Ik kan er niet bij
2
literally: 'I can't reach it,'
but usually said as 'I don't
understand, it's beyond me,
I can't imagine what's in those people's minds'
Wat bezielt die mensen?
'What's in those people's minds?'
(de) ziel
'soul'
Wat bezielt die mensen om dat te doen?
2
3
'What makes those people do that?'
Wat beweegt die mensen?
2
3
[What 'moves' those people?] - What is their
motivation? (to do something commonly considered unpleasant,
horrible)
Ik sta nergens meer van te kijken
2
'Nothing surprises me anymore'
- Thank you, Johan!
't Verbaast me niks
2
'I'm not surprised at all'
Ik kon m'n oren niet geloven
2
3
['I couldn't believe my ears']
- Hearing something incredible or
something you had not thought possible
Hij keek z'n ogen uit
2
3
He really enjoyed seeing it
(something unexpected)
Hij had er wel oren naar
2
3
['he had ears for it']
- he'd like to join in (an activity)
Laat me niet lachen
2
['Don't (let) make me laugh']
- 'That's ridiculous'
Er is niks aan te doen
Niks aan te doen!
2
3
['Nothing can be done about it']
- 'It can't be helped'
Ik kan niet heksen
2
3
[I cannot 'witch' - I don't have supernatural powers]
'I'm doing it as fast as I can'
Daar was ik al bang voor
2
'I was already afraid of that'
Ik ben het beu
'I'm sick of it, I can't stand it anymore'
Wat sneu
2
'What a pity, I'm sorry it ended
that way'
Ik baal als een stier
2
3
'[I'm annoyed like a bull']
- I am deeply annoyed
(de) baaldag
a day that you call in sick because you're depressed or angry, 'a
mental healh sick day' as a colleague used to say
Ik verveel me te pletter
2
3
[literally, something like 'I'm crushed by boredom']
- 'I am bored stiff'
Ik lap 't aan m'n laars
2
['I'm sticking it to my boot'] I don't care about,
I'm ignoring that comment or rule
You can also say:
Ik trek me er niks van aan
2
or: ik trek me d'r niks van aan
2
3
with a similar meaning
Ik werd er helemaal naar van
['It made me feel miserable all over'] -
a horrible event or fear made me sick
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen
2
['I'm shaking on my legs'] -
'I'm trembling with fear or from fatigue'
Ik word geleefd
['I am being lived']
- 'I have no life of my own' - duties,
demands and obligations leave very little time for myself
Ik ben helemaal gaar
['I'm fully cooked'] - I've had it, I'm done for
- I've worked on this, lived with this for too long
Om 't af te leren
2
3
'to unlearn it,' 'to break the habit'
- said when you take one too many drinks or snacks
Door schade en schande wijs geworden
2
3
Door schade en schande
'(educated) by damage and shame'
- the school of hard knocks
Het leed is geleden
2
'The suffering is over'
Dat is verleden tijd
2
3
'That is past, that is over'
- "That's history"
Oud nieuws
2
'old news'
Dat is oud nieuws
2
'That's old news'
Geen centje pijn
['Not a penny of pain/trouble']
- 'No sweat, it doesn't (or didn't) take any effort'
Als morgen
de hemel valt hebben we allemaal een blauwe muts
2
3
'If the sky falls tomorrow we'll all have a blue cap' - said in annoyed
reaction to someone bringing up unpleasant scenarios ('now if the train
is late, and if there is no coffee on the train ...')
Dan is 't voorbij met de pret
Dan is 't uit met de pret
2
Dan is 't gedaan met de pret
2
3
['(And) then it's done with the fun'] -'the fun is over'
- said when things return
to normal after a respite or go from normal to a much worse
situation - a little stronger than 'the honeymoon
is over'
't Komt niet zo nauw
2
'There is no need for much precision or strictness,
there is a lot of leeway, a wide margin'
Opgeruimd staat netjes
['Cleared up, stored away looks neat']
'Things out of the way looks good'
Wat de boer niet kent dat lust-ie niet
2
3
4
['What the peasant doesn't know he doesn't like']
'The peasant doesn't like the unfamiliar'
- commenting on a reluctance to even taste unfamiliar food
Het oog is groter dan de maag
2
['the eye is bigger than the stomach']
- said when you can't
finish the food you put on your plate
Hij lust er wel pap van
2
3
['~he would really like it as porridge'
-> he would like it for dessert too, he likes it as much as the dessert]
- A food or pleasant
activity he can't get enough of
Te veel van 't goede
2
'Too much of a good thing' (say, cherry juice)
Hoe groter geest, hoe groter beest
2
3
4
'The greater the mind, the more like a beast'
- great intellects often behave badly
Waarin een klein land groot kan zijn
'Big things a small country can do,
A small country can do big things'
Said when Holland is setting an example
Holland op z'n smalst
2
'Holland at its most narrow'
- in Dutch, 'Holland'
2
means only a part of the country of The Netherlands.
(more.) Before the great land reclamations,
there used to be a narrow strip of land North-West of
Amsterdam connecting two parts of
'Holland.' Later, the expression came to mean 'Dutchmen in their
most narrow-minded attitude.'
(de) kneuterigheid
'Dutch small-mindedness, pettiness'
Generally, 'small minded, petty' is kleinzielig
and (de) kleinzieligheid
is 'pettiness, small-mindedness'
- related:
(de) betutteling
2
'bureacrats (or others in positions of power)
treating people like children'
Verstand op nul
2
'I'm shutting down my brain'
- often combined with:
Blik op oneindig
2
3
'Set eye focus to infinity'
- 'the thousand-mile stare'?
