I amsterdam - Book review: Dictionary of Dutchness

Acronyms in any language can be a fine shorthand. ‘North Atlantic Treaty Alliancelaw’ is a much bigger mouthful than ‘NATO’. And who but a Dutch person could say ‘Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij’, as compared to the much simpler ‘KLM’.

No foreign resident in the Netherlands can fail to notice that Dutch society is full of acronyms. Not only this: Dutch folk always seem to know what they mean. In Holland, acronyms are as commonly understood as everyday expressions.

What is NAP, and what does it have to do with sea level? What is the DNB when it’s at home? What is the WAO that some people worry about so much? And why do other people seem to approve more of VWO than they do of HAVO?

If you didn’t grow up with these concepts ‘on your porridge spoon’, so to say, you’re likely to be mystified. A new book, A Dictionary of Dutchness, will help to explain a lot of these things. If you need to know what the AOW is (pension legislation), look no further. And indeed, as the authors remark, Dutch acronyms can sound quite Soviet. MIVD (military intelligence), for example.

This little book provides more than explanations of what the often bewildering array of acronyms common in Dutch society. It also looks at common words and phrases that it can be very helpful to know about. Ever wondered what the Bibob law is (integrity legislation)? Or why a paddo isn’t a bullfrog but an hallucinogenic mushroom? Or what the Dutch post office is called these days? You’ll find the answers to these mysteries here too.

Did you know, for instance, that there is a swear word monitor in Holland? Apparently, incidents of swearing in the country were up 13% in 2006.

A Dictionary of Dutchness is useful as reference. In this respect it is an ongoing project, as the authors themselves say. More acronyms will follow (sofi, KvK, KIT), and hopefully more explanations of Dutch words like Aso anti-social) and BdB’er (beter dan Balkenende: civil servants who earn more than the Dutch premier).

But it is also a sometimes amusing as a glimpse behind the scenes of many of the assumptions common in Dutch society today. From ‘GTST’ to ‘Hanjongeren’, from DigiID (state digital ID for citizens) to the significance of the colour Orange, it’s all here.

Dictionary of Dutchness
Price: from €14
Available online: http://www.dutchnews.nl/contact/adod.php