. lunatic [noun] [de gek, de gekken].
- Dwaas: foolish [adjective]. 2. fool [noun] [de dwaas, de dwazen].
- Gestoord: mentally disturbed, insane.