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Category Archives: Overused words

In relation to, with regard to

Texts by Dutch authors tend to be full of little phrases like these. Sure, they have their place, but there’s often a natural one-word alternative.

Posted byMike WilkinsonJanuary 8, 2021Posted inAdvanced, Longwindedness, Overused words, StyleTags:dunglish, engelsLeave a comment on In relation to, with regard to

Performance

“Performance” is the noun that comes from “to perform”. But it’s not the right word to use for carrying out tasks or doing work: the overtones are too confusing.

Posted byMike WilkinsonDecember 5, 2020December 16, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, Style, Wrong registerTags:dunglish, engels, prestatie, presteren, uitvoerenLeave a comment on Performance

Relations and relationships

Dutch uses the same word for both (relatie), but the meanings in English are distinctly different.

Posted byMike WilkinsonSeptember 9, 2020September 9, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Mistranslations, Overused words, Style, Valse vriendenTags:BZK (ministerie), dunglish, engels, relatieLeave a comment on Relations and relationships

Among other things

Although it’s valid English, it’s not all that common a phrase and often not the most natural equivalent of the Dutch “onder andere”.

Posted byMike WilkinsonAugust 13, 2020August 13, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, StyleTags:dunglish, engels, o.a., onder andere2 Comments on Among other things

Ambition

Ambition isn’t always purely about positive goals. There can be overtones of being hell-bent on achieving them: being greedy, self-serving and unscrupulous.

Posted byMike WilkinsonAugust 10, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, StyleTags:ambitie, dunglish, engels, Eurospeak1 Comment on Ambition

They seek him here, they seek him there

To ‘seek’ is another of those words that are very similar to a much more everyday Dutch equivalent. It therefore gets heavily overused in Dunglish.

Posted byMike WilkinsonJuly 27, 2020July 27, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, Style, Wrong registerTags:dunglish, engels, zoekenLeave a comment on They seek him here, they seek him there

Well-equipped

This mask is equipped with an elastic band. This playground is equipped with a slide. This jacket is equipped with large pockets. What’s wrong with “has”?

Posted byMike WilkinsonJuly 21, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, StyleTags:dunglish, engels, uitgerust met, uitrustingLeave a comment on Well-equipped

Trajectories are for ballistics

The curve taken under gravity by a thrown object, or a metaphorical upward progression such as a career. Not a generic synonym for a route or pathway.

Posted byMike WilkinsonJuly 10, 2020July 14, 2020Posted inMistranslations, Overused words, Style, Valse vriendenTags:dunglish, engels, Eurospeak, traject2 Comments on Trajectories are for ballistics

So-called

Watch the overtones: it’s not only telling you a term is used but also implying that it’s incorrect. A so-called expert or so-called friend is not to be trusted!

Posted byMike WilkinsonJune 19, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Mistranslations, Overused words, Valse vriendenTags:dunglish, engels, zogeheten, zogenaamd, zogenoemdLeave a comment on So-called

Insights… preferably not.

One of the worst offenders in the list of words overused by Dutch authors, because ‘inzicht’ is hugely more common.

Posted byMike WilkinsonMay 30, 2020May 31, 2020Posted inAdvanced, Overused words, StyleTags:dunglish, engels, inzichtLeave a comment on Insights… preferably not.

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