Dutch word of the day

Opsporen

to track, trace, detect
[verb]
[op-spo-ren, spoor-de op, op-ge-spoord]

"Opsporen" is both used for people and errors. In case of people it is mostly used in the context of law enforcement.

Examples:
- "Het spijt ons, maar de fout is nog steeds niet opgespoord." 
("We are sorry, but the error still has not been detected.")

- "Het opsporen van misdadigers zou de eerste prioriteit moeten hebben!" 
("(The) Tracking down (of) criminals should have the first priority!")

- "De privédetective maakte furore door diverse vermiste personen op te sporen." 
("The private investigater caused a furore/furor by tracking down several missing persons.")

- "De politie heeft de dader nog niet opgespoord en roept de hulp in van de kijkers." 
("The police have not yet tracked down the perpetrator en request the assistance of the viewers." Also see the Extra: "Opsporing verzocht".)

Related words:
- Spoor: track, trace, mark [noun] [het spoor, de sporen].
- Opsporing: tracing, location [noun] [de opsporing, de opsporingen].
- Spoorzoeken: activity of tracking, tracing [noun] [het spoorzoeken]. Note that 'spoorzoeken' is also a verb but only used in the infinitive form.

Extra:
"Opsporing verzocht", literally "Tracing requested" is a popular Dutch tv program in which the police ask the viewers for help with tracking down perpetrators by showing real footage or reconstructions of a crime. This method proves to be very successful.

Uier

udder
[noun]
[de ui-er, de ui-ers]

"Uiers" are the mammary glands of ruminants: mammals that re-chew their plant-based food before further processing. The most well-known Dutch animal with "uiers" is of course a "koe": a cow :-) 

Sometimes "uiers" are used to refer to a woman's (large) breasts, but this is strongly sexist and derogatory.

"Uier" has nothing to do with "ui": onion...

Examples:
- "Een koe produceert melk via de uier." 
("A cow produces milk via the udder.")

- "Ken jij nog meer dieren met uiers?" - "Jazeker: geiten en schapen hebben ook uiers." 
("Do you know more animals with udders?" -"Sure: goats and sheep have udders too.")

- "Anita is afgestudeerd op de invloed van uierbehandeling op de kwaliteit van melk." -"Te gek! Dat wist ik niet!" 
("Anita has graduated on the influence of udder care on milk quality." - "Great! I didn't know that!")

Expressions:
- "Melk is goed voor elk": (Dutch rhyme) milk is good for everybody.

Related words:
- Melk: milk [noun] [de melk, <no plural>].
- Melken: to milk [verb] [melken, molk, h. gemolken].

Example:
- "Koeien worden tegenwoordig niet meer door de boer zelf maar door een machine gemolken."
("Nowadays, cows are no longer milked by the farmer himself, but by a machine.")

- Borst: 1. chest. 2. breast [noun] [de borst, de borsten].
- Koe: cow [noun] [de koe, de koeien].
- Schaap: sheep [noun] [het schaap, de schapen].
- Geit: goat [noun] [de geit, de geiten].

Extra:
For more information on Dutch dairy farming, check out the (Dutch) website of "Productschap Zuivel", literally: productship dairy. A "productschap" is a public organization that represents businesses that process one product/resource in different phases of the product chain.

Niet goed snik

out of one's mind, crazy
[Dutch phrase of the week]

A "snik" is a sob. "Niet goed snik" is used to refer to a person's deranged state of mind. Synonymous expression is "niet goed wijs" or "niet wijs" (lit.: not wise).

Examples:
- "Je bent niet goed snik: drie wollen dekens op je bed is veel te warm voor nu!" 
("You're out of your mind: three woollen blankets on your bed is much too warm for now!")

- "Sinterklaas die op een schimmel over de Nederlandse daken rijdt, je bent niet goed snik, dat is onmogelijk!" 
("Sinterklaas who rides on a grey over the Dutch rooftops, you're out of your mind, that's impossible!")

- "Je bent niet goed snik als je met dit weer in de auto stapt! De wegen zijn veel te glad door de sneeuw." 
("You're out of your mind if you get in the car with this weather! The roads are way too slippery because of the snow.")

Expressions:
- "Niet goed wijs" / "Niet wijs": out of one's mind.
- "Van de pot gerukt": out of one's mind. Lit.: ripped from the pot.

Related words:
- Gek: 1. crazy [adjective]. 2. lunatic [noun] [de gek, de gekken].
- Dwaas: foolish [adjective]. 2. fool [noun] [de dwaas, de dwazen].
- Gestoord: mentally disturbed, insane.

Frustratie

frustration
[noun]
[de frus-tra-tie, de frus-tra-ties]

We all suffer from it from time to time :-) If you do, then you are "gefrustreerd" ("frustrated").

Examples:
- "Ik kan me je frustratie goed voorstellen!" 
("I can imagine your frustration (very) well.")

- "Vroeg of laat krijgen we allemaal te maken met frustratie en spanningen." 
("Sooner or later we all experience frustration and tension.")

- "Ik heb helemaal geen last van frustratie!" - "Rustig maar hoor; ben je soms gefrustreerd ofzo?" 
("I am not bothered by frustration at all!" - "My, take it easy; are you frustrated or something?")

- "Nederlands leren was voor mij jarenlang een frustratie, maar nu is er gelukkig de DWOTD! ;-) " 
("For many years learning Dutch was a frustration (for me), but luckily we now have the DWOTD!")

- "Ik weet niet, dit roept bij mij eerder een gevoel van frustratie op dan dat ik het ervaar als een uitdaging." 
("I don't know, this rather makes me feel frustrated than that I see it as a challenge.")

Related words:
- Gefrustreerd: frustrated [adjective/adverb].
- Frusti: frustrated [adjective]. Note that his is colloquial.

Example:
- "Let maar niet op hem, hij is een beetje frusti."
("Don't mind him, he is a bit frustrated.")

- Frustreren: to frustrate [verb] [frustreerde, gefrustreerd].

Als je het over de duivel hebt

Talk/speak of the devil
[Dutch phrase of the week]

Today is DWOTD number 666...an expression with the devil in it seemed appropriate :-)

"Duivel" (sometimes "duvel") translates to devil. The expression is actually a shorter version of "Als je over de duivel spreekt, trap je op zijn staart", which literally translates to "If you speak of the devil, you'll step on his tail". The expression is used when you're talking about somebody, and he/she enters the room or appears at the scene that very moment.

The idiom "het hebben over" is synonymous to "to speak/talk about".

Examples:
- "Wat een verschrikkelijke presentatie van Frank vanochtend." - "Als je het over de duivel hebt...daar is hij..."
("What a terrible presentation by Frank this morning." - "Speak of the devil...there he is...")

- "Heb je dat aarsgewei bij Rita gezien? Ongelofelijk!" - "Als je het over de duivel hebt, stil...daar loopt ze...")
("Have you seen that ass cap on Rita? Unbelievable!" - Talk of the devil, quiet...she's walking over there...)

- "Laten we fluisteren, want als je het over de duvel hebt, trap je op zijn staart..." 
("Let's whisper, because speak of the devil, and he is sure to appear...")

Expressions:
- "Loop naar de hel/duivel/bliksem!": Go to hell!
- "Des duivels": furious.

Example:
- "Noem jij mij een prutser? Moet jij nodig zeggen! Ik ben des duivels!!"
("Are you calling me a screw up? Look who's talking! I'm furious!" Note that "des duivels" is an old genitive form, which is no longer used, except in some expressions or idiom.)

Related words:
- Hel: hell [noun] [de hel, <no plural>].
- Hemel: heaven(s), sky [noun] [de hemel, de hemelen].

Example:
- "Goede mensen gaan naar de hemel, slechte mensen gaan naar de hel."
("Good people go to heaven, bad people go to hell.")

- Engel: angel [noun] [de engel, de engelen].
- Duivels: diabolical, devilish [adjective].

Extra:
Did you know that...
>> ...the national soccer team of Belgium is also know as "De Rode Duivels": the red devils?
>> ... one of Belgium's finest special beers is called "Duvel"?

Kippenvel

goose bumps/pimples, chill bumps
[noun]
[het kip-pen-vel, <no plural>]

"Kippenvel" is composed of "kip" and "vel", which respectively translate to "chicken" and "skin". "Kippenvel" refers to the skin of a freshly plucked chicken, but is mostly used as common idiom for a person's skin reaction to cold, fear or being overwhelmed: goose bumps...

Examples:
- "Het is fris buiten, ik heb kippenvel." 
("It's chilly outside, I've got goose bumps.")

- "Het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar ik krijg kippenvel van dit weer." 
("It's probably just me, but this weather gives me goose bumps.")

- "Het concert van U2 was geweldig! Kippenvel...gewoon kippenvel toen ze 'With or without you' speelden..." 
("U2's concert was great! Goosebumps...(I) just (got) goose bumps when they played 'With or without you'...")

Expressions:
- "Koude rillingen": cold chills.

Example:
- "Kun je de airco wat lager zetten, ik heb koude rillingen..."
("Can you turn down the air-conditioning a little bit, I've got cold chills...")

Related words:
- Kip: chicken [noun] [de kip, de kippen].
- Ei: egg [noun] [het ei, de eieren].

Example:
- "Wat was er eerst? De kip of het ei?"
("Which came first, the chicken or the egg?")

- Vel: skin [noun] [het vel, de vellen].
- Koud: cold [adjective].
- Fris: fresh, chilly [adjective].
- Rilling: chill [noun] [de rilling, de rillingen].
- Plukken: to pluck [verb] [plukken, plukte, h. geplukt].

Bankroet

1. bankrupt
[adjective]
[bank-roet]

"Bankroet" sounds a bit like "bankrupt", don't you think? You may also often see its synonym "failliet".

Examples:
- "Door de scheiding is Frank helemaal bankroet gegaan." 
("Because of the divorce, Frank went totally bankrupt.")

- "Nu DSB bankroet gegaan is, voelen veel mensen zich in de steek gelaten." 
("Now DSB went bankrupt, a lot of people feel like they've been let down.")

Expressions:
- "Met lege handen": empty-handed.

Related words:
- Failliet: bankrupt [adjective].
- Blut: broke [adjective].

Example:
- "Ik ben blut..." - "Maak dat de kat wijs, je hebt nog je spaarrekening met duizend euro!"
("I'm broke..." - "I don't believe a thing of it, you still have your savings account with one thousand euros!")

- Platzak: broke [adjective]. Lit.: flat pocket.
- Bank: bank, bench, couch, sofa [noun] [de bank, de banken].
- Roet: soot [noun] [het roet, <no plural>].

2. bankruptcy
[noun]
[het bank-roet, de bank-roe-ten]

"Bankroet" is also the noun: bankruptcy. The related noun of "failliet" changes though: "faillissement".

Examples:
- "Het morele bankroet van onze samenleving is aanstaande..." 
("The moral bankruptcy of our society is imminent...")

- "Ooit was hij een feestbeest, nu is hij alleen maar bezig met zijn bankroet te voorkomen." 
("He used to be a party animal once, now he's only trying to prevent his bankruptcy." Lit.: "...he's busy with trying to...")

Related words:
- Faillissement: bankruptcy [noun] [het faillissement, de faillissementen].

Op rolletjes

like clockwork
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[op rol-le-tjes]

To express a general state of prosperity, the Dutch use the expression "op rolletjes". You can use it when things are going smoothly: like clockwork.

"Rolletje" is the diminutive of "rol": roll. "Op" is a very common preposition, usually translated with "on". "Op rolletjes" therefore literally translates to something like "on little rolls" or "on little wheels" (like under a desk/chair/table/rollerskates etc.)

Examples:
- "Geen files onderweg, het ging op rolletjes!" 
("No traffic jams on the way, it went like clockwork!")

- "Ik heb nog stapels met werk..." - "Wat klets je nou? Alles gaat op rolletjes!"
("I still have loads of work..." - "You're talking nonsense, everything goes like clockwork!" )

- "Hoe gaat het met solliciteren?" - "Nou, nog niet echt op rolletjes..."
("How's the job hunting going?" - "Well, not very well yet...")

Expressions:
- "Voor de wind gaan": to do well, to prosper.

Example:
- "Het gaat Frank voor de wind, zelfs in deze crisistijden."
("Frank is doing well, even in these times of crisis.")

