Author Archives: Dutch Gurus

Rollatorrock

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(rolling) walker / rollator rock [noun] [de rollatorrock]

By walker/rollator I mean one of those support racks with wheels that old people use to walk around.

As far as I know, this word was introduced a couple of years ago by a Dutch DJ, and it is used to ironically describe rock/pop music by bands that consist of mainly elderly people (or almost elderly).

Examples:
1. Ga je naar de Rolling Stones?? Dat is toch rollatorrock man!
(“Are you going to see the Rolling Stones?? Man, isn’t that rollatorrock!”)

2. Deze radiozender draait te veel rollatorrock.
(“This (broadcasting) station plays too much rollatorrock.”)

Gans

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goose [noun] [de gans, de ganzen]

Example:
1. Domme gans! : "Silly goose!".
2. Ganzenlever: "Goose liver".

"Gans" is also an adverb or adjective in Dutch, but not as common. If you use it as an adverb, it means "wholly". As an adjective, it means "whole".

Example:
"Het ganse land was gekleed in oranje."
("The whole country was dressed in orange".)

Kraan

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tap/faucet, crane [noun] [de kraan, de kranen]

Examples:
1. "Warm(/koud)waterkraan": warm/cold water tap/faucet.

2. "Kraanwater": tap water.

In Dutch bars and restaurants they will always try to sell you the overpriced mineral water in the small blue labeled bottles (often referred to by the popular brand name "Spa blauw"), but you can ask for "kraanwater". They might not give it to you though and yes, Dutch people too, think this is highly annoying.

To order mineral water with gas, ask for "Spa rood", which comes in a bottle with a red label.

3. "Kraanwagen": a truck with a crane.

Sla

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lettuce [noun] [de sla]

Examples:
1. "Een krop sla": a head of lettuce.
2. "Koolsla": coleslaw.
3. "IJsbergsla": iceberg lettuce.
4. "Slasaus": salad dressing.
"Slasaus" is usually a bit of a thicker dressing. Normal dressing we would also call
"dressing".

Notice the influence of the Dutch language in examples 2. and 3.

Compare: "Salade".
"Salade" translates to salad. You use "salade" when you talk about a traditional salad,
i.e. lettuce mixed with vegetables or for example a Caesar salad.
However, sometimes, when you have a salad that more or less has not lost its native
‘leaves of lettuce look’ you can also still call it ‘sla’. An example would be ‘komkommersla’ (see DWOTD "Komkommer").
It is a vague distinction, even to Dutch people (as you might notice from my explanation),
but you can never go wrong by calling a salad "salade" and lettuce "sla".

Other examples of the use of the word "salade":
1. Some kinds of spread that you can put on sandwhiches or crackers. You can find them
in small packages in the super market. A well-known brand is "Johma".
2. Cold buffet type salad called "huzarensalade". Something like "Russian salad".

Wastafel

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bathroom sink [noun] [de wastafel, de wastafels] [‘was-taa-ful’]

Literally translates to: wash table.

Related words:
1. The verb “wassen”.
This can translate to: to wash, to do laundry, to grow/to rise.

Examples:
a. “Wasmachine”: laundry machine.
b. “Wasserette”: laundromat.
c. “Afwassen” (verb): wash up, to do the dishes.
d. “Volwassen”: grown-up.
e. “Een volwassene”: a grown-up/adult.
f. “Het wassende water”: “The rising water”, a famous Dutch novel (1925)
by Herman de Man.

2. The noun “table”.

Examples:
a. “Eettafel”: dinner table.
b. “Koffietafel”: coffee table.