Said when starting a mindless job
or when doing something you don't want to think about.
Niet voor herhaling vatbaar
2
3
[After a disappointment: 'not to be repeated']
- 'Let's not do (or have) that again'
Al is de leugen nog zo snel, de waarheid achterhaalt haar wel
2
3
4
['However quick a lie may be,
the truth will overtake it']
- Lies won't last, truth will come out eventually
De zoete inval
2
['the sweet invasion']
- said when a large number of people unexpectedly
gather at your house (also a name for cafés, restaurants)
't Zal me worst wezen
2
['It will be sausage to me']
- 'I don't care at all'
Hij timmert aardig aan de weg
2
3
He is well-known for his activities,
his activities have made him rather well-known
Samen uit, samen thuis
['Leaving together, going home together']
'We're in this together'
Je moet de sokken d'rin zetten
2
3
["You have to put the socks in it"]
Zet de sokken erin!
2
["Put the socks in it!"]
- 'run faster,' 'speed up'
Je hebt 't rijk alleen
2
['You have the realm to yourself']
- said when you leave one
person by themselves in a house or an office
Hij heeft de smaak te pakken
2
[~He was captured by the taste]
- he really likes it (a new activity)
Ik zag 't niet meer zitten
['I didn't see it sit anymore,'
I didn't see things in place anymore] - I was depressed
Een huishouden van Jan Steen
2
3
4
A messy household
- like in some Jan Steen paintings
Jan Steen
2
3
(1626-1679)
Je hebt er een handje van ...
2
3
4
'You tend to ...,
it's a habit of yours to ...'
Dat zou zuur zijn
2
That would be sad, a disappointment
Niks mis mee
2
There's nothing wrong with that
Stank voor dank
2
3
[Stink as gratitude] - no gratitude,
no appreciation, or even a hostile reaction to kindness
(de) kwaaie pier
2
3
the person or thing blamed for a problem
Aquamacs is de kwaaie pier
2
3
Aquamacs is seen as the cause of the problem
(de) boosdoener
2
3
the person or thing causing trouble, evildoer,
villain
Voor spek en bonen
2
3
4
5
[for bacon and beans] - not being a full
participant, joining as a non-competing participant
Nonsense Statements
De uitzondering die de regel bevestigt
2
'The exception that confirms the rule'
This is of course a nonsense remark. Logically, if there is an exception a rule
is not valid. (Het) tegenvoorbeeld
2
'counter-example.' I read somewhere that the Latin original says
something like 'the exception that tests the rule.'
Drie maal is scheepsrecht
2
'[three times is ship's law]
- the third time is the charm'
'Third time lucky' in the UK -
Number three is often found in old Western, Indo-European culture
Bitter in de mond maakt het hart gezond
2
'bitter in the mouth makes the heart healthy'
nonsense remark about the supposed health benefits of bitter-tasting
medicine or food
Wat je ver haalt is lekker
2
['What you get from far away tastes good']
'Exotic food is always good'
Words of Wisdom
De mens lijdt het meest van het lijden dat-ie vreest
'Man suffers most from the suffering he fears' -
a sentiment somewhat similar to President Roosevelt's 'The only
thing we have to fear is fear itself' - FDR
Angst en vrees
'fear and dread'
(de) vrees
is when you know what you're afraid of,
(de) angst
is an undefined fear
Doe maar normaal,
dan doe je al gek genoeg
2
'Just do like you always do,
that's enough craziness already'
De beste stuurlui staan aan wal
'The best ship officers are on the shore'
It's easy to criticize from a distance, when you're not involved
Elk vogeltje zingt zoals 't gebekt is
['Each bird sings as its beak is']
- 'You can't change a nature' - 'A leopard can't change its spots.'
Over smaak valt niet te twisten
2
'[You can't argue about taste]
- There's no accounting for
taste' De gustibus non disputandum
't Is niet alles goud wat er blinkt
2
'It's not all gold that glitters / Not all
shiny things are golden' - 'All that glitters is not gold.'
Hoge bomen vangen veel wind
['Tall trees catch much wind']
- The high, mighty and famous catch
much flak, get a lot of criticism
Geduld is een schone zaak
'Patience is good (but difficult)'
- 'Patience is a virtue'
Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend
2
'a good neighbor is more useful '
than a faraway friend'
Velen worden geroepen, maar weinigen worden
uitgekozen
Many are called, but few are chosen
Honger maakt rauwe bonen zoet
2
['hunger makes raw beans sweet']
- Want changes your perception
Uit het oog, uit het hart
2
3
4
['out of eye, out of heart']
- 'out of sight, out of mind'
Alles grijpt in elkaar
2
'everything is connected,
all things hang together'
Geen rozen zonder doornen
['No roses without thorns']
- 'Nice things always come with problematic attachments'
- 'there is no rainbow without rain'
Onkruid vergaat niet
'Weeds can't be killed' -
I used to think this meant that the nature of naughty boys can't
be changed, but it seems to be more about the permanence of serious
evil and profiteering.
