Dutch Dutch Speaking Countries

BOB

Word USED On Occasion BY Everybody

A way to signal you won't be drinking because you are the designated driver for the party.

"Neen dank U ik drink niets. Ik ben BOB."

"No thanks, I don't drink. I'm Bob."

Dutch Netherlands

niet pluis

Expression USED On Occasion BY some people

(not fluffy) • Used when someone has a feeling that something is up, not quite right, or feeling a little scared and unsafe.

"Ik hou er niet van om naar het wijkcentrum te gaan. Het is daar niet helemaal pluis."

“I don't like going to the community center. Something is not quite fluffy there.”

Dutch Netherlands

mama appelsap

Name USED Very frequently BY most people

(mama apple juice) • A name used for mishearing a Dutch word in a foreign language song. The name refers to the vocalizations "ma-ma-coo-sah" at the beginning of the song Wanna be startin' somethin' by Michael Jackson (1983), which to Dutch ears sounded like "mama appelsap", which has since turned into the name of the phenomena of hearing Dutch lyrics in foreign songs.

"Ik kan echt niet luisteren naar dat nummer zonder een mama appelsap te horen."

“I honestly can't listen to that song without hearing a mama apple juice.”

syn

Dutch Netherlands

peperduur

Word USED On Occasion BY some people

(pepper expensive) • Very expensive.

"Die jas is echt peperduur!"

"That jacket is really pepper expensive!"

Dutch Netherlands

grensoverschrijdend

Word USED Very frequently BY everyone

(boundary surpassing) • Used to describe things that are unacceptable. Can often used in combination with "gedrag" (behaviour) to describe someone who displays violent or otherwise unacceptable behaviour.

"Grensoverschrijdend gedrag komt nog steeds vaak voor op de werkvloer."

"Boundary surprassing behavior still often occurs in the workplace."

alt

Dutch Netherlands

niet de bedoeling

Word USED On Occasion BY some people

(not the intention) • A way to say you disapprove of what is happening, or think that what is happening is ludicrous.

"Ik heb het geld voor eten gebruikt om sigaretten te kopen." "Ja maar dat is niet de bedoeling!"

“I used the food money to buy cigarettes.” "Yes, but that's not the intention!"

alt

Dutch Netherlands

gosjemikkie

Interjection USED On Occasion BY older generations

An expression of modesty, embarrassment, disappointment, or anger that is fairly inoffensive and tame.

"Gosjemikkie, heb ik alweer de verkeerde sleutel bij me."

"Gosh, I have the wrong key with me again."

Dutch Netherlands

vlees in de kuip

Expression USED On Occasion BY some people

(meat in the tub) • Knowing 'what kind of meat you have in the tub' is about what someone is worth, what his qualities and skills are, what value he can bring to you. The expression probably comes from buying barrels of meat before the existence of fridges.

"We laten hem eerst even 1 week proefwerken, om te zien wat voor vlees we in de kuip hebben."

"We'll let him do a trial run for a week first, to see what kind of meat we have in the tub."

Dutch Netherlands

pak 'm beet

Expression USED On Occasion BY some people

(grab it) • Used when making a rough estimate about something.

"Deze man werkt hier volgens mij al pak 'm beet 20 jaar.'

"This man has been working here for grab it 20 years."

Dutch Netherlands

studieontwijkend gedrag

Expression USED Very frequently BY Students

(study avoiding behavior) • Anything you do when you really should be studying.

“Ik heb tijdens mijn studieontwijkend gedrag Swahili geleerd”

“During my study avoiding behavior I learned Swahili”

Dutch Netherlands

Kloothommel

Word USED On Occasion BY Angry people who feel mistreated

(testicle-bumble bee) • You use it when you feel someone has mistreated you or is very clumsy and unhelpful.

"Al mijn papieren waren in orde, maar die kloothommel wilde me gewoon niet toelaten."

"All my paperwork was in order, but that kloothommel just didn't want to let me in."

Dutch Belgium and the Netherlands

Pipo

Name USED On Occasion BY angry and annoyed people

Pipo is a name for someone that is acting stupid or ridiculous. Pipo is a clown name, so you're calling someone a clown.

"Goed gedaan Pipo, diesel in een benzine-auto."

"Nice going Pipo, you put diesel in a gasoline car."

Dutch Netherlands

overzichtelijk

Word USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(overviewable) • Adjective which means that it allow you to get a good overview at a glance. The closest English translation I ended up finding was "synoptic" but that is very rarely used and not a word most English language learners would understand. The word overzichtelijk is about as ordinary as the word overview in English, but that's not a translation because you need more words to convey the meaning ("allows you to get a good overview" is the translation and "at a glance" the connotation, none of which fit into "overview" if you'd use that word as an adjective). There is also the word "clear" in English, which conveys the meaning that you've got an overview (present tense) but not that the object being talked about has a quality of allowing anyone to quickly attain one. Antonym: onoverzichtelijk, when something is convoluted or perhaps a mess, leading to the inability to easily get a good overview.

"Die oversteek is overzichtelijk, dus ze hebben de fietser zeker niet over het hoofd gezien." "Met de overzichtelijke planner kun je in één oogopslag de planning van je team bekijken en begrijpen." "Wat vind je leuk aan deze kaartstijl?" "Het is heel overzichtelijk. Ik zie moeiteloos hoe de straten zijn ingedeeld.""

"That crossing is overviewable so there is no way they overlooked the cyclist." "The overviewable planner allows you to view and understand your team's schedule at a glance." "What do you like about this map style?" "It's very overviewable. I can effortlessly see how the streets are laid out.""

syn

Dutch Netherlands

mierenneuker

Word USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(ant fucker) • Nitpicker, one who complains about every insignificant detail. Literally means "ant fucker".

"Die mierenneuker legt op alle slakken zout."

"That ant fucker puts salt on all snails."

Dutch Netherlands

steenkolen

Word USED On Occasion BY some people

(coal) • Used to comment on someone's poor command of a language.

"Louis heeft echt steenkolen Engels."

"Louis really has coal English"

Dutch Netherlands

één pot nat

Expression USED On Occasion BY some people

(one pot wet) • It means it's all the same.

"Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, het is allemaal één pot nat"

"Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, it is all one pot wet."

Dutch Netherlands

de mist in

Expression USED On Occasion BY some people

To go wrong.

"Daar ga je toch echt de mist in."

"There you are really going into the mist."

Dutch Netherlands

mooi meegenomen

Expression USED Frequently BY everyone

(nice taken with you) • Something that is a nice bonus or extra.

"Ik zoek iemand die me dit weekend kan helpen met klussen. Ervaring is mooi meegenomen."

"I'm looking for someone who can help me with odd jobs this weekend. Experience is a bonus."

Confirmed by 3 people

syn

Dutch Netherlands

ginnegappen

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY some people

(verb) • To fool around laughingly, often in a childish or unhanded way.

Het is erg vervelend als andermans kinderen de hele dag lopen te ginnegappen.

It's very annoying when other peoples kids are fooling around for the whole day.

Dutch Netherlands

Wat is wijsheid?

Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some people

(What is wisdom?) • Used when you are not sure what the right thing to do is.

"Moet ik de nieuwe baan aannemen, of gewoon bij m'n oude blijven?" "Tsja, wat is wijsheid?"

"Should I take the new job or stay at my current one?" "Well, what is wisdom?"

Confirmed by 4 people