Ding Dong, It’s Freek De Jonge

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Hello, readers! Now that it’s September, we move from Olympic Games back to funny names. And the winner winner (chicken dinner) for Freaky Friday’s funny name is Freek de Jonge, the Dutch cabaret performer and writer. Yes, you heard right, folks! Freek it is!

Around these parts, “freak” is a pejorative, used to express contempt. For example, when we spot a curiously-coiffed and curiously-clad person, we often say, “Look at that freak on a leash,” a reference to an old Korn song. However, in the Netherlands, Freek is short for Frederick, which means “peaceful ruler,” derived from frid “peace” and ric “ruler.” So if you named your dog Freek, you actually could put him on a leash.

Frederik “Freek” Jan Georg de Jonge, who celebrated his 72nd birthday just this week, was born in the village of Westernieland. As festive as that name sounds, the family sought greener grass first in Workum, then in