Wie schrijft, die blijft
['he who writes, stays (in the game)']
- the player who records
the scores will not let himself be eliminated
't IJzer smeden als 't heet is
2
3
'[Forge] Work the iron when it's hot'
Je moet ijzer smeden als 't heet is
2
3
'You should work the iron when it's hot'
- Do something at the right moment
Beidt Uw tijd
2
3
'Bide your time'
- be patient, wait for the right moment
Wie niet waagt, die niet wint
2
['He who doesn't take risks
is not going to [win] gain'] - 'no risk, no gain'
The English equivalant is a positive statement:
'He who dares, wins' (the motto of the British Army Special
Forces unit SAS) - thank you Chris
Wie niet sterk is moet slim zijn
['Those who are not strong (powerful) ...']
- 'If you're not strong you have to be clever'
Alles met mate
'Be moderate in everything'
Beter ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald
2
'It's better to [turn] change direction halfway
than to be wrong all the way'
Gedane zaken nemen geen keer
2
3
'What's done is done' (You can't turn around
what's done in the past)
Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud
2
['speaking is silver,
keeping silent is gold'] - speaking is good,
but keeping silent is better
'Speech may be silver, but silence is golden'
Lachen is gezond
2
'to laugh is good for your health'
Als de vos de passie preekt ...
2
'When the fox preaches about Christ's suffering ...'
(watch out for hypocrites)
Het bezit van de zaak is het eind van het
vermaak
2
3
'Ownership is the end of pleasure' - probably meaning that
working towards goals is the interesting part; having reached goals
boredom may set in
Gedeelde smart is halve smart
'Shared grief is halved grief'
Vis moet zwemmen
2
3
4
'Fish has to swim, fish gotta swim'
- drink well when you're eating fish
Verandering van spijs doet eten
2
[Change of food makes people eat] - Food
variety helps the appetite
(de) spijs
is an old-fashioned word for 'food'
‑>>
Wie met pek omgaat wordt ermee besmet
2
3
4
[He who handles, deals with pitch
gets contaminated by it]
- He who touches pitch will be defiled - dealing with evil will
easily change you for the worse
De aanhouder wint
He/she who perseveres will win, succeed
Waar een wil is, is een weg
2
3
Where there's a will, there's a way
- determination will get you
where you want to go - 'you can get it if you really want it'
Wie dan leeft, wie dan zorgt
2
3
He/She who then lives,
can then deal with the problems - don't
worry too much about the future
Geen rook zonder vuur
[No smoke without (a) fire]
- where there's smoke, there's fire
Een woordenboek is een leugenboek
A dictionary is [a book] full of
lies
Goed voorbeeld doet volgen
2
3
Good example will be followed
Meten is weten
2
3
['to measure is to know'] - measurements
create, build knowledge - thank you, Gabriel
Descriptive
Ons koude kikkerland
2
3
'Our chilly frogs' country' - Holland:
it's a wretched place but it's home
Hij sliep als een os
2
'He was sleeping like [an ox] a log'
Ze sliep als een roos
2
3
'She was sleeping [like a rose, beautifully] '
comfortably'
So Dutch men are said to deep-sleep like oxen but Dutch females
like roses.
Hij viel als een blok in slaap
2
3
'He fell asleep very quickly'
('like a log')
Zo dood als een pier
dead like a [rainworm] doornail,
dead like disco
Zo fris als een hoentje
['as fresh (new?) as a young chicken']
in very good shape, wide
awake, well rested and feeling healthy - 'as fit as a fiddle'
Ik voel me kiplekker
2
'I feel great, couldn't feel better'
kiplekker
2
it's a mystery to me why
chickens are seen as paragons of health
Als er één schaap over de dam is ...
2
3
['If one sheep has [crossed the dam] entered
the meadow ... (more will follow)'] - an example will be followed
op 't nippertje
'in the nick of time, at the last moment,
just in time'
op de valreep
'at the last possible moment //
while saying goodbye'
Uit de losse pols
['from the loose wrist'] - off the cuff, improvising,
like for instance giving a very rough estimate
Zonder blikken of blozen
2
['without batting an eye or blushing']
- shamelessly doing something questionable
't Is zwaar te verteren
2
3
It's [heavy] 'hard to digest'
- usually said of unpleasant knowledge or things you just have
to accept
Daar is de Engelse schroevendraaier gebruikt
'The English screwdriver was used there'
- a screw was hammered in
In English there are many negative phrases with the word 'Dutch,'
but in Dutch there are only a few negative mentions of
English.
Chris from Yorkshire tells me there is the British expression 'a
Birmingham screwdriver' for this bad practice
Als mosterd na de maaltijd
2
'Like mustard after the meal'
- something that comes in too late and is now useless
De hond in de pot vinden
['finding the dog in the cooking pot']
Dan vind je de hond in de pot
2
'Then you'll find the dog in the cooking pot'
- When you're very late for a meal, you may find the dog eating the
leftovers - general meaning: coming late you may be left empty-handed
Roet in 't eten gooien
'throwing soot in the food' - ruining plans
Je moet geen roet in 't eten gooien
'Don't ruin the plans'
In geuren en kleuren
2
(3)
[in smells and colors] in full detail,
an elaborate, lively description
Dat is een ander verhaal
2
'That's another story'
't Is maar een verhaaltje
'It's only a story'
De kat op het spek binden
2
['tying the cat to the bacon'] -
(to the speaker) 'a dangerous policy that sets up for failure'
De kat uit de boom kijken
2
['looking the cat out of the tree']
- like a dog not climbing a tree after a cat,
'waiting to see how things develop, taking no action'
Ouwe koeien uit de sloot halen
2
[dredging up old cows from the ditch]
pointless talk about foregone matters, flogging a dead horse
Tussen de wal en 't schip
2
['(falling) between the quay and the ship']
- 'to fall between two stools'
met man en muis
vergaan
[to perish with man and mouse]
- said of ships being lost
completely, no survivors, nothing recovered
Achter 't net vissen
2
['fishing behind the net']
- not catching anything, not getting what you want
Niet over één nacht ijs gaan
2
3
['Not walking on ice of one night']
- 'to be careful, to proceed with much caution, not do risky things'
Een advies in de wind slaan
2
slow
['Throw an advice to the wind'] -
ignoring sensible counsel
Kapers op de kust
['pirates on the coast']
- There are competitors about
Bij gebrek aan beter
'Lacking a better alternative'
Met alle mogelijke middelen
2
'With all possible means'
Vechten tegen de Bierkaai
't Is vechten tegen de Bierkaai
2
3
['it's like fighting the Bierkaai'] '
- A hopeless struggle, a fight you can't possibly win'
'De Bierkaai'
2
('Beer Quay'?) was a rowdy neighborhood in old Amsterdam
In de aap gelogeerd
['lodging at the Monkey's?']
