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Three Removes Are as Bad as a Fire
This handy booklet by J.F. Martinet (1729-1795), physics historian and educator (among others), compiles a number of Dutch proverbs that would ‘serve as a beneficial and pleasurable education’ for the country’s 18th-century youth. An explanation is given for each of the sayings, including its origin and meaning.
Proverbs
Remarkably, many of the proverbs are still used in the 21st century, for example: De morgenstond heeft goud in den mond [The early bird catches the worm], Stille wateren hebben diepe gronden [Still waters run deep] and Hooge bomen vangen veel wind [A great tree attracts the wind]. Some are even still used in contemporary politics: Regt door zee [True Blue]. Incidentally, Martinet believes that this last proverb stems from the mouth of sluggish folk with ‘lead in their shoes’ and who work as if they ‘had no hands’. His advice to the youth: ‘Never join ranks with such likes, listen not to their listless long-winded talk.’
Moving house
The volume contains not just meaningful proverbs such as Er verdrinken er meer in een wijnglas dan in de zee [More drown in their glasses than at sea], but also sayings that sound strange at first, but make sense after some explanation. For example, Martinet warns his young readers about the costs of moving house. It seems as if the tribulations of moving house are timeless! While in bygone days it was about changing bedding straw, and today it is about dissembling and reassembling Ikea furniture, the 18th century household was not all that different: 'If they [household goods] come into disarray, this falls asunder and something breaks off that. Some do not fit in the new abode; here and there something else is needed. Veel verhuizen kost dan veel bedstroo! [Three removes are as bad as a fire]
‘Verzameling van Vaderlandsche spreekwoorden opgehelderd door J.F.
Martinet’
[Collection of National Proverbs with Elucidation Provided by J.F.
Martinet] (Amsterdam 1796)
KB 182 N 22