Related words:
- Rol: role [noun] [de rol, de rollen].

Example:
- "Er zijn geen toiletrollen meer..." - "Dat zit er dik in, net nu ik serieus aan de diarree ben..."
("We've run out of (roles of) toilet paper..." - "Of course, just when I'm having a serious case of diarrhea...")

- Voorspoedig: prosperous [adjective].

Onderweg

on the way, en route, in transit, on the road  
[adverb]
[on-der-weg]

Every morning a lot of people are "onderweg" to work. The Dutch "wegen" are packed with "files" (traffic jams).

"Onderweg" literally translates to "underway": in progress.

Examples:
- "Okee baas, ik ben onderweg." 
("Okay boss, I'm on my way.")

- "Deze regering is een aanfluiting, we zijn in dit land onderweg naar totale chaos..." 
("This government is a farce, we're on our way to total chaos in this country...")

- "Er is altijd wel iemand onderweg naar iemand anders." 
("There's always somebody on his way to somebody else.")

- "We zijn te laat, het veer is al onderweg naar Texel." 
("We're too late, the ferry is already on its way to Texel.")

Related words:
- Weg: way, road [noun] [de weg, de wegen].

Extra:
Check out this clip: a song by the Dutch artist Abel. The song is called Onderweg. You may notice that Abel's pronunciation is characterized by a 'soft' g, as most people have in the province of Noord-Brabant and Limburg :-)

For the soapies: there are Dutch (competitive) soap operas on Dutch television: "Onderweg Naar Morgen - ONM" (broadcast on the public channel), and "Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden - GTST" (broadcast on a commercial channel). Literal translations are respectively "On the way to tomorrow" and "Good times bad times"...

Aanfluiting

mockery, farce, travesty
[noun]
[de aan-flui-ting, de aan-flui-tin-gen]

"Aanfluiting" is often used in the context of (professional) performance, quality, reputation or pride. The word might be related to "fluiten" ("to whistle") which can be used in the form "uitfluiten" (and although a different sound, translated as "to hiss (at) / catcall").

Examples:
- "De prestatie van de atleet was een aanfluiting en hij is terecht door het publiek uitgefloten." 
("The athlete's performance was farcical and he deserved to be hissed at by the audience." Lit.: "...he was justly hissed at...")

- "Het rapport van de commissie is een regelrechte aanfluiting. Hebben zij hier 3 jaar aan gewerkt?!" 
("The committee's report is an absolute mockery. Did they work on this for three years?!")

- "Deze spits maakt zijn team tot een aanfluiting; hij bakt er werkelijk niets van!" 
("This forward makes a mockery of his team; he makes a complete mess of it!" See also Expressions)

- "De rechtspraak in dat land is een aanfluiting; je wordt zonder vorm van proces vastgezet!" 
("The jurisdiction in that country is a complete farce; one is imprisoned without trial!")

Expressions:
- "Er niets van bakken": to make a complete mess of it, to be really bad at something. Lit. "to bake nothing of it".

Related words:
- Uitfluiten: to hiss at, to catcall [verb] [floot uit, uitgefloten].
- Farce: farce [noun] [de farce, de farces].
- Fluiten: to whistle [verb] [floot, gefloten].
- Fluitje: glass of beer, lit.: little whistle [noun] [het fluitje, de fluitjes].

Scheiding

separation, divorce, parting 
[noun]
[de schei-ding, de schei-din-gen]

In general, "scheiding" translates to "separation". In a specific context, the translation may be different. For example: in the context of a marriage, "scheiding" translates to "divorce". In the context of a haircut, "scheiding" translates to "parting".

"Scheiding" is often followed by the preposition "tussen" - "scheiding tussen" - which usually translates to "separation of".

Examples:
- "Ik ben voor een duidelijke scheiding tussen kerk en staat." 
("I'm in favour of a clear separation of church and state.")

- "De scheiding van Vanessa is groot nieuws in showbizland." 
("The divorce of Vanessa is big news in the world of showbiz.")

- "In Franks haar zit een vreemde scheiding...hij kan zijn hoofd beter kaal scheren..." 
("Frank's hair has a funny parting...he'd better shave his head (bold)...")

Expressions:
- "Het kaf van het koren scheiden": to separate the wheat from the chaff, to separate the good from the bad.

Related words:
- Scheiden: to separate, to divorce [verb] [scheiden, scheidde, gescheiden].
- Echtscheiding: divorce [noun] [de echtscheiding, de echtscheidingen]. Mark that "echt" translates to "matrimony" in this context, so the literal translation would be: matrimony separation. You may sometimes see the pun "vechtscheiding", lit.: fighting divorce, meaning an ugly divorce.

Example:
- "Een echtscheiding in de wereld van BN'ers is  vaak een vechtscheiding..."
("A divorce in the world of famous Dutch people is often ugly...")

- Ex: ex [noun] [de ex, de exen].
- Huwelijk: marriage [noun] [het huwelijk, de huwelijken].
- Hereniging: reunion [noun] [de hereniging, de herenigingen].

Jammer maar helaas!

(That's just) too bad...
[Dutch phrase of the week]

When you combine "jammer" ("pity", "too bad") and "helaas" ("alas", "regrettably") in this phrase, you do not only show disappointment, but you also indicate that you accept that it is just the way it is...

Examples:
- "Het Nederlands vrouwenelftal heeft gisteren de halve finale verloren van Engeland. Ze zijn ver gekomen, maar het mocht niet zo zijn... Jammer maar helaas!" 
("The Dutch women soccer team lost the semi finals against England yesterday. They got really far (into the tournament), but it was not meant to be... Too bad, but that's just the way it is!")

- "Uiteindelijk heeft Frank de deal niet kunnen sluiten. Het zag er goed uit, maar ketste op het laatste moment af... Jammer maar helaas!" 
("Eventually Frank was not able to close the deal. It looked good, but at the last moment it fell apart. That's just too bad!" Literally: "at the last moment it bounced off.")

- "Ik had op Funda een leuk huis gezien maar toen ik de makelaar belde, bleek het al verkocht te zijn. Jammer maar helaas!" 
("I spotted a nice house at Funda, but when I called the real estate agent, (it appeared that) the house was already sold... What a pity (but these things happen)!")

Expressions:
- "Helaas pindakaas!": too bad! (Informal. Literally it says: "alas, peanut butter!". We have no clue who started it :-) )

Related words:
- Jammer: too bad, (a) pity, shame [interjection, adjective].
- Helaas: alas, sadly, regrettably [interjecion, adverb].
- Teleurstelling: disappointment [noun] [de teleurstelling, de teleurstellingen].

Niet te filmen!

indescribable, unbelievable! 
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Filmen" is the verb derived from the noun "film" and obviously means "to record on film". Unless it is really a film that you are shooting, you will more commonly use "een video opnemen" or "opnemen" ("to record" in general). Apparently this expression is used to say that something is that incredible, it can't be recorded on film (whatever that means :-) ). You can use the expression both for positive and negative astonishment. Or just say: "ongelofelijk!" :-)

Examples:
- "Moet je die man zien fietsen met die gekke hoed. Niet te filmen..." 
("Look at that man biking over there with that strange hat! Incredible...")

- "Hoe was het congres afgelopen zaterdag?"- "Het was niet te filmen zo slecht... echt, niets was geregeld!" 
("How was the convention last Saturday?" - "It was so bad... it's indescribable... honestly, nothing had been arranged!")

- "Ik ben dit weekend in Artis geweest."- "Was het leuk?" - "Zeker, vooral die slingerapen, niet te filmen joh hoe die hun staart gebruiken als extra arm!" 
("I went to the Artis Zoo this weekend." - "Did you have a good time?" -  "Absolutely, especially those spider monkeys, it is unbelievable how they use their tail as an additional arm!" The use of the word "joh" is a bit like "ey".)

Voorgevel

1. façade, face, front
[noun]
[de voor-ge-vel, de voor-ge-vels]

De "voorgevel" is the front side of a house or building. One typically uses the general "gevel" (façade) unless you want to distinguish from the "achtergevel" (rear façade) or potential "zijgevels" (side façades).

Examples:
- "Dat oude huis heeft een prachtige voorgevel." 
("That old house has a beautiful façade.")

- "Langs de Amsterdamse grachten staan huizen met voorgevels die dateren uit de 17e, 18e en 19e eeuw." 
("Along the Amsterdam canals, there are houses with façades that date from the 17th, 18th and 19th century.")

- "Nieuwsflits: vrachtwagen ramt voorgevel huis in Rotterdam." 
("Newsflash: truck rams front of house in Rotterdam.")

Related words:
- Voor: before, in front of [preposition].
- Voorkant: front [noun] [de voorkant, de voorkanten].
- Gevel: façade [noun] [de gevel, de gevels].
- Huis: house [noun] [het huis, de huizen].
- Dak: roof [noun] [het dak, de daken].

Extra:
Some of the older houses in the Netherlands have a tilted façade. To the untrained eye this may look like subsidence, but in most cases it was a deliberate choice. A plausible explanation is that a tilted façade made it easier to hoist up goods. (Other explanations are that the (originally wooden) façade was less affected by rain, or that one tried to increase the surface area of the higher floors whilst only paying tax based on the surface area of the ground floor.)

2. bosom
[noun]
[de voor-ge-vel, de voor-ge-vels]

"Voorgevel" can be used colloquially to refer to a woman's bosom, much like "knockers", "boobs" etc. It is very informal and can come across a bit sexist.

Examples:
- "Debbie heeft een flinke voorgevel, zeker in dat strakke shirt..." 
("Debbie is very bosomy, especially in that tight shirt...")

- "Pamela's voorgevel is indrukwekkend, maar het is natuurlijk allemaal nep." 
("Pamela's boobs are impressive, but it's of course all fake.")

Related words:
- Borst: chest, breast [noun] [de borst, de borsten].
- Boezem: bosom [noun] [de boezem, de boezems].

Zwoegen

to toil
[verb]
[zwoe-gen, zwoeg-de, ge-zwoegd]

"Zwoegen" is not something you do for fun. It involves real hard work. "Zwoegen" is mostly used in the physical sense, but can also be used when someone puts real serious efforts into achieving a certain goal. As opposed to the English "blood, toil, tears and sweat", Dutch leaves out the toil (as English does sometimes) and refer to "bloed, zweet en tranen" ("blood, sweat and tears").   

Examples:
- "Na een ochtend zwoegen hadden we alle verhuisdozen in de vrachtwagen geladen." 
("After a morning of toil we had loaded all the moving boxes into the truck.")

- "Lolu heeft moeten zwoegen om toegelaten te worden als comedian van Boom Chicago." 
("Lolu has had to toil to get admitted as a comedian at Boom Chicago.")

- "Annie moest hard zwoegen om het wiskundetentamen op tijd af te krijgen."
("Annie had to work really hard to finish the maths exam on time.")

- "Na een avond en nacht zwoegen bereikten de sociale partners een akkoord over een nieuwe CAO." 
("After an evening and a night of toil the social partners [trade unions and employer's organisation] reached  an agreement on a new labour condition agreement." Please note that CAO abbreviates "Collectieve ArbeidsOvereenkomst", meaning "Collective Labour Agreement".)

- "Chinese boeren zwoegen om de voedselvoorraad te vergroten." 
("Chinese farmers toil to expand the food supply.")

Expressions:
- "Het is zwoegen, zwoegen en nog eens zwoegen": it's extremely hard work.

Related words:
- Zweten: to sweat [verb] [zweette, heeft gezweet].
- Bloed: blood [noun] [het bloed, <no plural>].
- Traan: tear [noun] [de traan, de tranen].

Uitstraling

appearance, personality, emission, radiation
[noun]
[de uit-stra-ling, de uit-stra-lin-gen]

"Uitstraling" consists of "uit", which is the opposite of "in" and means from inside to outside, and "straling" which means "radiation". "Uitstraling" can be used in both a literal and a figurative sense. In the literal sense, it can be translated as "emission". In the figurative sense, "uitstraling" relates to the appearance of something, or the emotions that a person displays. The related verb is "uitstralen" ("to radiate").

Examples:
- "Ik vind dat de website van ons bedrijf geen professionele uitstraling heeft." 
("I think that the website of our company does not have a professional appearance.")

- "Veel mensen vinden dat Barack Obama een enorme uitstraling heeft." 
("A lot of people think that Barack Obama possesses charisma / has a huge personality." Please note that "charisma" is also a Dutch word.)