- in trouble, not in a good place
Ik lachte me een kriek
'I laughed a lot' [so much that it hurt]
Een veer laten
['dropping a feather']
- accept a loss, make a concession
Water bij de wijn doen
2
3
'Mixing water into the wine'
- going for a compromise
Water bij de wijn
2
Hij houdt z'n poot stijf
['he's keeping his paw stiff']
- 'he's not giving in'
't Ligt voor de hand
literally: 'it's close at hand,'
but it usually means 'it's obvious'
Als een mes door de boter
'Like a knife [cutting] through butter'
- very easily
Een druppel op een gloeiende plaat
2
3
['a drop of water on a red-hot surface']
- 'too little' - a totally ineffective remedy or an attempt
to help that falls far short
Met de deur in huis vallen
['storming into the house, flattening the door']
- to come straight to the point, without delay or hesitation
Een heet hangijzer
2
A problem that's hard to handle and
not going away
de hele santekraam
'the whole shebang, kit and kaboodle'
bepakt en bezakt
['packed and bagged,
with packs and bags ready'] - ready for travel
Van de hak op de tak springen
2
3
'in conversation, frequently and (apparenty)
at random changing the subject'
Dag in, dag uit
2
['Day in, day out'] - Every day
Een dag als alle andere
2
3
['a day like all others']
- 'Just another day'
Op een blauwe maandag
['On a blue monday'] For a short,
insignificant time in the past
Met het oog op morgen
2
'With an eye on tomorrow'
- taking the future into? consideration
Oog om oog, tand om tand
'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'
- 'tit for tat' - archaic justice
De tijd vliegt
'time flies' - 'time passes quickly'
Waar blijft de tijd?
2
3
4
5
'Where does the time go?'
- sadly recalling good things that are past, forever gone
Gezelligheid kent geen tijd
2
[Good times know of no clocks] - 'Time flies
when you're having a good time with friends'
Gebed zonder end
['prayer without end']
something taking very long
Er komt geen eind aan
2
'There is no end to it,
it goes on for a very long time'
't Eind is zoek
['The end cannot be found'] - things are escalating,
where will it end?
Vroeger was alles beter
['In the past everything was better']
'Everything was better in the past'
Uit de oude doos
2
3
4
['from the old box']
- 'something old, old-fashioned'
The common word for 'old-fashioned' is:
ouderwets
Dat is zo ouderwets!
'that's so old-fashioned!'
Zo oud als de weg naar Kralingen
2
3
['As old as the road to Kralingen']
- old as the hills
An old saying that got a new life when the Dutch Woodstock was
held in the village of
Kralingen
(1970)
Je kunt er geen touw aan vastknopen
2
['you can't tie a rope to it']
- 'it's incomprehensible'
De knoop doorhakken
2
'cutting (through) the knot'
- taking a decision after long deliberations
Je kunt wel zien uit welke hoek de wind waait
2
['You can see from which corner the wind is blowing']
- 'You can see where that's coming from, what's behind it'
Een oogje in het zeil houden
2
['to keep an eye on the sail']
- to watch over something or someone
Iemand die een oogje in het zeil houdt
2
Someone to watch over someone or something
(het) gat
'hole' - note vowel lengthening in the plural:
gaten
2
3
/ gat/gaten
‑>>
- Stoett says 'gaten' in the next phrases probably means
'look-holes, eyes'
Hou(d) 't goed in de gaten
2
(saying)
Keep it well in sight, watch it closely
Je moet 't goed in de gaten houden
2
3
You have to watch it closely
't Loopt in de gaten
2
3
4
5
[It walks into the eyes]
- It's attracting attention, it's becoming conspicuous
En dan komt de aap uit de mouw
2
3
4
['And then the monkey comes out of the sleeve']
- the moment that the hidden motives come out,
when it is revealed what's behind something
Raar maar waar
Strange (weird) but true
'Zeer'
2
is an old-fashioned word that can mean 'very' and also
'hurt' (think of 'sore')
Zeer vereerd
['much honored'] - I'm honored
oud zeer
['old hurt'] historical wrongs,
unresolved issues from the past - a grudge?
Tegen 't zere been
2
3
['Against the sore leg']
- figuratively hitting someone in a
sensitive, already sore spot, like pointing out an already
acknowledged failure
Doet 't zeer?
2
Does it hurt?
