Dutch Netherlands

relativeringsvermogen

Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(n.) • An ability to put things into perspective, which happens to be an important quality to have in Dutch culture.

"Het is belangrijk om een beetje relativeringsvermogen te hebben."

"It's important to have 'relativeringvermogen'"

Confirmed by 3 people

Dutch Netherlands

dweilen met de kraan open

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."

Dutch Belgium

frietkot

Word USED Frequently BY Everyone

(noun) • (french fry shed) • This is a place where you would buy french fries, as well as the additional snacks like a gehaktbal or a curryworst.

“Ik ga vanavond naar het frietkot voor een vers pak friet!”

“Tonight I'm going to the french fry shed to get some fresh fries!”

Dutch Netherlands

vlees noch vis

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?"

Confirmed by 4 people

Dutch Netherlands

feest der herkenning

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."

Confirmed by 3 people

syn

Dutch Netherlands

flauwe grap

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(weak joke) • A bad joke.

"Jeetje, wat een flauwe grap."

"Geez, what a weak joke."

Confirmed by 3 people

alt

Dutch Netherlands

bomvol

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."

Confirmed by 3 people

ety

alt

æ

Dutch Netherlands

stresskip

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."

Confirmed by 3 people

Dutch Netherlands

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."

Confirmed by 2 people

alt

Dutch Netherlands

je op glad ijs begeven

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."

Confirmed by 3 people

Dutch Netherlands

houtje touwtje

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"

Confirmed by 3 people

Dutch Flanders, Belgium

goesting

Word USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(noun) • When you are in the mood for something to eat or drink, sometimes for something specific, sometimes for food in general. Could also be used in an explicit sense.

"Ik heb goesting in een goei stuk chocolat."

"I am in the mood for a big piece of chocolate."

Confirmed by 4 people

Dutch Netherlands

vies weer

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."

Confirmed by 5 people

Dutch Netherlands

ver te zoeken

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.”

Confirmed by 6 people

syn

Dutch Belgium

het hol van Pluto

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(the ass of pluto) • Literally 'In the ass of Pluto' It means in the middle of nowhere

"Hij woont echt in het hol van Pluto!"

"He really lives in the ass of Pluto!"

Confirmed by 3 people

ety

Dutch Belgium

Verwegistan

Reference USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

A name for an obscure, far away country in your language.

"Ik weet niet exact waar deze gebeurtenis plaatsvond, ergens in Verwegistan."

"I don't know exactly where this event happened, somewhere in Verwegistan"

Confirmed by 2 people

ety

æ

Dutch Netherlands

Verweggistan

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."

Confirmed by 4 people

syn

Dutch Netherlands

iets door de vingers zien

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."

Confirmed by 4 people

Dutch Netherlands

uitgekeken

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."

Confirmed by 3 people

Dutch Netherlands

coronamoe

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."

Confirmed by 4 people