No, we’re not talking Nessie or ichthyosaurs: a water monster in Dutch also has a second, more common and prosaic meaning: a water sample.
Category Archives: Mistranslations
Security and safety
Dutch authors can be a bit woolly about security (protection against threats) and safety (eliminating risks and hazards), or blur the lines between them.
Insulation and isolation
Both are ‘isolatie’ in Dutch, so it can cause confusion. Especially as there are cases where both get used in English (e.g. electrics).
Scooters and mopeds
A scooter is usually more of a child’s unpowered toy, whereas a moped has a small internal combustion engine.
Nicknames
A nickname isn’t a preferred short, alternative or familiar form of the actual name on youur passport. It may be mean and unkind, unrelated to the actual name, or even offensive.
As you ought to realise
Realising mostly means comprehending rather than creating something: getting the picture, not painting it.
Biological or organic?
Environmentally-aware agriculture is organic in English, not biological.
Expertise
Only use this to mean someone’s acquired skill and knowledge in English, not as a term for a valuation or checkup or other professional opinion.
Paying attention
An ‘attentie’ in Dutch is a small gift, just a little something to show appreciation. The English word ‘attention’ doesn’t have that meaning.
Survival rations
The relative numeric sizes of things are expressed as a ratio, not a ration.
Advanced Dunglish 