Tegen heug en meug
'Doing something under strong protest,
like having to eat something you really don't like'
Een bittere pil
2
'a bitter pill' - Something unpleasant
you have to get through or live with
(Het is
)
boter aan de galg
['It's butter on the gallows'] -
something valuable wasted, a useless effort
Boter op z'n hoofd
2
Hij heeft boter op z'n hoofd
2
3
['(he has) butter on his head']
- he should stay away from heat
or it will melt - meaning: "he's criticizing others, but
he's not innocent himself: he is a hypocrite"
- 'huichelaar'
2
schijnheilig
2
3
[seemingly holy] - pretending to be a good
person
'Hij heeft' sometimes contracts to: "hij'ft" -
Hij'ft boter op z'n hoofd
Een koekje van eigen deeg
2
['a cookie of (your) own dough'] -
'a taste of your own medicine'
- you yourself getting the bad treatment you thought up for (or already
meted out to) others
Een sigaar uit eigen doos
2
3
['A cigar from your own box']
- Something is presented as a gift, but it turns out you have to
pay for it
Je moet een gegeven paard niet in de bek kijken
2
3
'You shouldn't look into the mouth of a gift horse'
- don't criticize a present
't Is een aflopende zaak
2
'it's going downhill, it's on its last legs'
Onder vier ogen
2
['Under four eyes'] - 'in private,
one-on-one conversation'
Gevoel van eigenwaarde
['sense of one's own worth'] - 'self-esteem'
De dorst naar kennis
"the thirst for knowledge"
De klant is koning
'the customer is king'
- the customer's opinion is the most important (we hope)
't Zit als gegoten
['It fits like it was cast']
- said of well-fitting clothes
In modern Dutch,
stout
means 'naughty.' (Another word for 'naughty' is
'ondeugend'
2
3
4)
In older Dutch, 'stout' meant 'bold, brave'
like in the Burgundian Duke
Karel de Stoute
'Charles the Bold,' who actually was more reckless than
brave. Sayings often retain the old meaning.
De stoute schoenen aantrekken
2
3
['putting on the brave shoes']
- 'doing something bold'
Trek de stoute schoenen aan
2
3
['put on the brave shoes']
- 'be brave, do that bold thing'
Een ongeluk zit in een klein hoekje
['an accident is in a small corner']
- accidents can happen in unexpected places (and unexpectedly)
't Verdwijnt als sneeuw voor de zon
2
'It disappears like snow [before]
in the sun'
't Regent pijpenstelen
[The rain is coming down in trickles like pipe stems
(those long, stone stems of old 'Gouda' pipes)]
Very heavy rain
't Viel met bakken uit de hemel
2
3
It (rain) fell from the sky ['with' boxes]
in buckets
't Valt met bakken uit de hemel
2
It (rain) is falling from the sky
in buckets
Van 't kastje naar de muur
2
['from the cabinet to the wall']
Van Pontius naar Pilatus
['from Pontius to Pilate']
both mean: sent on pointless errands, 'from pillar to post'
Ik zuig 't niet uit m'n duim
2
3
['I'm not sucking it from my thumb']
- 'I'm not making it up'
(it's true, I'm telling you what I heard, what I've seen)
Kind aan huis
2
Hij is er kind aan huis
2
3
['He is like a child of that house']
- 'He often visits and acts as if he lives there'
Een kind kan de was doen
2
3
['A child can do the laundry']
- It's a very easy job
Je hebt geen kind aan hem
2
3
['He won't be like a child (to you)']
- He's very easy, no trouble at all, doesn't need special care
't Is allemaal één pot nat
2
3
['It's all one jar of liquid']
- 'It's all the same, All those things are actually identical'
Dweilen met de kraan open
2
3
['Mopping up while the faucet is running']
- doing something but not addressing the cause of the problem
Een gevoelige snaar raken
2
3
'touching a sensitive string' ~ touching a raw nerve
- Dutch'(de) snaar'
is a string of a musical instrument
Elkaar voor rotte vis uitmaken
2
3
4
'Calling each other spoiled (rotten) fish'
- mutual insulting, 'calling each other names'
Als klap op de vuurpijl
['As a bang to the flare rocket']
- a grand ending
Iemand een hart onder de riem steken
2
3
['Put a heart under someone's belt']
- to encourage, support a
person (Stoett says the belt in the image is a soldier's
diagonal shoulder strap)
't Heeft veel voeten in aarde
2
3
4
['It has many feet in the soil']
- 'It's a very complicated process'
(Stoett says the image is removing a tree with many roots)
Hij zag de bui al hangen
2
3
['He had already seen the
rainshower "hanging"']
- 'He understood trouble was brewing'
't Zal wel niet zo'n vaart lopen
2
3
4
['It's not going to pick up speed']
- It won't happen soon (don't worry about it)
Uit 't diepst van m'n hart
2
'From the bottom of my heart'
Ik wil hem niet voor de voeten lopen
2
3
['I don't want to walk in front of his feet']
- I don't want to be in his way (figuratively, hinder him)
Iemand voor de voeten lopen
2
3
4
5
to be in someone's way (figuratively)
Knollen voor citroenen verkopen
2
[selling turnips as lemons]
- 'fooling someone' - the common meaning
is not the literal cheating in sales but making false promises,
feeding impossible dreams etc. (The saying is from a time