- "<Plaatje:> Het ontwerp van het Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre heeft een futuristische uitstraling.
("<Picture:> The design of the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre has a futuristic appearance.")

- "Mijn buurvrouw heeft pijn in haar rug die uitstraalt naar haar been." 
("My [female] neigbour has pain in her back that radiates to her leg.")

- "De puber had ondanks zijn jonge leeftijd een wijze uitstraling." 
("The adolescent had a wise appearance despite his young age.")

- "Zij straalt zelfvertrouwen uit." 
("She oozes self-confidence.")

Related words:
- Uitstralen: to radiate [verb] [straalde uit, uitgestraald] [regular strong verb].
- Charisma: charisma [noun] [het charisma, <no plural>].

Gedogen

to tolerate, to permit, to allow
[verb]
[ge-do-gen, ge-doog-de, ge-doogd]

Generally, "gedogen" translates to "to allow" or "to permit". Legally, - and that's the context how it's mostly used in Dutch - it refers to not enforcing certain laws. The Dutch authorities tolerate some offences. Some things like smoking marijuana are formally forbidden by law, but the Dutch authorities abstain from bringing criminal charges to these offenders. This policy is  commonly known as the Dutch "gedoogbeleid". The Dutch policy on soft drugs is the most well-know form of "gedoogbeleid", see also Wikipedia.

Examples:
- "We kunnen deze billenknijper niet langer gedogen!" 
("We can no longer tolerate this bottom squeezer!")

- "De burgemeester van Maastricht heeft gezegd dat hij coffeeshops in het centrum van de stad niet langer wil gedogen." 
("The mayor of Maastricht has said that he no longer wants to allow hash bars in the city center.")

- "Volgens sommigen leidt het gedoogbeleid tot drugstoerisme in de Nederlandse grensstreken." 
("According to some, the toleration policy leads to drug tourism in the Dutch border regions.")

Related words:
- Gedoogbeleid: toleration policy [noun] [het gedoogbeleid, <no plural>].
- Tolereren: to tolerate [verb] [tolereren, tolereerde, getolereerd].

Example:
- "Meneer, ik kan uw belachelijke gedrag niet tolereren."
("Sir, I cannot tolerate your ridiculous behaviour.")

- Toestaan: to allow [verb] [toestaan, stond toe, toegestaan].
- Coffeeshop: cannabis coffee shop, hash bar (where the sale of cannabis and hashish for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities) [noun] [de coffeeshop, de coffeeshops].

Extra:
Check out the view of Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) on the Dutch "gedoogbeleid" :-)

Kapsalon

hairdresser's (salon), hair salon
[noun]
[de kap-sa-lon, de kap-sa-lons]

"Kapsalon" is composed of "kap" (from "kappen") and "salon". A "kapsalon" is mostly frequented by women. Men would go to a "kapper" (hairdresser, barber (shop) ).

A "kapsalon" is also the name of a snack/dish, which is on the menu of most shoarma snackbars in the region of Rotterdam, see Extra...

Examples:
- "Waar is Maria?" - "Ze heeft een afspraak bij de kapsalon." 
("Where is Maria?" - "She has an appointment at the hairdresser's.)

- "Kapsalon Elle...wassen, knippen & föhnen voor slechts 15 euro." 
("Elle Hair Salon...wash, cut & blow-dry for only 15 euros.")

Related words:
- Kappen: to cut (a tree) / to do someone's hair [verb] [kappen, kapte, gekapt].
- Wassen: to wash [verb] [wassen, waste, gewast].

Example:
- "Eerst je handen wassen voor het eten!"
("First wash your hands before dinner.")

- Knippen: to cut (with a pair of scissors) [verb] [knippen, knipte, geknipt].
- Föhnen: to blow-dry [verb] [föhnen, föhnde, geföhnd].
- Nagelsalon: nail salon [noun] [de nagelsalon, de nagelsalons].

Extra:
A "kapsalon" is also the name of  a snack/dish, which is on the menu of most shoarma snackbars in Rotterdam, and which is gaining popularity in the Randstad, and all over the Netherlands. It's an aluminium dish filled with layers of: fries, kebab, salad, (lots of) garlick sauce, and with cheese on top. The whole is put briefly in the oven until the cheese has melted.

The name apparently originates from some local hair salon which always ordered this dish with these specific ingredients...

Koesteren

to cherish
[verb]
[koes-te-ren, koes-ter-de, ge-koes-terd]

"Koesteren" is a word with a positive connotation: to cherish. Objects of one's "koestering" can be physical things, persons, ideas or concepts.

Examples:
- "Ik koester de gedachte dat ik je hier altijd aan mijn zijde zal hebben." 
("I cherish the thought of always having you here by my side.")

- "Dit prachtige moment moeten we koesteren." 
("We must cherish this beautiful moment.")

- "Ik zal mijn kinderen voor altijd koesteren in mijn hart." 
("I will cherish my children in my heart for ever.")

- "De liefde van mijn leven is met de noorderzon vertrokken...nu koester ik slechts de herinnering..." 
("The love of my life left without a trace...now I merely cherish the memory...")

Expressions:
- "(De) hoop koesteren": to hope, to keep up the hope.
- "(De) vrees koesteren": to fear.

Example:
- "Ik koester de vrees dat er geen overlevenden zijn."
("I fear that there are no survivors.")

- "Zich koesteren in het zonnetje": to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Related words:
- Houden van: to love [noun] [houden van, hield van, gehouden van].
- Liefde: love [noun] [de liefde, de liefdes].
- Hunkeren: to long for [verb] [hunkeren, hunkerde, gehunkerd].

Example:
- "Frank hunkert naar de liefde van zijn moeder."
("Frank longs for his mother's love.")

- Waarderen: to appreciate [verb] [waarderen, waardeerde, gewaardeerd].

Rimpel

wrinkle
[noun]
[de rim-pel, de rim-pels]

"Rimpels" are "wrinkles", lines that appear on people's faces when they grow older. The related adjective "gerimpeld" can refer to a wrinkled face, but also more generally, to a surface that has one or more ridges.

Examples:
- "Mijn nieuwe dagcrème belooft dat rimpels tot de verleden tijd behoren." 
("My new daycream promises that wrinkles belong to the past.")

- "Ik kan zien dat je veel lacht: je hebt allemaal lachrimpeltjes om je ogen." 
("I can see that you laugh a lot: you have a lot of little wrinkles around your eyes from laughing.")

- "De oma had een rimpelloze huid na de botox-behandeling." 
("The grandma had a wrinkleless skin after the botox-treatment.")

- "Het nieuwe drankje "Fontein van de Jeugd" garandeert een rimpelloos bestaan." 
("The new potion "Fountain of Youth" guarantees a wrinkleless existence.")

- "De gerimpelde oude man zat glimlachend op een bankje in de zon." 
("The wrinkled old man sat smiling on a little bench in the sun.")

Related words:
- Plastische chirurgie: plastic surgery [noun] [de plastische chirurgie, <no plural>].
- Crème: cream [noun] [de crème, de crèmes].

Schimmel

1. fungus, mould
[noun]
[de schim-mel, de schim-mels]

Een "schimmel" is a fungus or a mould. A mushroom is a "paddenstoel" (which grows in the wild) or "champignon" (which is grown on farms).

Examples:
- "Er zit schimmel op het brood." 
("The bread is moulded." Lit.: "There's mould on the bread.")

- "De dokter heeft een zalf voorgeschreven voor de schimmel tussen mijn tenen." 
("The doctor has prescribed an ointment for the mould between my toes.")

- "Wat is er met deze boom aan de hand?" - "Ik denk dat er de schimmel in zit." 
("What's going on with this tree?" - "I think it's been affected by a fungus." Lit.: "I think that the fungus is in it.")

Related words:
- (Be)schimmelen: to mould, to get mouldy [verb] [(be)schimmelen, (be)schimmelde, (be)schimmeld].
- Paddenstoel: mushroom [verb] [de paddenstoel, de paddenstoelen].

Example:
- "Deze paddenstoel behoort tot een familie giftige schimmels."
("This mushroom belongs to a family of poisonous fungi.")

Extra:
The Dutch have a lot of rules to guarantee hygiene in the horeca. Of course, not all restaurants follow the rules...which has led to an entertaining TV show: "Smaakpolitie" (lit.: taste police). Its host Rob de Geus is on a personal mission to ban every mould from Dutch kitchens. Watch this remarkable clip, where he visists a student dorm...

2. grey (horse)
[noun]
[de schim-mel, de schim-mels]

A "schimmel" is also a grey (horse). The most famous grey in the Netherlands makes its appearance around the 5th of December: Sinterklaas' favourite way of transport is his grey :-)

Examples:
- "Sinterklaas rijdt op zijn schimmel over de Nederlandse daken...geloof jij het?" 
("Sinterklaas rides his grey over the Dutch rooftops...do you believe it?")

- "Deze schimmel is een lief beest, dat zwarte paard is vals..." 
("This grey horse is a sweet animal, that black horse is mean...")

Expressions:
- "Je mag een gegeven paard niet in bek kijken": to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Related words:
- Paard: horse [noun] [het paard, de paarden].
- Tuig: harness [noun] [het tuig, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Ik heb een nieuw tuig voor mijn schimmel gekocht."
("I bought a new harness for my gray.")

- Pakjesavond: (lit.) evening of presents, Sinterklaas' evening.

Een heet hangijzer

a hot potato, a loaded subject, a controversial theme
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Hangijzer" literally translates to a pot-hanger: a metal hook for hanging pots over a fire. You can easily burn your fingers on it...

As an expression, "een heet hangijzer" is used for a difficult (current) subject, on which a lot of discussion takes place: a delicate matter. It is often used in politics.

Examples:
- "De Joint Strike Fighter is nog steeds een heet hangijzer in de Nederlandse politiek." 
("The Joint Strike Fighter is still a loaded subject in Dutch politics.")

- "De hypotheekrenteaftrek: nog zo'n heet hangijzer..." 
("Home mortgage interest deduction: yet another hot potato...")

- "De kerst doorbrengen bij de eigen ouders of bij de schoonouders: een heet hangijzer in menige relatie." 
("To spend Christmas at your own parents or at your in-laws: a hot potato in many a relationship.")

Related words:
- Heet: hot [adjective].
- Hangen: to hang [verb] [hangen, hing, gehangen].
- IJzer: iron [noun] [het ijzer, de ijzers].
- IJzeren: iron [adjective].
- Beladed: loaded, burdened [adjective].
- Omstreden: disputed, controversial [adjective]

Example:
- "Het gebruik van gentechnologie in de landbouw is omstreden."
("The use of gen-technology in agriculture is controversial.")

- Gevoelig: touchy, sensitive [adjective].
- Taboe: taboo [noun] [het taboe, de taboes].

Een domper op de feestvreugde

A damper on the party... / a shadow over the party...
[Dutch phrase of the week]

Every year on Queen's day the Dutch Royal family visits a town or village somewhere in the country. Locals put on a show and the Royal family waves, smiles, participates in games and shakes hands. This year the festivities in the town of Apeldoorn were heavily disrupted by a man trying to drive his car into the bus transporting the royals. He missed the bus but killed 6 spectators and did not survive himself in the end.

Throughout the country festivities were canceled or sobered down. At first one spoke of "een domper op de feestvreugde": a typical Dutch phrase often used when something ruins the party (or otherwise good atmosphere) one way or the other. When the severity of the accident became clear though, one spoke of "tragedie", "drama" and "Koninginnedag zal nooit meer hetzelfde zijn".

Examples:
- "De aanslaag op de Koninklijke familie in Apeldoorn was een domper op de feestvreugde. "
("The assault on the Royal family in Apeldoorn cast a shadow over the party. ")

- " 'Een domper op de feestvreugde' vind ik een eufemisme; Koninginnedag zal nooit meer hetzelfde zijn!"
("I believe that 'a damper on the party' is a euphemism; Queen's day will never be the same!")

- " 'Mijn ouders kunnen niet bij de première aanwezig zijn en dat is voor mij een domper op de feestvreugde', zei de veelbelovende toneelspeler."
(" 'My parents are unable to attend the opening performance and that kind of ruins it for me', the promising actor said." Note that a "toneelspeler" is an actor in a play, whereas an "acteur" is an actor in general.)

