What Is A 'Cuckstoel' And Who Started Memes About Lonely Seats On Public Transport? The Dutch Meme Explained

Dutch has once again defended its title as one of the funniest languages on Earth with the recently viral Cuckstoel memes about lone seats on trains and other public transport.

So, what is a "cuckstoel" exactly and why are Europeans laughing about them? Learn everything there is to learn in our explainer here.

What Is A ‘Cuckstoel’?

"Cuckstoel" is the Dutch translation of "cuck chair," which is a slang term for a chair situated nearby a bed and facing it meant for a cuckold to sit in.

In memes, "cuckstoel" has been used to describe lone neighborless seats on trains and other public transportation. The awkward position of the chair in which the person occupying it faces pairs of other passengers makes the lone reverse seat sort of similar to a cuckold's chair.

Where Do ‘Cuckstoel’ Memes Come From?

Who thought to call the poor seat a "cuck's chair," however? On September 29th, 2024, X user @racekak posted a photograph of a blue backward seat on a passenger train, writing in Dutch, "Yess de cuckstoel is nog vril" ("Yes, the cuck chair is available").

While the joke was likely meant to stay within the Dutch-speaking part of X, the funny-sounding sentence quickly left its target audience and the post about the "cuckstoel" soon spread globally.

Soon enough, more memes about "cuckstoel" (cuckstoelen?) appeared on X, often written in Dutch or German with some made-up words mixed in for good measure.

Take this post referencing the "Poopenfarten" meme, for instance.

The funny-sounding phrase, "Yess de cuckstoel is nog vrij" has been used as a meme format, too, with people celebrating "cuck chairs" being available and lamenting them being occupied.

Why Are People Laughing At Dutch Slang?

It's not the first time Dutch phrases have become memes in English. As it appears, the Dutch language is similar enough to English so that some words can be easily distinguished, and at the same time have morphemes that simply sound funny to the English-speaking listener.

Take the "We Hebben Een Serieus Probleem" meme that went viral in mid-January 2024, for example.

"Cuckstoel" is just another example of this recurring trend. Visit our entry about English to Dutch Translations for even more memes like this.

For the full history of Cuckstoel, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.