when lemons were expensive and in demand)
Ze kijken op ons neer
They look down on us
uit de hoogte
2
3
4
5
[from a height]
- arrogantly, feeling superior
(de) minachting
2
3
contempt
Met een schone lei beginnen
2
Starting with a clean slate (a new beginning
without baggage)
(lopende band
2
3
[running belt] conveyor belt,
assembly line)
Aan de lopende band
2
'Like coming off a conveyor belt'
- ceaselessly, continually (said for instance of someone producing
an endless series of jokes)
Als een kip zonder kop
2
3
'Like a chicken without its head'
- acting irrationally
Ze keek alsof ze 't in Keulen hoorde donderen
2
3
4
5
'She looked (the look on her face was)
as if she heard [it thundering] thunder rumbling in Cologne'
- great surprise at hearing something completely unexpected
We zijn niet van suikergoed
2
3
'We are not made of [confectionery] sugar'
- we are not fragile,
we can handle shocks, mishap and adversity
also: We kunnen tegen een stootje
2
3
4
[We can stand some pushing/poking]
Je hebt 't zelf in de hand
2
3
['You have it in your hand yourself']
- It's in your own hands
(you can take a decision, you can take action)
De vuile was buiten hangen
2
3
[hanging the dirty laundry outside]
- 'airing the dirty laundry'
- a public showing of private problems
iemand naar de mond praten
2
3
['Speaking towards someone's mouth']
- Trying to get into a person's favor by saying
what he wants to hear
Een vreemde eend in de bijt
[a strange duck in the hole in the ice]
- A stranger among us/you/them
een kunst en een kunde
2
'an art and a (learned) skill'
- some things are not just applying science
‑>>
Een dubbeltje op z'n kant
2
[A dime on its edge]
- the outcome is very uncertain
Met de Noorderzon vertrokken
2
[Departed at the North Sun hour]
- 'Secretly disappeared at midnight'
(leaving unfinished business and/or debts behind)
Hij is in z'n element
2
3
'He is in his element'
- he's doing something he likes and that he does well
Door de zure appel heen bijten
2
3
['Biting through the sour apple']
- an unpleasant task that needs
to be performed, accepting something that can't be ignored or changed
~ 'swallow the pill'
Iets door de vingers zien
2
3
4
['to see something through the fingers'
- that is: not seeing some small things]
- deliberately overlooking minor infractions, ignoring small mistakes
and irregularities
Tussen de regels door lezen
2
3
'Reading between the lines'
- to notice not just what's written
but also what's implied and/or left out
Ik voel nattigheid
2
3
['I feel wetness']
- There's something fishy (to it) - I don't trust it
Ik heb er een zwaar hoofd in
2
3
4
['I have a heavy head about it']
- I'm not optimistic about it, I
doubt that it's going to work or end well
Vel over been
2
3
4
['skin covering bones'] - skin and bones
- said of a very thin person
'(het) been'
2
3
is an old-fashioned word for 'bone.' The modern Dutch word for
'bone' is (het) bot
- '(het) been' nowadays means 'leg'
Ik hang 't niet aan de grote klok
2
['I'm not hanging it on the big bell']
- I'm keeping quiet
about it, ~I'm not shouting it from the rooftops
't Is koren op je molen
2
3
['It's grain on (for) your mill' ]
- (het) koren
2 is 'grain,
cereal,' not 'corn, maize'
- it confirms your (in the eyes of the
speaker wrong) ideas - so it's not exactly equivalent to 'grist for
the mill'
Neem niet teveel hooi op je vork
2
['Don't put too much hay on your (hay)fork']
- Don't take on too heavy a burden, too big a task
Wachten tot je een ons weegt
2
3
4
['waiting until you weigh 100 grams (~3 ounces)']
- a never-ending wait
Een kinderhand is gauw gevuld
2
3
['A child's hand is quickly filled']
- children don't need much to be happy
Ze weten niet van ophouden
2
3
4
['They don't know about stopping'] -
They go on an on, they never stop
Hij weet niet van ophouden
2
3
Hij sprong een gat in de lucht
2
3
4
['He jumped a hole in the air']
- he was very happy, ~ he was over
the moon (not necessarily jumping for joy)
Neem 't ter harte
2
[Take it to heart] - Take heed! Pay attention
to it, act accordingly
(de) knauw
2
3
4
5
6
serious animal bite
Daar krijg je een knauw van
2
3
[That bites you] - That
causes much damage to you (a setback in attitude, outlook)
- 'It takes a big bite out of your self-confidence'
Iemand iets door de neus boren
2
3
4
[to drill something through someone's nose]
- to deny someone something that he or she deserved to
get or was very close to getting, someone else got it
Stoett says it's from the painful insertion of a ring into a service
animal's nose
De prijs werd hem door de neus geboord
2
3
4
He was denied the prize, he didn't get
the award he deserved
and was expecting (someone else got it)
Doen alsof je neus bloedt
2
3
4
Acting as if your nose is bleeding - pretending
to attend to a nosebleed and not reacting to what's going on
Moet ik dan maar doen alsof m'n neus bloedt?
2
3
4
Should I (then) just pretend to have a nosebleed and not
pay attention and react to what's happpening around me?
