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.”
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.”
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!"
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"
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."
een ezel stoot zich geen tweemaal aan dezelfde steen
Proverb USED On Occasion BY Some People
literally it means "A donkey does not bump into the same stone twice" which means you don't make the same mistake twice. However if you say "Even a donkey does not bump into the same stone twice" it means you are not very bright.
“Het was dezelfde vraag op je examen als vorige keer en je hebt weeral fout geantwoord? Zelfs een ezel stoot zich niet twee keer aan dezelfde steen.”
“You got the same question as last time on your exam and you answered wrong again? Even a donkey doesn't bump into the same stone twice.”
Submitted November 2020 by anonymous
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!"
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY business people
(to cycle something in the contract) • To add something to a contract during negotiations.
"Het aantal vakantiedagen moeten we nog wel in het contract fietsen."
"We still have to cycle the number of vacation days in the contract."
op een oude fiets moet je het leren
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(you have to learn it on an old bicycle) • Used to refer to a young person going out with an older partner (often younger men with older women). It can also be used for people using other learning tools that are quite old (like old books, etc.)
"Heb je de nieuwe vriendin van Jos gezien?" "Tsja, op een oude fiets moet je het leren."
"Have you seen Jos's new girlfriend?" "Well, you have to learn it on an old bicycle."
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(to hang the bike on the wall) • Originally refers to someone stopping with cycling, putting their bike up on the wall, but can now be used for anyone stopping with something.
"Na 30 jaar heeft hij de fiets aan de muur gehangen."
"After 30 years he hung his bike from the wall."
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(to bike something above the table) • To get clarity about something or someone's intentions.
"Voordat we verder gaan met dit voorstel moeten eerst zijn bedoelingen boven tafel fietsen."
"Before we continue with this proposal we must first cycle the intentions above the table.
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(first my bike back) • "First my bicycle back" is a statement in the Netherlands, referring to the seizure of bicycles in the Netherlands in World War II by the German occupiers. In the first two decades after the war, it was regarded as an expression of anti-German sentiment. After that, it became more and more an ironic joke, which can be made in any way, shape or form referring to German having stolen bikes and not giving them back.
*ziet Duitser op fiets* "Nog steeds die fiets niet teruggegeven, hè?"
*sees German on bike* "They still haven't given those bikes back, have they?"
Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(What have I got hanging from my bike now?) • It means "What is going on?" or "What kind of strange thing is happening now?"
"Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen? Sneeuw in de zomer?"
"What have I got hanging from my bike now? Snow in summer?"
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(on that bike) • When you previously didn't understand correctly, but now you do, you can say "Ah, op die fiets".
"Dus je gaat alleen?" "Nee, maar ik ben de enige van onze familie die gaat." "Ah, op die fiets."
"So you are going alone?" "No, but I am the only person of our family that is going." "Ah, on that bike."
