# Dead Reckoning

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-reckoning/137907>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 21, 2002, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-reckoning/137907 "2002-11-21T09:24:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Walton\_Firm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Walton\_Firm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walton_Firm)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-reckoning/137907/21 "2008-10-18T17:29:57Z")

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> [@Nametag](#):
>
> The Dutch call it ‘gegist bestek’; I can’t tell what this means – bestek is “reckoning,” more or less, but unless “gegist” is related to “gig,” it’s impenetrable to me.

“Gegist” means “guessed” or “estimated”. It’s the past perfect tense of the verb “gissen”, which is somewhat archaic – more modern Dutch verbs with approximately the same meaning would be “raden”, “gokken” and “schatten”.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-reckoning/137907/22 "2008-10-18T23:01:40Z")

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So this thread would be deader than your average zombie, then? :dubious:

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-reckoning/137907/23 "2008-10-20T00:54:33Z")

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Yes, but at least I finally found out what “gegist” means!

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