Related words:
- Feestvreugde: fun, festivity [noun] [de feestvreugde, <no plural>]
- Vreugde: joy, happiness [noun] [de vreugde, de vreugden]
- Verdriet: grief, sorrow [noun] [het verdriet, <no plural>]

Tortelduif

turtledove, lovebird
[noun]
[de tor-tel-duif, de tor-tel-dui-ven]

Sometimes Dutch isn't that hard at all: a "turtledove" simply translates to Dutch "tortelduif". A kissing or cuddling couple doesn't have to consist of two pigeons, but can be virtually two of all species. When referring to a couple (instead of the bird species), often the diminutive plural "tortelduifjes" is used. The related verb "tortelen" is hardly ever used.

Examples:
- "De Turkse tortel(duif) komt sinds de tweede helft van de 20ste eeuw voor in Nederland." 
("The Turkish turtle exists in the Netherlands since the second half of the 20th century.")

- "De jonge tortelduifjes hadden alleen maar oog voor elkaar." 
("The young love birds saw nothing but each other." Lit.: "...only had eye for each other.")

- "De gefrustreerde leraar kon de tortelende stellen op het schoolplein niet aanzien." 
("The frustrated teacher couldn't stand the cuddling couples on the school yard." Lit.: "...couldn't see...")

Related words:
- Tortelen: to bill and coo [verb] [tortelde, getorteld].
- Knuffelen: to cuddle, to hug [verb] [knuffelde, geknuffeld].
- Zoenen: to kiss [verb] [zoende, gezoend].
- Duif: pigeon, dove [noun] [de duif, de duiven].

Joost mag het weten

Heaven only knows, I'm blowed if I know
[Dutch phrase of the week]

This expression translates to something like "Joost may/could/might know it" but is used to say that nobody really has a clue (apart from maybe Joost - a common first name in the Netherlands). Note that the construction "mag het weten" is only used in this phrase. Normally you would say "Frank zou het kunnen weten" ("Frank might know it").

Many people wonder who Joost is. Read the Extra for an explanation.

Examples:
- "Waarom is Frank niet op het werk?" - "Joost mag het weten, hij is al de hele week te laat."
("Why is Frank not at work?" - "I'm blowed if I know, he has shown up late all week.")    

- "Joost mag weten waar ik de auto geparkeerd heb."
("Heaven only knows where I parked the car.")    

- "Waar is dat rapport over de kredietcrisis?" - "Joost mag het weten, ik heb het al een week geleden ingeleverd."
("Where is that report on the financial crisis?" - "I have no clue, I already handed it in a week ago!")    

Extra:
Apparently Joost is derived from 'joos', a word picked up by the Dutch in colonial times on the Indonesian island of Java. 'Joos' was a name for a Chinese god (or its depiction), and was in its turn derived from 'dejos' (from Portuguese 'deus'; god). Later 'joos' was connected to the existing given name of 'Joost' and was in fact associated with the devil. An explanation for the latter could be that the god of one religion is often the devil of another religion (source: "Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal" (WNT, part VIII, 1926)).

Baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet

It doesn't hurt to try
[Dutch phrase of the week]

You can use this expression when you are not sure that your actions will have a positive outcome, but won't lead to any harm either.

The verb "baten" is typically used in fixed expressions, such as "het mocht niet baten" or "het heeft niet mogen baten". See the Related words.

Examples:
- "Denk je dat dit schoonmaakmiddel zal werken?" - "Ach, baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet!"
("Do you think this cleaning product will do the job?" - "Oh well, it doesn't hurt to try!")    

- "Ik ga alsnog een klacht indienen; baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet!"
("I am still going to file a complaint; it doesn't hurt to try!")    

- "Zullen we nog een voorbeeldzin toevoegen of zal het nu wel duidelijk zijn?" - "Waarom niet? Baat het niet, dan schaadt het niet!"
("Shall we add another example sentence or will it be clear by now?" - "Why not? It won't hurt!")    

Related words:
- Baten: to avail [verb] [baatte, gebaat]. This verb is typically used as in the example below:

Example:
- "Ik heb het nog een keer geprobeerd, maar het mocht niet baten / heeft niet mogen baten."
("I tried it once more, but it was of no avail.")

- Baat: benefit, profit, use [noun] [de baat, baten]. The noun "baat" is not used often. You might hear it in an economical context, e.g. "kosten-batenanalyse" ("cost-benefit analysis") or the expression in the example below:

Example:
- "De kost gaat voor de baat uit."
("Expense precedes profit." This is an old saying. You can read it in its original form on a building in Amsterdam (across the water, when you stand on the corner of Oudebrugstraat and Damrak (on your left when you walk on the Damrak in Amsterdam from Central Station to Dam Square)).)

- Schaden: vertaling [verb] [schaadde, geschaad].

Example:
- "De slechte kwaliteit van het rapport heeft de reputatie van de auteur geschaad."
("The poor quality of the report damaged the author's reputation.")

- Schade: damage [noun] [de schade, schades].

Flitser

camera flash, speed control
[noun]
[de flit-ser, de flit-sers]

When you drive on the Dutch highways, you'd better listen to the radio to get to know where you can expect speed controls. The machines registrating your speed are called "flitsers" or "flitspalen" ("flash-poles", see picture), derived from the verb "flitsen" ("to flash"); the machine gives a flashlight when it takes a picture of your license plate. You can also find many "flitsers" at traffic lights. These "flitsers" mostly check if you ignore a red traffic light. Besides speed controls on a fixed location, the police also controls speed on locations that vary each day. A "flitser" also denotes a flash on a camera. 

Examples:
- "Er wordt geflitst op de A2 richting Amsterdam bij hectometerpaaltje 34.6." 
("There is a speed control on the A2 in the direction of Amsterdam at hectometerpole 34.6.")

- "Op de A9 staat een mobiel flitsteam bij knooppunt Kleinpolderplein." 
("There is a mobile speed-control team at junction Kleinpolderplein on the A9.")

- "Volgens mij werd ik geflitst toen ik door rood reed... weer een boete." 
("I think that the flashpole registrated my license plate when I went through that red traffic light... another fine."  [Lit.: "I think I was flashed when I drove through red ..."])

- "Als het donker is kun je beter een foto maken met flitser." 
("When it's dark it's better to take a picture using flash.")

Related words:
- Flitsen: to flash [verb] [flitste, geflitst].
- Flitspaal: flash-pole, pole registrating your license plate when you speed or drive through a red traffic light [de flitspaal, de flitspalen].
- Stoplicht: traffic light [het stoplicht, de stoplichten].

Je gooit er met de pet naar

you don't make an effort, you don't really try
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Ergens met de pet naar gooien" is "to make a half-hearted attempt" to finish a job or task because you don’t feel like doing it. When someone’s not committed to something, and therefore only finishes half of the job or does a very poor job, you can say: "Hij/zij gooit er met de pet naar", which literally translated to : "He/she is throwing the hat at it". Phrases with a similar meaning as "ergens met de pet naar gooien" are "niet je best doen" ("not try your best") or "ergens lak aan hebben" ("not care about something").

Examples:
- "Ze heeft haar studie nooit afgemaakt; vanaf het begin gooide ze er met de pet naar." 
("She never finished her studies; from the start she was not really committed to it.")

- "Ik denk dat zijn contract niet wordt verlengd want hij gooit er met de pet naar." 
("I don’t think that his contract will be renewed because he’s not really committed [to the job].")

- "Zodra de voetballers wisten dat ze de wedstrijd niet meer konden winnen, gooiden ze er met de pet naar." 
("As soon as the soccer players knew that they couldn’t win the match anymore, they didn’t make an effort.")

- "Elk klusje dat je aan haar geeft moet je zelf overdoen - ze gooit er echt met de pet naar." 
("Every task that you give to her you’ll have redo yourself - she really does a poor job.")

Expressions:
- "Ergens lak aan hebben": to not care about something.
- "Je best doen": to do one's best.

Related words:
- Pet: hat [noun] [de pet, de petten].

Knutselen

to do some home improvement activities, D.I.Y., to tinker away at, to fiddle with 
[verb]
[knut-se-len, knut-sel-de, ge-knut-seld]

There's not really an exact equivalent in English for "knutselen". It varies from a handyman doing some home improvement, Do It Yourself chores, or children fiddling with paper, scissor and crayons...

Examples:
- "Nina heeft een mooie collage geknutseld op school." 
("Nina has made a beautiful collage at school.")

- "Waar is Frank?" - "Hij is aan het knutselen in het tuinhuisje."
("Where is Frank?" - "He's doing some home improvement in the garden house.")

- "Theo heeft het hele weekend besteed aan het knutselen aan zijn fiets." 
("Theo has spent the entire weekend on fiddling with his bike.")

Related words:
- Knippen: to cut, to use a scissor [verb] [knipte, geknipt].
- Plakken: to paste, to stick [verb] [plakte, geplakt].
- Kleuren: to colour [verb] [kleurde, gekleurd].
- Prutser: screw up <person> [noun] [de prutser, de prutsers].

Example:
- "Frank is een totale prutser."
("Frank is a total screw up.")

- Prutsen: to blunder, to be messing things up [verb] [prutste, geprutst].
- Verprutsen: to mess up [verb] [verprutste, verprutst].

Verhullen

to conceal (from), to mask, to cloak/veil
[verb]
[ver-hul-len, ver-hul-de, ver-huld]

"Verhullen" can be used both literally and figuratively.

Examples:
- "Het kasteel was volledig verhuld door de mist." 
("The castle was completely concealed by the mist.")

- "Met niets verhullende foto's choqueerde de krant haar lezers." 
("With revealing pictures, the newspaper shocked its readers.")

- "Het valt me op dat Frank zich vaak in verhullende termen uitdrukt." 
("I have noticed that Frank often expresses himself in masked terms.")

- "De werkzaamheden van de forensische experts werden verhuld voor het publiek door een afscheiding." 
("The work done by the forensic experts was concealed from the audienc by a fence." Contrary to what is practised in the popular tv series, Dutch CSI experts usually put up a tent that covers the crime scene.)

- "Zolang ze maar niet de waarheid verhullen, vind ik het best!" 
("As long as they do not conceal the truth it's fine with me!")

Related words:
- Verbergen: to hide, conceal, cover up [verb] [verborg, verborgen].
- Verhulling: concealment [noun] [de verhulling, de verhullingen].

Example:
- "Hoe noem je zo'n tent die ze gebruiken bij forensisch onderzoek?" - "Ik weet het niet, een verhullingstent??"
("What do you call one of those tents that they use when doing forensic research?" - "I don't know, a concealment tent??")

- Verstoppen: to hide [verb] [verstopte, verstopt].

Ben je betoeterd?!

Have you gone out of your mind?!
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Ben je betoeterd" is used informally and is a bit of a 'friendly' "have you gone out of your mind?!". As such it is often used to address children, as opposed to the stronger "ben je gestoord?!" or "ben je besodemieterd?!". It can also be used in the meaning of "don't be daft/ridiculous".

A common variation is "ben je nu helemaal betoeterd" ("have you gone completely out of your mind").

Note that "toeteren" is the Dutch verb for "to honk/blast/toot".

Examples:
- "Mevrouw, bent u nu helemaal betoeterd, wij staan hier allemaal te wachten en ik ben aan de beurt!" 
("Madam, have you gone out of your mind, we are all waiting (in line) and it is my turn!")

- "Zal ik je thuis afzetten?"- "Ah joh, ben je betoeterd, ik loop wel." 
("Shall I drop you off at your house?" - "Oh don't be ridiculous, I'll walk.")

- "Ben je nu helemaal betoeterd?! Wat heeft mamma nou gezegd, hier met dat koekje!" 
("Are you out of your mind?! What did mummy tell you, now give me that cookie/biscuit!")

Expressions:
- "Ben je (nu helemaal) van de pot gerukt?!": a popular more vulgar alternative to "ben je betoeterd". Literally it says "have you been pulled off the pot(ty)?!" .
- "Ben je gek/gestoord?!": are you crazy/insane?!.

Related words:
- Toeter: horn, blower [noun] [de toeter, de toeters].
- Toeteren: to blast, to honk [verb] [toeterde, getoeterd].

Klokslag

stroke of a clock
[noun]
[de klok-slag, de klok-sla-gen]

"Klokslag" is composed of "klok" and "slag", which respectively translate to "clock" and "strike/stroke/blow. "Klokslag" is therefore the stroke of a clock.