We kunnen 't missen als kiespijn
2
3
We really don't need it, we can do without it
like we can do without a toothache
in de kiem smoren
2
3
'to nip in the bud' - stop something in an
early stage
Ik hou m'n hart vast
2
3
[I'm holding onto my heart] - I'm worried
about someone doing something that could end badly
't Is een wassen neus
2
3
4
5
[It's a wax nose] - It's a meaningless,
inconsequential formality
op eigen benen staan
2
3
4
5
standing on your own [legs] feet, being independent -
note that Dutch has 'legs' instead of 'feet'
and doesn't have 'your'
met twee maten meten
2
'Using two measuring systems (yardsticks)'
- applying double standards, a biased approach
Van dik hout zaagt men planken
2
3
(saying)
Boards are sawn from big, fat wood - said of a task perfromed
very well and also royally, generously amply, with extras
een dikke huid hebben
2
3
(saying)
[having a thick skin, being thick-skinned] - not very sensitive to
criticism and insults
Misschien komt 't wel weer boven water
2
3
4
[Maybe it'll come above water again sometime]
- only figuratively: Maybe it (an item that was lost, cannot be found)
will turn up again
buiten westen
['out in the West'] - unconscious. Stoett says the
expression is from the old days before compasses, clocks and sextants, Dutch sailors
who lost sight of the coast in the East
Situations
aan de hand
2
~going on
Er is wat aan de hand
2
'There is something going on'
Wat is er aan de hand?
'What's going on? What's happening?'
Wat is hier aan de hand?
2
3
4
5
What's going on here?
Wat is er hier aan de hand?
2
What's going on here?
Er is niks aan de hand
2
'There's nothing (unusual) going on'
Er is iets anders aan de hand
2
3
There's something else going on
Wat is er eigenlijk aan de hand?
2
3
(So) what is really going on?
Wat is er toch aan de hand?
2
3
What's going on? What is it? (Not getting
answers, not understanding what's going on)
Wat zou er aan de hand zijn?
2
3
What could be happening? (wondering about a
distant sound or mystery)
't Loopt uit de hand
2
3
'It's getting out of hand, escalating,
control is lost'
De teerling is geworpen
2
'the die is cast'
- a risky venture has started, passed a point of
no return
- Dutch teer
(teder
)
means 'tender, fragile' - I used to think the literal meaning of
the phrase was that something vulnerable had been exposed.
De bom is gebarsten
2
['the bomb has burst, exploded']
'The dreaded event has come to pass, things have escalated, come
to a head'
Alle hens aan dek!
2
3
'All hands on deck'
Dutchified English phrase,
'All crew to stations'
Er zit geen schot in
2
3
4
5
'There is very little progress, things got stuck'
Je kunt er niet omheen
2
3
['you can't pass around it']
'You can't ignore it, you'll have to deal with it
Het gaat de mist in
2
['It fades into the fog']
A performance doesn't work out, ends weak - "fades"
Er gaat er wel eens een de mist in
2
Occasionally, a song or a piece fails
't Is een uitdaging
2
3
'It's a challenge'
In de piepzak zitten
'to be afraid'
Met de handen in het haar
2
['With the hands in the hair'] -
despairing, not knowing what to do
De stilte voor de storm
The quiet before the storm, or figuratively:
before a major event
Geen wolkje aan de lucht
2
[Not a cloud in the sky]
- No problems are expected
Een geluk bij een ongeluk
2
['a lucky coincidence with an accident']
- a bright, hopeful spot in a bad event
(het) lichtpuntje
['point of light']
- a (small) hopeful sign in a mostly bad
situation
't Kan vriezen en 't kan dooien
[It may freeze or it may thaw]
- Things can go either way
't Is hollen of stilstaan
2
3
4
['It's either running or staying put']
- 'When it rains, it pours'
Als puntje bij paaltje komt
'When push comes to shove,
at the moment of truth'
Dan zijn we nog verder van huis
2
3
['Then we'll be even farther from home'] -
Making an already bad situation worse
Van de regen in de drup
2
3
4
['From the rain into a drip']
- 'From the frying pan into the
fire'- a move that didn't improve your already bad situation
Maar wij zitten met de gebakken peren
2
3
['But we are left with the baked pears']
- But we are the ones that have
to pick up the pieces,
or more precisely: we are left with an unwanted responsibility
De druppel die de emmer deed overlopen
2
3
'[The drop that caused the bucket to spill over]
- The straw that broke the camel's back'
Laten we niet te hard van stapel lopen
[Let's not launch too quickly]
- Let's not go ahead too fast
Dan heb je de poppen aan het dansen
2
3
['Then you'll have the puppets dancing'
- the show will start]
- 'then the fat is in the fire, all hell will break loose'
Dan heb je 't gedonder in de glazen
2
3
4
[probably something like
'then your windows will rattle'] - 'then
trouble begins, things will get lively'
Door de rooie gaan
['crossing the red one (red line)']
- 'to become irrational'
(because of exhaustion or anger)
- in colloquial Dutch, the D of rode often softens to a
Dutch-J (English consonant-Y) sound: rooie - hear:
rood - rode - rooie
2
Over de schreef gaan
2
['overstepping the "scratch mark,"
go beyond the pale']
- going too far, into indecent, unacceptable behavior
Met de ouderdom komen de gebreken
2
'With old age, defects appear'
De dagen zat
2
['I've had my fill of days']
- 'Tired of the days' - Usually:
Oud en de dagen zat
2
3
'Old and tired of life'
Het moede hoofd neerleggen
2
3
'laying down the weary head' - to die, after a
life of much worry
De pijp aan Maarten geven
2
['give] Hand the pipe to Maarten'
- to pass away, die
Twee vliegen in één klap
2
3
'[two flies in one slam]
- to kill two birds with one stone'
I guess the English expression is disappearing because we now frown
on killing birds, but flies are still a nuisance.
Ze zijn aan het goede adres
2
['They are at the right address']
- They came to the right place
Bij nader inzien
['Upon closer inspection']
- usually: 'after some reflection,
having given it some thought ...'
