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On clearing the throat, and Dutch speech in general.

Reader comment on item: Michael Oren Interviewed by Daniel Pipes
in response to reader comment: To clarify

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jul 16, 2015 at 10:04

Thank you for writing, Anna

I often have trouble getting across to English-speaking Americans; and you, a Dutch Woman, even understand my humor! I'm floored, in a very good way!

Speaking of the Dutch, It's commendable that nearly all of you have taken the trouble to learn English. Having grown up with that language, and having studied German for several years in university, I can make out Dutch well enough to stumble along throug old wills in my family tree. Even so, it's one thing to read Dutch, and an entirely different experience to try to speak it. One American I met, who had spent many years in the Netherlands, commented,

"Dutch isn't a language. It's a throat condition".

My wife once visited the Netherlands, but cannot remember anything about the place, except that there was fog everywhere. When my Dutch ancestors came to America, they learned from the Indians a way to continually maintain that foggy environment, namely, the calumet. Washington Irving, who invented the character "Rip Van Winkle" that so inspired Michael Oren, often mentioned the old Dutch habit of smoking, which some have said was to be a homeopathic cure for their throat condition, caused by the ever-present smoky haze that permeated the Motherland. One group of early settlers, Irving wrote, were able to hide themselves from marauding Indians by lighting up their pipes and sitting under the ensuing cloud.

Ah, historic memories! Thank you once again for bothering to write, and for catching both my jokes and my more serious moments.

PS. It has been nearly 400 years since my first Dutch ancestors came to this country; but I have retained the clearing of the throat as a reminder of how my forebears once spoke. One crow, outside the window in front of me, has learned to exactly duplicate the sound :-)

Submitting....

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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Mike Oren is wrong [170 words]DianneJul 23, 2015 18:24224392
Perhaps the whole fundament for US-relationship to Middle East has shifted? [113 words]Dian (Dina) Grossman KjaergaardJul 16, 2015 15:53224267
Regarding your interview with Michael Oren [73 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Linda CooperJul 14, 2015 15:16224207
Security [75 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jack DanielsJul 13, 2015 16:04224181
Positions and Positions [41 words]Arnie RubensteinJul 13, 2015 15:45224179
Michael Oren Interview [18 words]Ilbert PhillipsJul 13, 2015 11:52224174
3Demographics -- rethihnking [475 words]Michael SJul 2, 2015 17:47224025
Thank you [47 words]AnnaJul 14, 2015 12:17224025
"Fits" of Rage [40 words]Michael SJul 16, 2015 10:09224025
1Not a "demographic shift" [773 words]Michael SJul 2, 2015 08:10224024
To clarify [30 words]AnnaJul 14, 2015 12:23224024
On clearing the throat, and Dutch speech in general. [306 words]Michael SJul 16, 2015 10:04224024
On Being Dutch [259 words]AnnaJul 26, 2015 01:42224024
Heretics, Politically Incorrect, and Speakers of Strange Languages [924 words]Michael SAug 2, 2015 16:30224024
2Why did Michael Oren think the state department applauded Morsi's election? [76 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Jun 28, 2015 22:13223990
3June 15 2013 rally in Cairo led by Morsi [83 words]dhimmi no moreJul 3, 2015 17:27223990
Since when is "Democracy" a superior religion to the Bible? [523 words]Michael SAug 5, 2015 10:03223990

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