You will encounter "klokslag" mostly though in the idiom "klokslag [t] uur" or "klokslag half [t]", where t can be any hour of the day. It is best translated with "at exactly [t] o'clock".

The English idiom "at the stroke of midnight" cannot be literally translated with "klokslag middernacht". This would be "precies om middernacht".

Examples:
- "Dat is gek, het is nu drie uur, en ik hoor vier klokslagen..." 
("That's funny, it's three o'clock now, and I hear four strokes now...")

- "Om klokslag zes uur zal een zwarte auto het geld oppikken. Volg deze niet." 
("At exactly six o'clock a black car will pick up the money. Do not follow.")

- "Precies om middernacht verandert Frank in een kikker." 
("At the stroke of midnight, Frank will change into a frog.")

Expressions:
- "Haastige spoed is zelden goed": haste makes waste.

Related words:
- Horloge: watch [noun] [het horloge, de horloges].
- Wijzer: pointer [noun] [de wijzer, de wijzers].

Example:
- "Als de grote en de kleine wijzer samenvallen, is het twaalf uur."
("If the hour and the minute pointer are aligned, it's twelve o'clock.")

- Klok: clock [noun] [de klok, de klokken].
- Slag: strike, blow [noun] [de slag, de slagen].

Dubben

to be in doubt, to have doubts
[verb]
[dub-ben, dub-de, ge-dubd]

"Dubben" has nothing to do with "dubbing a movie", which would be "nasynchroniseren" in Dutch. ("Dubbing" is, by the way, never done in the Netherlands, except for some commercials and children's movies, but in case of the latter you can still see the original if you want). "Dubben" is a bit informal and usually does not imply a strong doubt.

Examples:
- "Heeft Frank al een flatscreen gekocht?" - "Misschien, maar volgens mij dubt hij er nog over." 
("Has Frank already bought a flatscreen tv?" - "Maybe, but I think he is still in doubt.")

- "Sander is aan het dubben of hij wel of niet een auto moet huren in Engeland." 
("Sander has doubts whether or not to rent a car in England.")

- "Waar wacht je op?" - "Niks, ik dub nog een beetje, dat is alles." 
("What are you waiting for?" -"Nothing, I'm still a bit in doubt, that is all.")

- "Anne-Liesbeth heeft lang gedubd of ze verlof zou nemen, maar uiteindelijk heeft ze het gedaan." 
("For a long time Anne-Liesbeth was in doubt whether or not to take leave, but eventually she did it." Note the relationship between the Dutch word "verlof" and the English "furlough". Also note that Dutch people often say "eventually" when they mean "possibly" or "potentially" (which can translate to "eventueel" in Dutch).)

Related words:
- Twijfelen: to be in doubt [verb] [twijfelde, getwijfeld].
- Aarzelen: to hesitate [verb] [aarzelde, geaarzeld].
- Betwijfelen: to doubt (something) [verb] [betwijfeld, betwijfeld].

Example:
- "Zal Frank vandaag op tijd zijn?" - "Nou, ik betwijfel het ten zeerste!"
("Will Frank be on time today?" - "Well, I seriously doubt it!")

Geniaal

brilliant, highly-gifted
[adverb/adjective]
[ge-ni-aal]

"Geniaal" is linked to "genius" ("genie" in Dutch) and has always been used in the sense of "highly-gifted" people. A synonym of "geniaal" is "hoogbegaafd" (literally: "highgifted"). You can also use the word to describe ingenious ideas, events, people, jokes, food, places etc..

Examples:
- "De nieuwe show van die cabaretier is geniaal, je moet hem zien!" 
("The new show by that cabaret performer is brilliant, you have to see it!")

- "Mensen met een IQ van boven de 148 worden beschouwd als geniaal." 
("People with an IQ of over 148 are considered to be highly-gifted." Note that in this sentence, you can replace "geniaal" by "hoogbegaafd".)

- "Heb je de laatste tijd nog iets leuks gelezen?" "-Ja, 'Saturday' van Ian McEwan, echt een geniaal boek!"
(-"Have you read anything fun lately?" "-Yes, 'Saturday' by Ian McEwan, a truly brilliant book!")

- "Clifton is een geniaal strand in Kaapstad." 
("Clifton is a fantastic beach in Cape Town.")

- "De Graaf van Monte Christo bedacht een geniaal ontsnappingsplan." 
("The Count of Monte Christo came up with a brilliant plan of escape.")

Related words:
- Hoogbegaafd: highly gifted [adjective, adverb].
- Genie: genius [noun] [het genie, de genieën].

Example:
- "Vind je Bill Gates een genie van onze tijd?"
("Do you think Bill Gates is a genius of our time?")

- Briljant: 1. brilliant [adverb/adjective]; 2. diamond [noun] [de briljant, de briljanten].

Extra:
Note that the plural of "genie" gets an extra "e" in the plural "de genieën". This is due to the fact that the emphasis of the singular "genie" is on the last syllable. The same goes for instance for "idee" ("idea") which becomes "ideeën" but not for "kolonie" ("colony") where emphasis is not put on the last syllable but on the middle one: "ko-lo-nie". Therefore, the plural of "kolonie" is "koloniën".

Om de haverklap

(at) every moment, continuously, at the merest trifle
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Haver" translates to "oat(s)". "Klap" literally translates to "blow". A "haverklap" was probably something like a handful of straw, which was considered a small, trivial thing. "Om de haverklap" hence meant something like "at the point of a trivial thing": every moment, at the merest trifle.

Examples:
- "Frank heeft om de haverklap een afspraakje via een datingsite." 
("Frank continuously has a date via a dating site.")

- "De aandeelhoudersvergadering van Fortis liep om de haverklap uit de hand." 
("The Fortis shareholder's meeting was getting out of hand at the merest trifle.")

- "De beurs stort om de haverklap in elkaar." 
("The stock exchange crashes constantly at the merest trifle.")

- "Philip kletst om de haverklap uit zijn nek." 
("Philip is talking nonsense all the time.")

Related words:
- Vaak: often [adverb].
- Dikwijls: often, frequently [adverb].

Hilarisch

hilarious
[adjective]
[hi-la-risch]

"Hilarisch" is used the same way in Dutch as "hilarious" in English, yet it seems we only use it when something is really hilarious (as in "extremely funny"). When something is "very funny" it is more common to say "(heel) erg grappig" ("really very funny"), "ontzettend grappig" ("incredibly funny") etc.

Note that one pronounces the ending '-isch' as '-ies'.

Examples:
- "Het is hilarisch om te zien hoe sommige mensen afgaan bij de Idols audities." 
("It's hilarious to see how some people humiliate themselves at the Idols auditions.")

- "Hilarisch? Nee hilarisch zou ik het niet willen noemen, eerder zielig." 
("Hilarious? No, I wouldn't call it hilarious, I'd rather call it pathetic.")

- "Hoe was de comedyshow in het Comedy Theater?"- "Erg goed, sommige van die gasten zijn echt hilarisch!" 
("How was the comedy show in 'Comedy Theater'?" - "Very good, some of those guys are really hilarious!")

Expressions:
- "Lachen, gieren, brullen": literally "laughing, screaming, roaring" this is used to say you had a really good laugh. Often also used ironically.

Example:
- "Hoe was de nieuwe film met Mr. Bean?"- "Nou, het was weer lachen, gieren, brullen. Maar niet heus."
("How was the new Mr. Bean movie?" - "Well, once again it was really funny. Not...")

- "Buikpijn hebben van het lachen": literally "to have stomachache because of laughing" you say this when you really have or had to laugh hard because of something.

Related words:
- Grappig: funny, amusing [adjective/adverb].
- Komisch: comical, funny [adjective/adverb].

Waarderen

1. to appreciate, to value, to esteem, to rate
[verb]
[waar-de-ren, waar-deer-de, ge-waar-deerd]

Here "waarderen" is used when you want to express appreciation or value/esteem something or somebody. You can also use "waarderen" in case of monetary value, see translation 2 below. Read the Extra below on what the equivalent of American-English "I appreciate it" could be in Dutch.

Examples:
- "Ik waardeer het enorm dat je vandaag gekomen bent." 
("I very much appreciate you being here today." Lit.: "...  that you have come today.")

- "Ik kan een sigaar op zijn tijd wel waarderen." 
("I appreciate (smoking) a cigar every so now and then.")

- "Het spijt me, maar uw bijdrage aan deze discussie wordt niet gewaardeerd." 
("I'm sorry, but your contribution to this discussion is not appreciated.")

- "Helaas moeten we vandaag afscheid nemen van een bijzonder gewaardeerde collega." 
("Unfortunately, today we have to say goodbye to a highly esteemed colleague.")

- "Over het algemeen voel ik me op mijn werk ondergewaardeerd."
("In general I feel undervalued at work.")

Related words:
- Op prijs stellen: to appreciate [verb] [stel op prijs, op prijs gesteld].

Example:
- "Uw aanwezigheid wordt niet op prijs gesteld."
("Your presence is not appreciated.")

Extra:
Sometimes people ask us how to say "I appreciate it" in Dutch. You can use the verb "waarderen" but mind that its usage is quite formal, i.e. when you say "ik waardeer het" or "het wordt gewaardeerd dat..." then you are making a bit of a strong statement, but it is the thing to say when you seriously want to thank somebody. If you however want to informally say "I appreciate it" or when the circumstances do not mandate a formal or very strong statement of appreciation, it is better just to say thank you (see the DWOTD "Dankjewel"), or you can use one of the following phrases:

- "(Dat is) tof van je": that is nice of you [informal].
- "Dat is (bijzonder) aardig/vriendelijk van je/u": that is (really) nice of you.

2. to value, to estimate, to appraise, to rate, to mark
[verb]
[waar-de-ren, waar-deer-de, ge-waar-deerd]

Here "waarderen" is used in the context of monetary value, or when you want to rate the quality of something. There is a strong link with the noun "waarde": value.

Examples:
- "De film 'Gran Torino' wordt door de recensenten hoog gewaardeerd." 
("The film 'Gran Torino' is highly rated by the critics.")

- "Nederlandse huizen zijn over het algemeen overgewaardeerd en het wordt tijd dat de prijzen gaan dalen!" 
("In general Dutch houses are overvalued and it is about time that the prices will drop!")

Related words:
- Waarde: value [noun] [de waarde, de waarden]. Note that the word is used for both "monetary" and "moral" value.
- Prijs: price, cost [noun] [de prijs, de prijzen].
- Taxatie: assessment, appraisal (of an object) [noun] [de taxatie, de taxaties].

Het loopt de spuigaten uit

It's going too far, it's getting out of hand
[Dutch phrase of the week]

This expression is applicable to a situation where a certain negative development is going on for some time, and is getting out of hand at some point.

A "spuigat" is a so-called scupper: an opening in the hull of a ship, at deck level, for purposes of draining water. "Het loopt de spuigaten uit" literally means: It (i.e. water) runs out of the scuppers. So when water is draining from the scuppers, this means that the deck is covered in a layer of water, which is an undesirable situation...

If you want to specify the thing or situation that is getting out of hand, you say: "Het loopt de spuigaten uit met [thing/situation]", see the Examples. A related word is "spui" which you might recognize if you live in The Hague or Amsterdam, see below.

Examples:
- "Het loopt de spuigaten uit met de criminaliteit in de grote steden." 
("Crime is getting out of hand in the big cities.")

- "Ga je vanavond weer naar een feest? Dat is belachelijk! Het loopt de spuigaten uit!" 
("Are you going to a party again tonight? That's ridiculous! It's getting out of hand!.")

- "Ik kan niet meer tegen het gedoe...het loopt de spuigaten uit!" 
("I can't stand the fuss anymore...it's going too far!")

Expressions:
- "Dit gaat te ver": this is going too far.
- "Dit loopt uit de hand": this is getting out of hand. Lit.: this walks out of the hand.

Related words:
- Spuien: to drain (off), to sluice surplus water [verb] [spuide, gespuid]. Note that "spuien" can also be used figuratively: to spout (knowledge/criticism etc.).
- Spui: the place in town where one would sluice surplus water in the old days. There is a Spui in at least Amsterdam and in The Hague.
- Gat: hole [noun] [het gat, de gaten].

