Why not me? My father’s side of the family was part Dutch, and my daughter’s name, Skatje, is apparently a term of endearment over there, so I am eminently qualified.
Oh, well. They’d probably all misspell my name with an extra “j”, anyway.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Mjyers?
No offense PZ (or Ms. Beyerstein) but I compared your picture with Lindsay Beyerstein at her blog. I know who I would invite to Amsterdam:)!
“Meijer” is a common dutch spelling.
Oh, sure. Lindsay may be more attractive, and smarter, and wittier, and more personable, and less likely to frighten the populace, but I’m…but I’m…well, dang. I’ve got nothin’. Never mind.
Hey, how do you think I feel; I actuially live in the bloody place and they have to get bloggers all the way from the USA?
Schatje (more or less pronounced skatje) means little darling (us being quite big on ensmalling words) which I’m sure fits your daughter quite well.
Incidently, the BBC’s Horizon science/current affairs program just did an excellent job of summarising the whole sordid intelligent design movement and Dover trail, with starring roles for Behe and the rest of the IDiots as well as cameos for Dawkins and Richard Attenborough.
Pardon my ignorance, but I’ve wondered for quite a while. How is your daughter’s name pronounced?
No offense PZ (or Ms. Beyerstein) but I compared your picture with Lindsay Beyerstein at her blog. I know who I would invite to Amsterdam:)!
Understandable, but 50% of the population might disagree.
With ID rearing its ugly head in the Netherlands as well, you could even have a good laugh at us Europeans.
One of the universities in Amsterdam is hosting a debate on the merits of ID next week (should be the shortest debate ever… oh well)
Pronounced “skaht-ja”
Yay Europe! Horizon on BBC2 just did a decent overview of the ID thing.
Oh, and the Dutch word would be “schatje”, pronounced sXaht-ye(r), with X=ch in “Loch Ness”.
Literal meaning would be “little treasure”, but could be used as anything from “darling” to “honey” to “baby” to [etc.] — the mind boggles: however did you come up with “skatje”?
Erm. Sorry, hadn’t read Martin’s comment above.
Alas, but probably not.
Hmm, sounds cognate with the German Schatz, though the Germans would use a very different sort of diminutive in most parts of the country (either ‘-chen’ or else ‘-lein’ or its many local variants, and the ‘a’ would then get an umlaut). Schatz, esp. in a diminutive form, is very commonly used to mean ‘dear’ or ‘darling’ in Germany. And if ‘Skatje’ is indeed cognate with ‘Schatz’, then PZ the Pirate Terror of the Minnesota Main has serendipitously chosen a very fitting name altogether, for the literal meaning of Schatz is ‘treasure’.
Oh; I didn’t notice Michael’s post about not noticing Martin’s post.
Skatje=Skatjie in Afrikaans = small treasure
Most appropriate name.