The Iron Lady

Margaret Thatcher has managed to be as controversial in her passing as during her time as prime minister. Her death also reminded me of a very common language mistake the Dutch make when they speak English, that being the pronunciation of the word iron. It's not a word that you need to use very often in a second language but with the media full of "The Iron Lady" it is a word that is being flung around on every TV news channel in the Netherlands.

The Dutch say "I - RON". In English it is pronounced "IYUN". Obviously I can see why non-natives wouldn't say it right. How we English say it has no actual relation to how it is spelt. But that is the way it is.

For years I have battled with my Dutch husband to get him to say iron the right way. It's been tough. And now everywhere I turn I hear "I - RON". The pinnacle was when I heard Sacha de Boer say "iron lady" in a way only the Dutch can.

So, it's not logical, or phonetic. But it is how it's said. I can only imagine there is a herd of English teachers in Dutch schools spreading this mispronunciation on a nationwide basis, from generation to generation. It's our job, as English native speakers, to give the word iron its dignity back. "IYUN". Shout it out - IYUN.

I know there are lots of words that don't make sense in the English language. I also know my pronunciation of some Dutch words leaves a lot to be desired but the thing about the word iron is that it is said wrong on a nationwide scale. How can that be? Where does this pronunciation come from in the Netherlands? I have one thing left to say - "IYUN".

Right, I'm off to start battling with Sacha de Boer.....

Are there other words that are misspoken on a national basis? Are there notorious words in other languages that are mispronounced by other nations? 

Must One Renounce One's British Citizenship?

Prompted by a blog post on the happy Homemaker UK blog I took the British citizenship test. This is the test you have to take if you wish to apply for British citizenship, something you are eligible to do after five years of living in Britain.

The questions are a mix of cultural, political. practical and downright bizarre topics....and needless to say, as a Brit, I whizzed through the test and am happy to report I passed with flying colours.

Except I really didn't. I failed. Flunked it. See for yourself:

With 50% Correct I Guess I Now Have to Renounce my Britishness
Photo (c) The Writing Well

 I would not be able to be a British citizen if I wasn't already. Apparently I needed to actually study or something in order to know what other non-Brits know before gaining British citizenship.

Here's an example of a mystifying question which made me mutter to myself (something along the lines of "How the hell is that relevant?" if you are wondering).


In which year did married women get the right to divorce their husband?

• 1837
• 1857
• 1875
• 1882

I get that British women having the right to divorce their husband is important to know if you intend to take on British citizenship, don't get me wrong. But I fail to see that adding the year it was introduced to your knowledge base has any relevance or benefit whatsoever.

And the answer is? Well actually, I don't know, and more to the point I don't care - and that really doesn't make me less British. Not living in Britain for the last twelve years..... that just might.......

A Dutch House Move Made Cheaper - Is it Working?

Photo: Chris Holder

For those of you currently searching for your dream home in the Netherlands the recent reduction in home transfer tax from 6% to 2% should be a welcome boost to a despondent house market. It's a buyer's market for sure and it just got more attractive to take a step on the property ladder.... as long as you can get rid of your current property of course. However, experts relay that the real benefit of this government move won't be felt until the final quarter of 2011 so house sellers will need to exercise yet more patience.

Estate agents say that viewings have gone up 25% since the government made the announcement. From personal experience we have seen no effect whatsoever of the promise of a lower property transfer tax (which can save thousands of euro on a house purchase). We have had no extra viewers at all. Mind you, it would seem that the entire Dutch population is on vacation somewhere or other because it is quiet all round so maybe once the school holidays are over normal business will be resumed..........

I know there's at least one of you out there trying to sell a property... anyone noticed a boost in house viewings and negotiations as a result of the reduced property transfer tax? Are you persuaded to buy a property because of the money you save by the lower tax rate?

The Smoking Ban in the Netherlands

Photo: mi-sio

My very first blog post, back in June 2008, was about the new smoking ban that was being introduced the following day in the Netherlands. Fast forward to today.

The smoking ban has proved to be rather a thorn in the side of the Dutch government.  There has been much discussion about the fact that those bars clearly defying the ban over the last few years faced no consequences. Small cafe owners threatened to sue the government for lost earnings from the smoking ban.

