Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(to mop with the tap open) • It means to do something without having any chance on succes, or starting something you can’t finish.
"Het bestrijden van drugs is dweilen met de kraan open."
"The battle against drugs is mopping with the tap open."
Submitted March 2021 by anonymous
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(neither meat nor fish) • When something or someone is neither one nor the other, doesn’t belong to anything specific.
“Deze publicatie is vlees nog vis, is het dagboek of een autobiografie? “
"This publication is neither meat nor fish, is it a dairy or an autobiography?"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(party of recognition) • An experience that is enjoyable because it evokes a feeling of recognition.
"Ik vond vorige week al mijn oude LP's. Ik heb ze meteen opgezet, en het was echt een feest der herkenning."
"I found all my old LPs last week. I put them on immediately, and it was a real party of recognition."
Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone
(weak joke) • A bad joke.
"Jeetje, wat een flauwe grap."
"Geez, what a weak joke."
Word USED On Occasion BY Some People
(adjective) • When something is very full (as if it were about to explode).
"Mijn inbox is echt bomvol."
"My inbox is bomb full."
Word USED On Occasion BY Some People
(noun) • (stress chicken) • A stress-prone person, or someone who stresses a lot.
"Doe even rustig, je bent echt een stresskip."
"Calm down, you are such a stress chicken."
als Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People
(when Easter and Pentecost fall on the same day) • Used to say that something will never happen.
"Mama, wanneer krijg ik een PlayStation?" "Als Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen."
"Mom, when do I get a PlayStation?" "When Easter and Pentecost fall on the same day."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(to find yourself on slippery ice) • To be in a situation where you have to be very careful, or else you will get into trouble.
"Let op je woorden, jongedame. Je begeeft je op glad ijs."
"Watch your language, young lady. You are on slippery ice."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody
(little wood little rope) • When something is not really well put together, as if it were handcrafted from only wood and rope.
"Het achterlicht van de auto ging stuk, voor het moment heb ik het houtje touwtje gerepareerd"
"The backlight of my car was broke, for the moment I fixed it little wood little rope"
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(dirty weather) • When it is very rainy.
"Ik was van plan een stukje te gaan lopen, maar het is echt vies weer buiten."
"I was planning on taking a walk, but the weather outside is really dirty."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Most People
(far to seek) • When something is not present.
“De motivatie is weer ver te zoeken vandaag.”
“The motivation to study is far to seek today.”
Name USED On Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • (Farawayistan) • A proverbially obscure, far away country. Literally means 'farawayistan', and is used similar to Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia in English.
"Door de Coronacrisis kunnen we voorlopig verre reizen naar Verweggistan wel even vergeten."
"Because of the Corona crisis, we can forget about long journeys to Farawayistan for a while."
Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone
(seeing something through the fingers) • Allowing something when you shouldn't. It's about pretending not to see something, when you actually do see it: covering your eyes but actually looking through your fingers.
"Mark heeft zijn huiswerk niet gemaakt, maar ik zie het door de vingers omdat hij het al zo druk heeft."
"Mark didn't do his homework, but I'll see it through the fingers as he's already so busy."
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(verb) • (done looking) • To no longer be interested in something. Doesn't have to be a visual thing.
"Ik ben inmiddels wel een beetje uitgekeken op al die nieuwe smaken koffie bij Starbucks."
"I am kind of done looking at all those new flavours of coffee at Starbucks."
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(adjective) • (corona tired) • Used by people who are tired of the situation surrounding Corona, or tired of having to hear or talk about it all the time.
"Ik ben inmiddels toch wel een beetje coronamoe."
"I am a bit corona tired now."
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everybody
(now the monkey comes out of the sleeve) • When everything suddenly makes sense. The truth comes out. The cat is out of the bag. Someone's true nature becomes clear.
Caleb wil geld van zijn vader. Hij gaat bij zijn vader op bezoek. Zijn vader vindt dat heel gezellig. Dan vraagt Caleb om geld. Zijn vader zegt: “Nu komt de aap uit de mouw! Je kwam niet voor de gezelligheid, je komt alleen omdat je geld wil.”
Caleb wants money from his father. He visits his father. His father really enjoys the company. Then Caleb asks his father for money. His father says: "Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve! You didn't come here to keep me company, you just came here because you wanted money."
Submitted November 2020 by anonymous
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody
(little apple - little egg) • When something's really easy, it is 'appeltje eitje'!
"Was het examen moeilijk?" "Nee, het was appeltje-eitje! Ik was heel snel klaar."
"Was the exam difficult?" "No, it was little apple - little egg! I was done really quick."
Name USED On Occasion BY Students
A standard Dutch meal of potatoes (aardappelen), meat (vlees) and vegetables (groenten).
"Wil je wat van mijn pasta?" "Nee gast, ik ga vanavond een AVG'tje doen."
"Do you want some of my pasta?" "No dude, I am going to do a little AVG tonight."
Name USED On Occasion BY students
(n.) • (restaurant the Golden Bows) • McDonalds.
"Gaan we na het afpilsen nog naar restaurant de Gouden Bogen?"
"After the last beer, are we going to the restaurant the Golden Bows?"
Slang USED On Occasion BY Students
(n.) • (wet grilled cheese sandwich) • Slick frat boy who uses a lot of hair gel.
"Zie je die corpsbal met dat haar? Wat een natte tosti!"
"Do you see that frat boy with that haircut? What a wet grilled cheese sandwich!"
