More Flavor of the Dutch
Apropos of nothing whatsoever...
- I subscribe to a Dutch "word-a-day" mailing list... an interesting word ran across my desktop recently.
In Dutch, the word "kapot" means "broken". The suffix "-je" (pronounced "cheh" in this case) is a diminutive, like the Spanish "-ita", meaning a little and maybe cute whatever-it-is. Would anybody care to hazard a guess what the word "kapotje", literally "little broken thing", actually means? (Note: the word "hazard" was carefully chosen.)
I won't spoil it here. Skip to the bottom. But guess first. - On the web I ran across somebody's list of "Famous Dutch Sayings". Included are such timeless bits of wisdom as:
- "He who has butter on his head should stay out of the sun."
- "He who is in a hurry, shouldn't be riding a donkey."
- And finally, something that might explain some of the food: "Bitter in the mouth makes the heart healthy."
- Also on the subject of food, that web page also refers to "The Pinnacle of Dutch Cuisine: Stamppot". The description goes,
Take a kilo of potatoes, boil them to a pulp, add some really well done cabbage or raw endive, mash the mixture even further and voila! Best eaten with a fatty sausage or pieces of bacon, and lots of gravy of course!
Keep in mind that this description is not tongue-in-cheek. I've heard about, but have not yet been fortunate enough to encounter this treat... perhaps someday... - Oh, and a "little broken thing" is a condom. Optimists, these people...