Balkenende's government held fast. But then the latest coalition government came in and rescinded part of the law so that owners of those bars up to 70m2 with no employees are free to allow smoking in their premises. Fines for violating the smoking laws in these establishments were also cancelled. Clean Air Nederland collected 35,000 signatures against lifting the smoking ban in some cafes.

For those places where the smoking ban is still alive and kicking, there will be higher fines, stricter checks and enforcement of the law.

In a nutshell, it's a heated discussion in this country - even though the law came into being nearly three years ago. The Netherlands is the first country in Europe to actually reverse a smoking ban. The Dutch HEALTH minister put the reversal down to "consumer choice".

One of the striking differences in the Netherlands is that the ban was not introduced to protect the public from passive smoking but as an extension of the law to protect employees in the workplace, hence bar owners with no staff could challenge the introduction of the law.

Interestingly, restaurants seems to have taken the ban in its stride.

It has all been a bit of a mess and for some reason the Netherlands has faced a difficulty getting a smoking ban implemented that seems to have passed other countries by.

The EU is looking for wider and stricter measures from the member states to reduce the effects of involuntary inhalation of second hand smoke - particularly regarding children and adolescents. At present in the Netherlands around a third of schools ban smoking on their schoolpleinen. Health Minister Schippers wants this to become a total ban and will come with a proposal this spring. I'm assuming that schools won't be as difficult as bar owners to convince that smoking on the school playground should be stopped......

It will certainly be interesting to see how the Netherlands handles any further ban in public areas.

What are your thoughts on how the smoking ban has been handled in the Netherlands? 

Ten Things You Don't Know about The Netherlands and the Dutch Until You Move Here (Part 5)

(c) Amanda van Mulligen

The typical Dutch stereotype consists of cheese eating, clog wearing tall people talking a dialect of German with a backdrop of windmills sailing round on the flatlands. However, there is much more to this small country and the people who live in it than the rest of the world thinks. Here's the fifth and last part of a series on things you don't necessarily know about the Dutch and their country until you move here.

9. Politics is Fragmented, To Say the Least
Before I moved to the Netherlands, I had little experience or direct knowledge of how it is to live in a country under a coalition government. Since I moved to the Netherlands I have known little else. Until the last general election in 2010 in the UK, there has been no coalition in my lifetime, or my parents' life time come to that. Recent Dutch politics has been nothing but a series of coalitions, and unstable ones at that. To say recent Dutch governments have been fragile is an understatement - yet somehow that isn't reflected in daily life.

The newest Dutch government took a few months to form and was controversial to say the least. However, looking on the bright side - it could be worse... we could be living in Belgium where they have been living with no government for seven months.

The Dutch take to the Ice (c) A van Mulligen

10. The Dutch are Ice Crazy
Maybe I led a sheltered life in England but I had never stood on a frozen lake or seen people skating on natural ice until I came to the Netherlands. If we have a cold spell here, the shops are amok with Dutch folk trying to buy new skates. As soon as there is ice covering any waterway the Dutch make a mad dash for their skates and take to the ice like ducks to water. And they have a blast. I have never seen anything like it - the Elfstedentocht is a great example of the enthusiasm and excitement for skating in this little land.

Of course there is a dangerous side - lives are lost because of thin ice. At best, falling through the ice is certainly no fun and not something you forget in a hurry. My husband can attest to that!

Could There Be A Firework Ban in the Pipeline?

Finally! Some sense! At their next meeting, Dutch Mayors will be discussing banning firework use by individuals after spending yet more of tax payer's money to repair the damage after another New Year's Eve in the Netherlands. I won't bother ranting about it all again, but suffice to say I am pleased that there are those in the local councils across the country that recognise this 'blowing up and vandalising at new year' culture isn't normal and shouldn't be accepted as a way of closing out the year.

This move comes after the mayor of Schiedam spoke out and said enough is enough. 85,000 euro is what the damage there alone is costing. 

I love the fireworks at midnight here but the fireworks all day long makes no sense...... but I guess there is no happy medium so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.......