Dan houdt alles op
2
['Then everything ends']
- 'It's no use continuing after that' -
often said in reaction to a trivial remark, but with a mock
sense of 'that changes everything'
De vlucht naar voren
2
['escaping forward']
- a government in trouble embarking on a risky
but popular military adventure, like the Argentine Junta's attempt
to occupy the Falkland Islands in the 1980s, or the
capture of Western
New Guinea by Indonesia in the 1960s. John le Carré, talking
about the similar German expression 'Der Flucht nach Vorn' says
there is no English equivalent.
Iets over het hoofd zien
2
3
4
'to overlook something,
fail to notice something'
Je kunt door de bomen 't bos niet zien
2
3
['Because of the trees you can't see the forest']
- 'You can't see the forest for the trees' - overattention to
details makes you lose sight of the big picture
Er klopt iets niet
2
'There's something wrong, it doesn't add up,
there is an inconsistency'
Wij hebben 't nakijken
2
3
[All we had was looking at it disappearing]
- we are the losers
Sla je slag
2
3
4
Seize the opportunity, grab your chance
Ergens een slaatje uit slaan
2
3
Taking advantage of an opportunity, making
good use of something
Je voordeel doen met
2
3
Doing something advantageous,
seize an opportunity to your advantage
Grijp je kans!
2
3
Grab your chance, make use of the
opportunity ‑>>
Ik zet er een punt achter
2
3
4
['I'm putting a period (dot) behind it']
- I'm putting a stop to
it, ending my involvement in it
Punt uit!
2
3
Period! (Finished! - End of discussion)
(Het) stuk
2
3
is 'piece' but 'stuk'
2
3
can also mean 'broken, defective'
't Kan niet meer stuk
3
4
[It cannot be broken anymore]
- We've had so
much fun already that it's a great day, whatever happens next
- it's going so well, we're having so much success that setbacks
won't matter
Advice, Counsel, Recommendations, Commands
Doe niet zo raar!
2
Don't be weird, get a grip on yourself,
behave normally
Doe niet zo stoer!
['Do not pretend to be that brave'] - behave normally,
be modest
Schiet op!
2
'hurry up!'
- usually schieten
2
>>
means 'to shoot' - like, a gun.
't Zekere voor 't onzekere nemen
2
3
'[to take the certain before the uncertain]
- to stay on the safe side' - not taking risks
Voor alle zekerheid
2
to be on the safe side - taking extra precautions
Alle beetjes helpen
'[All little bits help]
- Every little bit helps'
Laat de boel de boel
'Leave things as they are'
- stop worrying, take a break
Baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet
2
'If there is no benefit,
there will no damage either'
I used to think this was a bit silly, for there are many harmful
things around - but maybe it encourages experimentation with
harmless medication or remedies
Dat kan geen kwaad
2
3
['That's not going to do damage']
- 'It's something that can be
tried without risk, worth a try'
Voetjes van de vloer!
['(Little) Feet off the floor']
- "Get dancing!"
Hou je hoofd erbij!
2
3
4
['keep your head at it']
- 'stay on top of it, stay focused on the
job in hand, don't get distracted'
Hou je gedeisd
'don't make a fuss, lay low,
don't draw attention to yourself'
(from Portuguese deixar)
Geen woorden maar daden!
2
['No words but deeds']
- We want action(s), not words
Met twee woorden spreken!
2
['Use two words when you speak']
- telling children to speak politely, adding 'thank you' and 'please'
De kinderen achter het behang plakken
'glueing the children behind the wallpaper'
- many an exasperated parent's secret wish
De morgenstond heeft goud in de mond
2
[The dawn hour has gold in its mouth]
- The early bird gets the worm
Als je 't nu niet doet, wanneer dan wel?
2
['If you don't do it now, when are you?']
- If not now, when?
Van uitstel komt afstel
2
3
'Postponement leads to cancellation'
Bezint eer ge begint
2
3
'Consider, think before you [start] act'
Haastige spoed is zelden goed
slow
'["Hasty speed, speedy haste ..."]
- Hurry is rarely useful'
Haast U als U de tijd heeft, dan heeft U de tijd als U haast heeft
slow
slow2
'Hurry when you have time,
then you'll have time when you're in a hurry'
Wie zonder zonden is, werpe de eerste steen
'Let him or her who is without sin
throw the first stone'
Jesus addressing the people who want to stone an adulterous woman
- John 8:7 ('werpe' is an old-fashioned imperative)
Na regen komt zonneschijn
2
3
4
[After rain the sun will come out]
- Bad things don't last
Achter de wolken schijnt de zon
2
['Behind the clouds, the sun is shining']
- 'Look further, wait awhile and
you'll see things aren't all bad'
Niet bij de pakken neerzitten
2
['Don't sit down with your burdens']
- Keep going, don't let misfortune get you down
Stoett says it's from the Bible, a packed donkey that lies down can't
get up again.
Vraag niet waarom
"Ask not why," - 'Do not ask why'
Waarom? Daarom.
'Why? Because.'
Waarom zijn de bananen krom?
'Why are bananas [crooked] not straight?' - rhetorical
question, often said when there is no answer to another 'why?'
Wee je gebeente!
2
['woe to your bones' (I'll break them all)]
a warning, not really a threat
Dan ben je nog niet jarig!
2
3
'It won't be (feel) like your birthday ...'
- a warning, not really a threat -
Birthday
|