In message , Java Jive
writes
On 10/07/2018 12:41, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Kohl is also charcoal - I think it is even used in English in that
sense in the context of (especially stage) make-up. So I would
imagine Kohlschreiber is more likely to mean pencil or crayon than
cabbagewriter (-:

Aw, now you've gone an ruined a perfectly good joke!

I understand that many Belgians (and Dutch) have silly names. A Belgian
works colleague (whose surname was Pannekoeke (Pancake) (the
aforementioned Berliner Pfannkuche in German?) told me that this dates
back to the days of Spanish occupation. Other Belgians with silly names
I came across were Pee and Vlug (Quick). When stopped and asked for
their names, the locals would often give something false and comical,
Their oppressors (of course) didn't know any better - but the names
stuck.
--
Ian