Heksenketel

chaos, pandemonium
[noun]
[de hek-sen-ke-tel, de hek-sen-ke-tels]

"Heksenketel" is composed of "heks" and "ketel", which respectively translate to "witch" and "cauldron/kettle". "Heksenketel" therefore literally translates to "witches' cauldron". However...unless you're reading a Harry Potter book, you will only hear "heksenketel" being used in its figurative meaning: a place or situation with (lots of) confusion and disorder: a chaos or pandemonium.

Examples:
- "Het was vanochtend een heksenketel op de Nederlandse wegen." 
("It was chaos on the Dutch roads this morning.")

- "Tijdens de Drie Dwaze Dagen is het altijd een heksenketel in de Bijenkorf." 
("During the Three Mad Days it's always a pandemonium at the Bijenkorf department store.")

- "Na de wedstrijd Ajax-Feyenoord was het weer een enorme heksenketel rond het stadion." 
("After the Ajax-Feyenoord match it was a big chaos again around the stadium.")

Expressions:
- "Heksen": lit.: to perform witchcraft [verb] [hekste, gehekst]. Fig.: to do the impossible.

Example:
- "Je moet als de wiedeweerga je koffer in gaan pakken, anders halen we het vliegtuig niet" - "Rustig, rustig, ik kan niet heksen!"
("You have to pack your suitcase on the double, otherwise we'll miss the plane" - "Slow down, slow down, I can't do the impossible!")

Related words:
- Heks: witch [noun] [de heks, de heksen].
- Ketel: cauldron, kettle [noun] [de ketel, de ketels].
- Bezem: broom [noun] [de bezem, de bezems].

Example:
- "De bezem van Harry Potter is een Nimbus 2000...de snelste in zijn soort..."
("Harry Potter's broom is a Nimbus 2000...the fastest of its kind...")

- Heksenjacht: witch hunt [noun] [de heksenjacht, de heksenjachten].
- Hekserij: witchcraft [noun] [de hekserij, <no plural>].

Extra:
The Harry Potter books are immensly popular in the Netherlands too. Except for Harry, Voldemort and Hagrid, the translated names of the characters (and other things) differ quite a lot from the original English names. Here's a brief overview:
- Harry Potter : Harry Potter
- Ron Weasly : Ron Wemel
- Hermione Granger : Hermelien Griffel
- Hagrid : Hagrid.
- Albus Dumbledore : Albus Perkamentus
- Voldemort : Voldemort
- Severus Snape : Severus Sneep
- Draco Malfoy : Draco Malfidus
- Gryffindor : Griffoendor
- Slytherin : Zwadderich
For an extensive overview, check this link.

Detail

detail
[noun]
[het de-tail, de de-tails]

The only detail worth mentioning here is the pronunciation of the word "detail". Due to the "ai" sound, the "l" kind of turns into a "j". Listen to Marc giving it a try as soon as the audio is available :-)

Examples:
- "Ach man, dat zijn toch allemaal details, waar maak je je druk om!" 
("Man, those are all just details, what are you so worried about!")

- "Sander is gek op al de details die oude Amsterdamse huizen hebben." 
("Sander really likes all the details that old Amsterdam houses have.")

- "Is Sarah in Oslo of in Lillehammer?" - "Wat maakt het uit, dat is slechts een detail!"
("Is Sarah in Oslo or in Lillehammer?" - "Whatever, that's just a detail!")

- "Hij richt zich altijd op de technische details van een oplossing en nooit op het grotere plaatje." 
("He always focuses on the technical details of a solution and never on the bigger picture.")

- "Wie, Frank? Nee die geeft inderdaad niet om details, dat kun je wel zien aan zijn voorkomen." 
("Who, Frank? No, clearly he doesn't care about details, you can tell from his appearance.")

Expressions:
- "In grote lijnen": on the whole, broadly speaking.
- "Oog hebben voor detail": to have an eye for detail.
- "High level": high level. One of the many English management expressions that have been incorporated into Dutch office jargon.

Related words:
- Gedetailleerd: detailed [adjective/adverb].
- Helicopterview: helicopter view [noun].
- Mierenneuken: to nitpick [verb] [mierenneukte, gemierenneukt].

Verklikken

to betray, to give away, to tattle
[verb]
[ver-klik-te, ver-klikt]

"Verklikken" or "klikken" is to give away information about a person to someone else. The informer is called a "verklikker". The verb is often used when it concerns petty tale-telling by children. More serious betrayal is called "verraad", the person who betrays is a "verrader" ("traitor"), and the verb is "verraden" ("to betray"). A synonymous verb which is slightly more informal than "verraden" is "verlinken". Another verb which also means to reveal something is "verklappen". Unlike "verklikken", "verraden", and "verlinken", this verb doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation.

Examples:
- "Het meisje verklikte tegen haar moeder dat haar broertje de koektrommel had leeg gegeten." 
("The girl told her mother that her brother emptied the cookie box.")

- "Haar beste vriendin gaat vreemd met haar man; ze voelt zich verraden." 
("Her best friend cheats on her with her husband; she feels betrayed.")

- "In de Tweede Wereldoorlog werden Joodse families soms verraden door hun eigen buren."
("During the Second World War, Jewish families were sometimes betrayed by their own neighbours.")

- "De crimineel verlinkte zijn handlangers in ruil voor strafvermindering." 
("The criminal gave away his accomplices in exchange for a reduction of his sentence.")

- "Je mag niemand verklappen wat we gaan doen, het is een verrassing." 
("You cannot tell anyone what we will do, it's a surprise.")

- "In 2002 werd de kliklijn "Meld misdaad anoniem" landelijk ingevoerd." 
("In 2002, the telephone number "Report crime anonymously" was introduced in the entire country." Please note that "kliklijn" means "squeal-line".)

Related words:
- "[Iemand] verlinken": to betray [someone], to disclose against [verb] [verlinkte, verlinkt].
- "[Iets of iemand] verraden": to betray [something or someone] [verb] [verried, verraden].
- "Verraad": betrayal [noun] [het verraad, no plural].
- "Verrader": betrayer [noun] [de verrader, de verraders].
- "Verklikker": informer [noun] [de verklikker, de verklikkers].
- "[Iets] klikken": to reveal [something], to tell [verb] [klikte, verklikt].
- "Kliklijn": phonenumber that you can call if you want to reveal secret information [noun] [de kliklijn, de kliklijnen].

Tegenvallen

to be disappointing
[verb]
[te-gen-val-len, viel te-gen, is te-gen-ge-val-len]

"Tegenvallen" is used  when something does not answer to one's positive expectations. The related noun is "tegenvaller": disappointment/setback. When something is very disappointing, you can add a number of adverbs, see Extra.

You may often see a construction in the third person with an objective pronoun, for example: "Het valt me tegen dat...", which translates to "It's disappointing to me that.../It disappoints me that...".

The opposite is the verb "meevallen" and the noun "meevaller", which is used when something does not meet one's negative expectations.

Examples:
- "Het miezert weer vandaag...dat valt tegen." 
("It drizzles again today...that's disappointing.")

- "De beurskoersen vallen weer behoorlijk tegen deze week." 
("The stock exchange indexes are pretty disappointing again this week.")

- "Het valt me vies tegen dat ik een bekeuring heb gekregen voor 3 km te hard rijden." 
("It really disappoints me that I've had a speeding ticket for driving 3 km/h too fast.")

Related words:
- Teleurstellen: to disappoint [verb] [stelde teleur, teleurgesteld].
- Teleurstelling: disappointment [noun] [de teleurstelling, de teleurstellingen].

Extra:
When something is very disappointing, you can add a number of adverbs. We've given the literal translation:
- erg tegenvallen: to be very disappointing.
- echt tegenvallen: to be really disappointing.
- zwaar tegenvallen: to be heavily disappointing.
- bijzonder tegenvallen: to be especially disappointing.
- vies tegenvallen: to be dirty disappointing.
- behoorlijk tegenvallen: to be quite disappointing.

Van hier tot Tokio

From here to Timbuktu
[Dutch phrase of the week]

I have heard people say "from here to Timbuktu" but I am not sure whether it is used in exactly the same way... In any case: you can use the informal expression "van hier tot Tokio" ("from here to Tokyo") when you want to say that something is very long, or covers a long distance. Sometimes you might hear it used to refer to large quantities.

Examples:
- "Wat ben je laat!"- "Ja, er stond een rij bij de Albert Heijn van hier tot Tokio!" 
("You are late!"- "Yeah, there was a really long queue/line at Albert Heijn!")

- "Het is bizar hoeveel fietsen er staan bij Amsterdam Centraal; rij aan rij van hier tot Tokio!" 
("It is bizar how many bicycles are stalled at Amsterdam Central; row after row from here to Timbuktu!")

- "Als ik jou was zou ik nog even wachten, er staat een file op de A13 van hier tot Tokio." 
("I would wait a bit if I were you, there is a huge traffic jam on the A13.")

Related words:
- "Verweggistan": an unknown country very far away. Composed of "ver weg" ("far away") and the suffix -istan (to make it sound like other far way countries ending in -istan :-) ).
- "Kilometers lang": kilometres long.

Mijn naam is haas

It's nothing to do with me
[Dutch phrase of the week]

Literally, "mijn naam is haas" translates to "my name is hare"... It is a translation of the German expression "Mein Name ist Hase", see Extra. The expression is used  - often jestingly and apologetically - to say that you don't know anything about something or that something has nothing to do with you.

Examples:
- "Welke prutser is verantwoordelijk voor deze flutpresentatie?" - "Mijn naam is haas." 
("Which screw-up is responsible for this rubbish presentation?" - "It's nothing to do with me.")

- "Ik snap dat Frank bonje zoekt, maar mijn naam is haas." 
("I understand that Frank's looking to pick a fight, but it's nothing to do with me.")

- "Wie heeft de magnetron zo vies gemaakt?"  - "Mijn naam is haas."
("Who messed up the microwave like that?" - "It's nothing to do with me.")

Expressions:
- "Als een haas er vandoor gaan": to be off like a shot.
- "Ik weet van niks": I don't know anything about it. Lit.: I know of nothing.

Example:
- "Wie heeft er zo geroddeld over Lisa?" - "Ik weet van niks..."
("Who has spread such rumours about Lisa?" - "I don't know anything about that...")

Related words:
- Naam: name [noun] [de naam, de namen].

Example:
- "Hoe is uw naam?" - "Sanders."
("What's your name?" - "Sanders". Lit.: "How is your name?")

- Haas: hare [noun] [de haas, de hazen].
- Haasje-over: leap-frog (children's game) [noun] [het haasje-over,<no plural>].

Extra:
"Mijn naam is haas" is translated from the German expression "Mein Name ist Hase" and dates back to a historical event. In 1855, a foreign student had shot his opponent at a duel. The student fled to France to escape prosecution. On his way, he met the German law student Victor Hase in Heidelberg. In order to pass the French-German border in Straßburg, the refugee needed identification papers. He asked Hase, who had a student ID, for help. Now, abusing a student ID was prohibited by the law, but Hase was willing to cooperate. He 'lost' is student ID, the refugee 'found' it, and was able to cross the border. Then things went wrong. After his arrival in France, the refugee lost the student ID, but unfortunately, it turned up again. Hase was called to account in the university's court of law. To save himself, he used a juridical formula: Mein Name ist Hase, ich verneine die Generalfragen, ich weiss von nichts (My name is Hase, I deny the general questions, I know of nothing). The expression soon spread in the short version across the whole of Germany, and also reached the Netherlands.

<From: van Dale - Groot Uitdrukkingen woordenboek>

Miezeren

to drizzle, to mizzle
[verb]
[mie-zer-de, ge-mie-zerd]

As is the case with the verb "regenen", you can only use "miezeren" in the third person singular: "het miezert". A common synonym for "miezeren" is "motregenen", see the Related words.

Examples:
- "Als ik naar buiten kijk, dan word ik niet echt vrolijk; het miezert alleen maar." 
("Looking outside doesn't really cheer me up; all it does is drizzle." Lit. "when I look outside, I don't exactly get happy...")

- "Wat wordt het voor weer morgen?" - "Volgens mij gaat het de hele dag miezeren." 
("What will the weather be like tomorrow?" - "I think it will drizzle all day long.")

