Tweet19-11-2010 om 16:26 by Sueli Brodin

Every year when Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) and his group of helpers the Zwarte Pieten (the Black Peters) arrive in the Netherlands, my children start following their activities and funny adventures in a special daily television programme called Sinterklaasjournaal.

The programme is modelled on the national evening news, with a newsreader, a reporter, and the customary offer of main news, short news and weather forecast. My children like it very much and never need to miss it, since it is also available online on the Sinterklaasjournaal website.

They always laugh when they tell me about the Zwarte Pieten and all the facetious jokes they play on each other and the silly things that happen to them. Their stories make me laugh too, not because of the amusing plots and absurd twists, but mostly because of the comical names that are given to the Zwarte Pieten.



Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) and his helpers the Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters)

My husband says that when he was a child, except for the chief Piet called Hoofdpiet, all the Pieten were known simply as Piet.

Nowadays though, many of the Piet characters are named either after their job or a personality trait. What I like the most about these names is that they are created simply by adding an adjective or a noun to the name Piet. The result is very effective, and often hilarious:

- Sorrypiet is the unsecure Piet who keeps saying “Sorry” and apologises for everything.
- Danspiet is the dancing Piet
- PJ is a DJ
- Kluspiet is the handyman Piet
- Vergeetpiet is the Piet who has a short term memory and keeps forgetting everything



Pietje Precies

Some common Dutch expressions containing the name Piet, and otherwise completely unrelated to the Sinterklaas celebration, are also used to designate a number of the Zwarte Pieten:

- Pietje precies is a perfectionist
- Zielepiet is a poor wretch
- Zeurpiet is a whiner

I have been thinking about these humorous combinations of adjectives and first names in the Dutch language and wondering if there were more common Dutch expressions containing the name Piet, or any other first name for that matter. When we visited my mother in law for her birthday last Sunday and the living room started filling up with guests, all Dutch, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to ask my question.

The answers started flowing from all corners and I quickly had to grab a piece of paper to write them down:

Pietluttig, Pietsnot, biebmiep, typmiep, jarige Job, smeerkees, rare Trien, Hans worst, Jan doedel, gekke Henkie, Jantje van Leiden, handige Harry, magere Hein, een flinke Jaap, brave Hendrik, nikkelen Nelis...

When I enquired about the origin of these associations however, no one was quite able to help me, but I thought that they reminded me of the nicknames of former rulers in European history, such as Pepin the Short, William the Silent, John the Good, William the Conqueror, Charles the Bold, Ivan the Terrible…



Ivan the Terrible

The subject has stayed on my mind this week because it just so happens that my son’s teacher at school decided to organise a drawing competition open to all children between the ages of 9 and 12 for "the best bathtub duck design". Like many of their schoolmates, my daughter Naomi and son Tim have spent hours creating countless types of ducks, which have come in all shapes, colours and name variations:

Judo-duck, Sheriff duck, Pilot duck, Clown duck, Space duck, Michael Jackson duck, Roman duck, sorbet duck… and even Sinterklaas duck and Piet duck.



Black Peter duck

I smiled at their drawings, silently enjoying the flexibility of the Dutch language that allows for so much creativity with words.

My son Tim must have read my thoughts because he suddenly looked inspired and declared in an unusual loud voice: “Yes, we duck!”



... and the winner of the bathtub duck design competition is my son Tim!

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