Gigglebit: the difference between Holland and the Netherlands

25 Jun 2014

Image via Djomas/Shutterstock

Gigglebit is Siliconrepublic’s daily dose of the funny and fantastic in science and tech, to help start your day on a lighter note.

Like any sector, technology has a serious side, and it is often issues within this serious side that make headlines or that organisations need to explore for their business. Malware! Data breaches! Cloud storage! Do I really need this software? Which candidate has the best IT skills for this job? And what the heck is fog computing?

With Gigglebit, we turn the spotlight on humorous and/or amazing content from around the web because, sometimes, the lighter side of tech should be taken seriously, too.

Today, with the help of YouTuber CGP Grey, we offer you an explainer of why RTÉ broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy issued an apology for the World Cup panel’s use of the name ‘Holland’ in reference to the Dutch international football team, when what they should have said was ‘the Netherlands’.

In his informative and entertaining style, CGP Grey explains why calling the country nestled between Belgium and Germany ‘Holland’ is like calling the US ‘Dakota’. What’s more, he goes on to fill you in on the entire structure of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, all of which is rife with confusion and likely to leave you more bewildered than when you started watching – but you’ll definitely know why not to say ‘Holland’ again.

 

Dutch soccer fan image by Djomas via Shutterstock

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com