- "Hoe was je vakantie?" - "Verschrikkelijk, het heeft twee weken gemiezerd en de laatste week kwam het met bakken uit de hemel." 
("How was your holiday?" - "Terrible, it drizzled for two weeks and the last week it poured." Lit.: "it came out of the sky with bins/tanks/containers.")

Related words:
- Miezerig: drizzly, or: tiny, puny, measly [adjective].
- Regen: rain [noun] [de regen, <no plural>].
- Motregen: drizzle [noun] [de motregen, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Ik heb een hekel aan motregen; het regent niet echt, en toch word je helemaal nat."
("I hate drizzle; it does not really rain, and still you get completely wet.")

- Motregenen: to drizzle/mizzle [verb] [motregende, gemotregend].

Prutser

incompetent blunderer, screw up <person>
[noun]
[de prut-ser, de prut-sers]

A "prutser" is a person who screws or messes things up. The related verb is "prutsen", which translates to "to blunder". You may also say the verb "verprutsen", which translates to "to mess up". The difference with "prutsen" is that "prutsen" indicates that you're still in the middle of messing things up, while "verprutsen" is more focussed on reaching a messed up state in the end.

Examples:
- "Frank is een totale prutser." 
("Frank is a total screw up.")

- "Afgelopen dinsdag is Gmail getroffen door een wereldwijde storing."  - "De prutsers..."
("Gmail was hit by a worldwide breakdown last Tuesday." - "Screw ups...")

Expressions:
- "Twee linkerhanden hebben": to have two left feet. Lit.: to have two left hands

Related words:
- Prutsen: to blunder, to be messing things up [verb] [prutste, geprutst].
- Verprutsen: to mess up [verb] [verprutste, verprutst].

Example:
- "Ik heb mijn tentamen helemaal verprutst."
("I've totally screwed up my exam.")

- Lutser: combination of a loser and a "prutser":-) [noun] [de lutser, de lutsers].
- Kluns: clumsy person [noun] [de kluns, de klunzen].
- Klojo: f*ck/screw up (person) [noun] [de klojo, de klojo's].

Storing

disturbance, interruption, failure, technical malfunction
[noun]
[de sto-ring, de sto-ring-en]

The verb "storen" translates to "to disturb/intrude/interrupt/interfere" and is used in both a technical and non-technical context. The noun "storing" however is mostly used in its translation of "technical failure/malfunction".

Examples:
- "Wereldwijde storing treft Gmail." 
("Gmail hit by worldwide breakdown.")

- "Vanwege een seinstoring is er geen treinverkeer mogelijk tussen Amsterdam en Den Haag." 
("Due to signal failure there are no trains between Amsterdam and The Hague." Lit.: "there is no train traffic between ...")

- "Er is een storing op Schiphol, je kunt op dit moment niet inchecken." 
("There is a service interruption at Schiphol airport, you cannot check in at the moment.")

Related words:
- Onderbreking: disruption [noun] [de onderbreking, de onderbrekingen].
- Buiten dienst/werking: out of service/order.
- Storen: to interrupt/interfere/disturb [verb] [stoorde, gestoord].
- Gestoord: defective, mentaly disturbed [adjective].

Daar heb ik geen boodschap aan

That is not of my concern, that is of no relevance to me
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Boodschap" can be translated as "message" or "grocery". See also DWOTD Supermarkt for more on "boodschap". The meaning of "Daar heb ik geen boodschap aan", most likely refers to its meaning as "message". Literally, it can be translated as "I don't have a message on that" but that doesn't make much sense. A sentence with a similar meaning is "Daar heb ik niks mee te maken".

Examples:
- "Wat de buurman van mijn tuin vindt, daar heb ik geen boodschap aan." 
("What the neighbour thinks of my garden doesn't interest me at all.")

- "Hij heeft geen boodschap aan de ouderwetse opvattingen van zijn overgrootoma." 
("He has no interest in the old-fashioned views of his great-grandmother.")

- "Zij heeft er geen boodschap aan wat haar studiegenoten van haar communistische opvattingen vinden." 
("It's of no interest to her what her classmates think of her communist views.")

- "De Nederlandse politicus Wilders had geen boodschap aan de oproep van de regering om zijn Koran-film niet te vertonen." 
("Dutch politician Wilders didn't care about the request of the government to refrain from showing his Quran-film.")

Related words:
- Boodschap: grocery, message [noun] [de boodschap, de boodschappen].
- Boodschappen doen: do groceries [verb] [deed boodschappen, heb boodschappen gedaan].

Flapdrol

dweeb, idiot, loony, wacko
[noun]
[de flap-drol, de flap-drol-len]

"Flapdrol" is composed of "flap" and "drol", which respectively translate to "flap" and "turd", so "flap turd" isn't a compliment :-)

"Flapdrol" is used informally and is a derogatory word for a lame and loony person (mostly male) without character.

Examples:
- "Het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar ik vind Frank een flapdrol." 
("It's probably just me, but I think Frank's a dweeb.")

- "Zie je die gast met dat groene haar? Wat een flapdrol!" 
("Do you see that dude with the green hair? What a loony!")

- "Wie is die flapdrol met dat brilletje?" - "Ho eens even! Dat is onze minister-president Jan-Peter Balkenende!"
("Who's the dweeb with the glasses?" - "Now just a minute! That's our prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende!")

Expressions:
- "Elke gek zijn gebrek": <ironical> Everybody's a fool sometimes.
- "Zalig de armen van geest, want hunner is het Koninkrijk der hemelen (Matteüs 5:3)": Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth 5:3).

Related words:
- Mafkees: crazy person, wacko [noun] [de mafkees, de mafkezen].
- Mafkikker: crazy person, wacko (lit.: crazy frog) [noun] [de mafkikker, de mafkikkers].

Bonje

row, fight, quarrel
[noun]
[de bon-je, <no plural>]

You can say that there is "bonje" somewhere, that people are having "bonje" or that there is "bonje" between people. It is not necessarily a row or fight, it can also be the state of people being heavily in disagreement, not talking to each other etc. It is in fact quite similar to "ruzie" but its usage is more informal.

Examples:
- "Hoor je dat lawaai hiernaast? Volgens mij hebben de buren bonje." 
("Do you hear that noise next door? I think the neighbours are fighting.")

- "Het begon als een discussie, maar aan het eind van de middag was het toch echt bonje." 
("It started out as a debate, but at the end of the afternoon it became a real fight after all." Note that quite often a "discussie" in Dutch is more a debate/argument than a conversation.)

- "Kunnen Robert en Erica beter niet uit elkaar gaan; het is altijd bonje tussen die twee." 
("Shouldn't Robert and Erica break up; they are always fighting / having arguments.")

- "Wat is er? Hebben jullie bonje?" 
("What's wrong? Are you (guys) fighting?")

Related word:
- Ruzie: quarrel, row, argument, fight [noun] [de ruzie, de ruzies].

Het zal wel aan mij liggen

It's probably (just) me
[Dutch phrase of the week]

The verb "liggen" usually translates to "to lie" (position of the body), or "to be" (location of an object). "Liggen aan" can therefore mean "to be located at", but it can also take on the meaning of "to depend on", "to be caused by" or "to be due to". When you say "het zal wel aan mij liggen", you mean to say that it is probably because of the way you are, or the way that you interpret something, that you are somewhat bothered (by something).

Other examples of the use of "liggen aan" are: "het ligt altijd aan een ander" (it is always somebody else's fault) or the classic "het ligt niet aan jou, maar aan mij" (it's not you, it's me).

Examples:
- "Het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar ik vind 2,40 voor een biertje behoorlijk duur!" 
("I think 2,40 for a beer is quite expensive, but that's probably just me!")

- "Ik dacht eerst, het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar later gaf zij zelf toe dat ze fout zat." 
("At first I thought it was because of me, but later she admitted that she was wrong.")

- "Ik vind het asociaal als mensen afval op straat gooien, maar goed, het zal wel weer aan mij liggen." 
("I think it is antisocial when people litter, but hey, it is probably just me again." Literally we say: "throw rubbish on the street.")

Related word:
- Oorzaak: cause, origin [noun] [de oorzaak, de oorzaken].

Dat is geen stijl!

That's no way to behave! [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Dat is geen stijl" literally means "That is no style". "Stijl" means "style" or "manner". Check out this DWOTD to see an example how "style" can be used.

Examples:
- "De autobestuurder reed die voetgangers bijna overhoop terwijl ze over een zebra liepen, dat is echt geen stijl!" 
("The driver of the car almost ran over those pedestrians even though they were walking on a pedestrian crossing, that's no way to behave!")

- "Hij zei helemaal niks tegen haar, deed alsof ze er niet was, dat vind ik echt geen stijl." 
("He didn't say a word to her, pretended she wasn't there, I think that's no way to treat people.")

- "De weblog geenstijl.nl publiceert artikelen en geruchten." 
("The weblog geenstijl.nl publishes news articles and gossip.")

- "<Plaatje:> Mondriaan en Rietveld waren Nederlandse kunstenaars die volgens de principes van "De Stijl" werkten." 
("<Picture:> Mondriaan and Rietveld were Dutch artists who worked according to the principles of "The Style".")

Expressions:
- "In stijl": stylishly.
- "Gevoel voor stijl hebben": to have class/style.

Related words:
- Stijl: style, manner, class [noun] [de stijl, de stijlen].
- Stijlloos: tasteless, tacky, ill-mannered [adverb/adjective].

Conferentie

conference
[noun]
[de con-fe-ren-tie, de con-fe-ren-ties]

Quite often Dutch people also use the word "congres" which is similar to "conferentie", so a Dutch person might tell you that "he is going to a congress", see the Related words. Note that the "tie" in "conferentie" is pronounced "tsie".

Examples:
- "Volgende week ben ik niet op kantoor, want ik ga naar een conferentie." 
("Next week I will not be in the office, because I'll be going to a conference.")

- "Ga je wel eens naar een conferentie voor je werk?" - "Nee, mijn werkgever vindt dat niet nodig." 
("Do you ever attend a conference for work?" - "No, my employer feels it is not necessary.")

- "Is je artikel al gepubliceerd?" - "Nee nog niet, ik presenteer het eerst op een conferentie." 
("Has your paper been published yet?" - "No not yet, I will first present it at a conference.")

- "Is Sarah in Tallinn voor die conferentie?" - "Misschien, ze heeft er niets over tegen mij gezegd. Sander is er wel, dat weet ik zeker." 
("Is Sarah in Tallinn for that conference?" - "Maybe, she has not said anything about it to me. Sander is there, that I know for sure.")

Related words:
- Vergadering: meeting [noun] [de vergadering, de vergaderingen].
- Congres: conference [noun] [het congres, de congressen]. In Dutch the word "congres" is often used for a more formal or bigger conference.

Example:
- "Ga je naar een congres of naar een conferentie?" - "Ik weet het niet, wat is het verschil?"
("Are you going to a 'conferentie' or to a 'congres' "? - "I don't know, what is the difference?")

Doofpot

extinguisher [noun] [de doof-pot, de doof-pot-ten]

The only place where I've ever spotted a "doofpot" was at my grandparents' place. My grandfather used to put the ashes of his pipe's tobacco in it and I remember we were warned not to put any paper in it. In its literal meaning of "extinguisher", most "doofpotten" will be found at antique stores. In its figurative sense, "doofpot" is still used very often in newspapers when describing hush-hush politics or some scandal that was covered up.

The word "doof" is generally used in its translation of "deaf", however in "doofpot" it is derived from the verb "doven" which means "to extinguish". "Pot" means "jar" or "pot".

Examples:
- "Mijn grootouders hadden een koperen doofpot." 
("My grandparents had a copper extinguisher.")

Expressions:
- "Iets in de doofpot stoppen": to cover something up, to sweep something under the carpet.

Example:
- "De buitenechtelijke affaires van prins Bernard werden in de doofpot gestopt."
("The extramarital affairs of prince Bernard were covered up.")

- "De redenen voor het gedwongen aftreden van de Minister President werden in de doofpot gestopt."
("The reasons for the impeachment of the Prime Minister were hushed.")

Related words:
- Doof: deaf [adjective/adverb].
- Doven: to extinguish [verb] [doofde, gedoofd].

Example:
- "De priester doofde de kaarsen in de kerk."
("The priest put out the candles in the church.")

- Pot: jar, pot [noun] [de pot, de potten].

Maar niet heus!

