A Dictionary of Dutchness

Sigarenboer

Despite its literal translation (cigar farmer), a sigarenboer has nothing to do with agriculture. The sigarenboer is actually the corner shop which sells newspapers, magazines and tobacco products. The suffix ‘boer’ is often used in Dutch to signify a shop which sells a specific product such as fish (visboer) or vegetables (groenteboer). Probably the best translation is the word ‘monger’ as in fish or ironmonger.