Comments on: Bad behaviour at the office http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/ Where Dutch and English collide Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:30:43 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Briana Espinoza http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14774 Briana Espinoza Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:29:24 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14774 Just for the record, enter any office here in Germany and you'll see passive-aggressive signs like these all over the place. In the kitchen (on washing up your dishes or putting them in the dish washer), the toilet ("Do you know what this is? A hint: it's not for your teeth or hair ...") and in the copier/printer room (on not using color copies, collecting your printouts...) Just for the record, enter any office here in Germany and you’ll see passive-aggressive signs like these all over the place. In the kitchen (on washing up your dishes or putting them in the dish washer), the toilet (”Do you know what this is? A hint: it’s not for your teeth or hair …”) and in the copier/printer room (on not using color copies, collecting your printouts…)

]]> By: Adam http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14755 Adam Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:20:09 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14755 Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Sadly, native English speakers mess up "you're" and "your" all the time. I often have a strong desire to put a sign over toilets in the restroom saying, "Flushing: it's just not that hard" or "Flushing: so easy, even a 4-year-old can do it". I mean, come on, at a private university, where people pay money to receive an education, they don't flush the toilets?! Anyway, I'm from the USA, so I'm not sure your idea that it's not normal to native English speakers is correct. And I don't think it's really rude; it's simply sarcastic, which sometimes gets people's attention more than "oh, pretty please, do what you're supposed to do." Haha, as for the photo, think about it: they probably do do that at home! :) Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Sadly, native English speakers mess up “you’re” and “your” all the time.

I often have a strong desire to put a sign over toilets in the restroom saying, “Flushing: it’s just not that hard” or “Flushing: so easy, even a 4-year-old can do it”. I mean, come on, at a private university, where people pay money to receive an education, they don’t flush the toilets?!

Anyway, I’m from the USA, so I’m not sure your idea that it’s not normal to native English speakers is correct. And I don’t think it’s really rude; it’s simply sarcastic, which sometimes gets people’s attention more than “oh, pretty please, do what you’re supposed to do.”

Haha, as for the photo, think about it: they probably do do that at home! :)

]]> By: JustMeInHolland http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14700 JustMeInHolland Sun, 08 Aug 2010 08:27:10 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14700 We have something like this in our 'koffiehoek'. Hilarious. They may not mean to be blunt klootzaken....but it sure comes across to us native English speakers. God, I'm enjoying this site so much. After living here in the NL for 4 years, it's great to see the comedy in what typically annoys me. We have something like this in our ‘koffiehoek’. Hilarious. They may not mean to be blunt klootzaken….but it sure comes across to us native English speakers.
God, I’m enjoying this site so much. After living here in the NL for 4 years, it’s great to see the comedy in what typically annoys me.

]]> By: Eric B http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14647 Eric B Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:35:03 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14647 Just for the record, enter any office here in Germany and you'll see passive-aggressive signs like these all over the place. In the kitchen (on washing up your dishes or putting them in the dish washer), the toilet ("Do you know what this is? A hint: it's not for your teeth or hair ...") and in the copier/printer room (on not using color copies, collecting your printouts...) Just for the record, enter any office here in Germany and you’ll see passive-aggressive signs like these all over the place. In the kitchen (on washing up your dishes or putting them in the dish washer), the toilet (”Do you know what this is? A hint: it’s not for your teeth or hair …”) and in the copier/printer room (on not using color copies, collecting your printouts…)

]]> By: Larry http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14645 Larry Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:15:23 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14645 I should add that I have seen notes with this tone written in English by native speakers. It's a fact of life in house-sharing, student housing, etc. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lick-Cheese-Other-Notes-Flatsharing/dp/1847441289/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top I should add that I have seen notes with this tone written in English by native speakers. It’s a fact of life in house-sharing, student housing, etc.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lick-Cheese-Other-Notes-Flatsharing/dp/1847441289/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

]]> By: Reinier http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14644 Reinier Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:51:39 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14644 Agreeing with Anna, and besides: we're in The Netherlands, so what should a foreigner expect but Dutch rudeness? It may be one of those cultural traits that sits even deeper than language. Even if The Netherlands become English-speaking someday, we'll always stay rude :) Agreeing with Anna, and besides: we’re in The Netherlands, so what should a foreigner expect but Dutch rudeness? It may be one of those cultural traits that sits even deeper than language. Even if The Netherlands become English-speaking someday, we’ll always stay rude :)

]]> By: Anna http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14643 Anna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:46:48 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14643 As if only Dutch people are rude! I think we can't judge this photo without knowing its context. Is this is in a place that is always visited by the same group of people that have already been asked politely to pick up after themselves a thousand times I do not see the issue with using a sentence like this (better constructed of course). As if only Dutch people are rude! I think we can’t judge this photo without knowing its context. Is this is in a place that is always visited by the same group of people that have already been asked politely to pick up after themselves a thousand times I do not see the issue with using a sentence like this (better constructed of course).

]]> By: Larry http://www.dunglish.nl/2010/02/23/bad-behaviour-at-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-14642 Larry Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:43:49 +0000 http://www.dunglish.nl/?p=538#comment-14642 Yep. The approach is _culturally_ Dunglish; the idea that slovenliness is best countered with rudeness doesn't have the same effect in English (and would best be expressed hypothetically: 'Would you do this at home too?'). Yep. The approach is _culturally_ Dunglish; the idea that slovenliness is best countered with rudeness doesn’t have the same effect in English (and would best be expressed hypothetically: ‘Would you do this at home too?’).

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