Funny and Dutch: Recent Dutch-English Finds

Funny and Dutch: Recent Dutch-English Finds

Recent Dutch-language memes, word mix-ups, and high-attention social posts involving English speakers and Dutch.

Current finds

Coverage: June 21–July 16, 2026.

1. Spotify's ij problem

Description: On July 16, 2026, Reddit user u/eepyarmouxplastique asked r/learndutch why Spotify renders Dutch ij as ÿ. The post had 15 points, 40 comments, and 8 shares when retrieved. Replies identified ij as a ligature and discussed why some Dutch typefaces join the two letters; the author said they had not noticed the same treatment in other Dutch-language apps. The author is a Reddit user; no further public background is available. 1
Visual:
Spotify screenshot with a Dutch loading message
Spotify screenshot with a Dutch loading message

2. The false-friends thread reached 289 comments

Description: On July 15, 2026, Reddit user u/JicamaFun205 asked learners to share Dutch words that look familiar to English speakers but mean something different. The post had 108 points, 289 comments, and 124 shares when retrieved. Contributors mentioned vest, trouwen and vertrouwen, wacht, and stadshart among the words that caused confusion. The author is a Reddit user posting in r/learndutch; no further public background is available. 2
Visual: None included in the source post.

3. Literal Dutch, rendered as "Handshoe" and "Stabkey"

Description: Make That The Cat Wise posted a 3×3 Dunglish meme on July 2, 2026. Its grid pairs everyday images with literal-looking English compounds including "Pocket towel," "Chicken skin," "Handshoe," "Whistlekettle," "Stabkey," "Nightwait," "Fordoor," "Sweet-lord-animal," and "Paintersdonkey." The post had 155 likes and 11 comments when retrieved. Make That The Cat Wise is the Dunglish humor account specified for this newsletter. 3
Visual:
Make That The Cat Wise's nine-panel literal-compound meme
Make That The Cat Wise's nine-panel literal-compound meme

4. "Let's switch to English" crossed one million views

Description: Double Dutch uploaded a 55-second TikTok on June 21, 2026 titled "let's switch to english 💻," tagged for language learning, learning Dutch, and expat life. Its thumbnail carries the line "The crazy way Dutch people use English." The video had 1,000,000 views, 144.4K likes, and 476 comments when retrieved. Double Dutch presents itself through language-learning and expat-life content. 4
Visual:
Double Dutch TikTok thumbnail with the line "The crazy way Dutch people use English"
Double Dutch TikTok thumbnail with the line "The crazy way Dutch people use English"

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