The expression ‘bringing a solid bridge’ will soon be included in the DikkeVan Dale. Editor-in-chief Ton den Boon reported this in the radio program_follow spot_. The term, originating from an environmental campaign launchedby the Energy Company in the 1990s, has become established in Dutch languageuse after almost three decades.
In the campaign, Luca played a woman who was given energy advice in varioussituations. She commented on the advice with pleasantly ambiguous remarks. Thesentence ‘I still have plenty of energy, I still play a solid bridge gameevery night’ follows the advice of the man from the Energy Company that thelady can save a lot of energy with energy-saving light bulbs.
“It is remarkable how much impression those commercials have made,” said DenBoon in Volgspot. “Especially because they were only broadcast for arelatively short period of time. Many people immediately think of Loes Luca’sintonation.” The term ‘bridging bridge’ is still to be found in mainly localmedia. “People are easily tempted to use this expression when it comes tobridge. When a bridge afternoon is announced in the local dupe, it is oftendescribed as such, with a nod to those old commercials.”
Sturdy tail man
There are more expressions from the campaign that survived in Dutch languageuse. For example, there was a commercial in which Loes Luca goes to a whitegoods store where she flirts with an employee who explains to her what energylabels are. She addresses the young man as ‘strong tail man’. “We haveencountered that formulation for some time in columns and comments, especiallywith that erotic connotation,” says Den Boon. “But nowadays it’s not reallypossible anymore. It was also used as an insulting term for the Chinese,because of the traditional Chinese hairstyle.”
A phrase from the campaign that is still used is ‘put on some warmers’. Thisis the energy advice the Energy Company man gives when Luca receives him in anegligee for his environmental tips. Because the lady already has draftstrips, double glazing and roof insulation, this is the only advice he cangive. “You can still find that expression in reviews or critiques ofperformances or programs in which scantily clad characters appear that thejournalist in question has experienced as too naked,” says Den Boon.
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