But not really! / ...not! [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Maar niet heus" is often used jestingly or to emphasize an ironic statement. The word "heus" means "real", "true". It is not used that often, but you will hear it in expressions such as: "is het heus?" ("is it really the case / true?") or "heus niet!" ("no, honestly!, "really not the case!").

Examples:
- "Ja, ik heb er echt veel zin in... maar niet heus!" 
("Yeah, I really feel like it / I am really looking forward to it... not!")

- "Ik moet dit weekend naar mijn schoonouders, dat wordt weer gezellig! ... Maar niet heus!"
("This weekend I'm visiting my parents in law, it will be fun! ... Not!")

- "Vorige maand ben ik wezen schaatsen. Ik kon het nog net zo goed als 15 jaar geleden ... maar niet heus." 
("I went ice skating last month. I was just as good (at it) as I was 15 years ago... but not really.")

Kansloos

hopeless, desperate, without chance [adjective/adverb] [kans-loos]

"Kansloos" consists of "kans" and "-loos". "Kans" means "chance", "opportunity" or "possibility". The ending "-loos" means "without" and refers to the word it follows. Therefore, "kansloos" literally means "without chance" and it is used in that way when describing hopeless plans, hopeless behaviour or any hopeless situation. Informally, "kansloos" is also used when referring to people (see Examples).

The opposite of the "-loos" is "-rijk". "Rijk" literally means "rich". A word ending with "-rijk" means "with many" or "full of", again referring to the word it follows. Like "rijk", the separate "loos" does have a meaning too,  which is somewhat formal: "empty", or the somewhat old-fashioned meaning "missing" (see Extra), and in the expression: "wat is (hier) loos?": "what's going on (here)?"

Examples:
- "De Atlantische oceaan oversteken in een kano is een kansloze onderneming."
("Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a canoe is a hopeless plan." Please note that "een kansloze onderneming" can be replaced here by "onbegonnen werk".)

- "Roger Federer was kansloos tegen Jokovic." 
("Roger Federer didn't stand a chance against Jokovic.")

- "De deelgemeente Rotterdam-Zuid is dit project gestart om kansloze jongeren te helpen."
("The community Rotterdam-Zuid has started this project to support young people with few prospects." Note that in this sentence, "kansloos" can also be replaced by "kansarm" ("underprivileged"), literally "poor in chance".)

- "Hij heeft al zes talen geprobeerd te leren maar stopt steeds na drie maanden, het is echt kansloos." 
("He has already tried to learn six languages but he always quits after three months, it's really hopeless.")

- "Hij komt altijd te laat voor examens, hij is echt kansloos." 
("He's always late for exams, he's really hopeless.")

Expressions:
- "Wat is hier loos?": what's going on here?
- "Een loze bewering/belofte": An empty statement/promise.

Related words:
- Kans: chance, opportunity, possibility [noun] [de kans, de kansen].
- Kansrijk: full of chance, opportunity, possibility [adverb/adjective].
- Rijk: rich [adverb/adjective].
- Words ending on "-loos": without... [adverb/adjective].
- Arm: poor [adverb].
- Kansarm: underprivileged, having few prospects [adverb/adjective].

Extra:
"Daar was laatst een meisje loos" is the title of an old Dutch sailor song. It literally translates to "Recently a girl has been missing".

Lekker puh!

Serves you right! [Dutch phrase of the week]

It's good to know what "lekker puh" means, but mind that it is used mostly by children. It is often accompanied by making a face and sticking the tongue out. The expression is used teasingly, after outsmarting somebody, to rub something in, when you think somebody got what he/she deserved etc. The translation of "serves you right" doesn't cover it completely, but hopefully you get the gist. Also see some related Expressions.

Examples:
- "Ik ga morgen naar de Efteling en jij niet, lekker puh!" 
("I'm going to the Efteling tomorrow and you are not, ha ha ha!!" The "Efteling" is a popular (fairy tale) fun park.)

- "Ik heb van mamma het laatste snoepje gekregen... Lekker puh!" 
("Mom gave me the last piece of candy... Serves you right!")

- "Jij lachte mij gisteren uit maar nu heb je zelf een puistje, lekker puh!" 
("You laughed at me yesterday, but now you have a pimple yourself, serves you right!")

Expressions:
- "Lekker voor je!": a bit like "lekker puh", but more a cynical "good for you!".
- "(Het is) je verdiende loon!": this is what you deserve! Lit. "it is your deserved wage".

Volledig

complete(ly), full(y), entire(ly) [adverb/adjective] [vol-le-dig]

"Volledig" consists of two words: "vol" (meaning "full") and "ledig" (the old-fashioned word for "leeg" which means "empty"). So it seems to be a contradictio in terminis: what does it mean, full or empty? "Volledig" means full. A more often used synonym of "volledig" is "helemaal".

Related noun is "volledigheid": completeness, entirety.

Examples:
- "Dacht je dat ik jouw werk zou afmaken? Sorry, dat heb je volledig verkeerd begrepen!"
("Did you think that I would finish your work? I'm sorry, you completely misunderstood.")

- "Hij is volledig blut na zijn reis naar de casino's in Macau." 
("He is completely broke after his trip to the casinos in Macau.")

- "Heb je de volledige route naar van Amsterdam naar Santiago de Compostela gelopen?"
("Did you walk the entire way from Amsterdam to Santiago de Compostela?")

- "Voor de volledigheid zal ik de doelstellingen van het project nogmaals toelichten." 
("For the sake of completeness I will explain the objectives of the project once more." Please note that "volledigheid" is often used in a formal setting.)

- "Haar vakantie was volledig verziekt door de aanslag in Mumbai."
("Her vacation was totally ruined because of the attack in Mumbai.")

- "Zoek je een gedeeltelijk of volledig gemeubileerd appartement?"
("Are you looking for a partly or fully furnished apartment?")

- "Deze auto is volledig uitgerust om door de bergen te rijden."
("This car is fully equipped to drive through the mountains.")

- "Maak je geen zorgen, je kunt hem volledig vertrouwen."
("Don't worry, you can trust him completely.")

Related words:
- Volledigheid: completeness [noun] [de volledigheid, de volledigheden].
- Vol: full [adverb/adjective].
- Totaal: total [adverb/adjective].
- Heleboel: a (whole) lot, (quite) a lot, lots [noun] [de heleboel, <no plural>].
- Leeg: empty [adverb/adjective].

Betuttelen

to patronize [verb] [be-tut-tel-de, be-tut-teld]

"Tut" is an informal derogative for a somewhat stupid goose of a woman. "Betuttelen" would actually be something like "to treat like a 'tut' ". Don't confuse "tut" with the far more rude "trut", which translates to "b*tch"...

The related noun is "betutteling", see also Extra.

Examples:
- "Frank betuttelt zijn vriendin verschrikkelijk in het openbaar." 
("Frank dreadfully patronizes his girlfriend in public.")

- "Je moet een jong kind niet te veel betuttelen." 
("You shouldn't patronize a young child too much.")

- "Al die betuttelende regels van deze regering maken me gek!" 
("All those patronizing rules of this government make me crazy!")

Expressions:
- "Iemand de les lezen": to lecture someone.

Related words:
- Beschermen: to protect [verb] [beschermde, beschermd].
- (Onder)steunen: to support [verb] [(onder)steunde, (onder)steund].

Extra:
The Dutch don't like to be "betutteld". In fact, the Dutch complain a lot about being "betutteld" by the government. A lot of the Dutch - especially the smokers - consider the recent ban on smoking in bars and restaurants a serious form of "betutteling", as well as the even more recent ban on hallucinogenic mushrooms (the so called paddos). Some believe that the christian parties (CDA and CU) within the Dutch Cabinet and Parliament are mainly responsible for this...Apparently, there's even a party that protest against any kind government-driven kind of "betutteling" or patronizing...

Vergadering

meeting [noun] [de ver-ga-de-ring, de ver-ga-de-ring-en]

In Dutch office life it is common to have meetings. The associated verb is "vergaderen": the act of sitting together and discussing issues. A "vergadering" in the Netherlands can last very long. This is because we like to reach a compromise consensus and everybody gets their say (and decisions are not always made). See the Extra for some "vergadering" lingo.

Examples:
- "Ik moet nu ophangen, ik heb een vergadering over 5 minuten." 
("I have to hang up now, I have a meeting in 5 minutes.")

- "De ene na de andere vergadering, ik word er gek van!" 
("One meeting after another, it is driving me crazy!")

- "Het is de bedoeling om de voortgang van het project te bespreken, maar ik kom helemaal niet aan werken toe door al die vergaderingen!"
("The intent is to discuss the progress of the project, but I hardly get to do some work due to all these meetings!")

Related words:
- Vergaderen: to formally meet to discuss something [verb] [vergaderde, vergaderd].
- Agenda: agenda [noun] [de agenda, de agenda's]. This word is also used for a (pocket) calendar, hence Dutch people often say they have to check their "agenda".
- Agendapunt: topic on the agenda [noun] [het punt, de punten].
- Voorzitter: chairman [noun] [de voorzitter, de voorzitters].
- Discussiëren: to argue, to discuss [verb] [discussieerde, gediscussieerd].
- Bespreken: to discuss, to talk about [verb] [besprak, besproken].

Extra:
A common topic on a meeting agenda is "WVTTK", short for "wat verder ter tafel komt", or: "what else may come to the table" (like "any other business"). This is an opportunity to bring a new topic to discuss to the table but it may only prolong the meeting. It is encouraged not to include this topic but to formally decide on the meetings agenda at the beginning of the meeting. This is done during the meeting topic "vaststelling agenda". At the end of a meeting it is common to give all attendants one more chance to ask a question about something that has not been discussed yet. This is called the "rondvraag" (and the chairman will go "round the table" to see if anybody has a question ("vraag")). Again this might lead to more discussion and a longer meeting :-)

Borrelpraat

twaddle [noun] [bor-rel-praat]

"Borrelpraat" is composed of "borrel" and "praat". Traditionally, "borrel" refers to a strong alcoholic drink, but it is also often used to describe a drink with colleagues or friends to celebrate a certain event (graduation, Christmas (the so-called "kerstborrel"), or your birthday). "Praat" means "talk" or "story". Hence, "borrelpraat" refers to the conversations people have at a "borrel". As you'll all understand, these conversations often lead nowhere but are very enjoyable. The more alcohol is consumed, the more "borrelpraat" can be heard.

Examples:
- "Luister maar niet naar die borrelpraat; als je nuchter bent is het niet te volgen."
("You'd better not listen to that twaddle; if you're sober it's impossible to follow.")

- "Moeten jullie nog werken of kunnen we gaan borrelen om het weekend te vieren?" 
("Do you still have work to do or can we go and have a drink to celebrate the weekend?")

- "Kom eens met ons borrelen."
("Join us for a informal drink.")

- "Je gelooft die roddels toch niet; het is gewoon borrelpraat."
("You don't believe that gossip, do you; it's just twaddle.")

Related words:
- Borrel: drink, informal reception [noun] [de borrel, de borrels].
- Borrelen: drink and talk [verb] [borrelde, geborreld].
- Praat: talk [noun] [no singular, de praat].

Dat komt goed uit!

that suits me fine, that fits in very well [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Dat komt goed uit" is literally translated as "that comes good out" ;-) The verb in the phrase is "uitkomen" which has several meanings, such as "to end up, to lead to, to come out, to be disclosed". "Dat komt goed uit" is used when two events luckily coincide, making things easier for the people involved. Since it is often used as a reply to a proposition, people might add "me": "dat komt me goed uit", or "that suits me fine" or "that is very convenient for me".

Examples:
- "Ik heb volgende week alleen op dinsdagmiddag nog vrij in mijn agenda." - "Dat komt goed uit, dat is ook de enige middag dat ik kan."
("I only have a free space in my calendar on Tuesday afternoon next week." - "That fits in very well, that's the only afternoon that would be possible for me.")

- "Het komt goed uit dat je Italiaans spreekt, anders hadden we nooit dat vakantiehuisje kunnen regelen." 
("It comes in handy that you speak Italian, otherwise it would have been impossible to arrange that holiday cottage.")

- "Ik heb zo'n zin in winterkost!" - "Dat komt goed uit want ik heb net stamppot gemaakt."
("I really feel like winter food!"- "That's very convenient, because I have just made mashed potatoes and cabbage." See picture for a version of "stamppot" called "boerenkool met worst".)

- "Ik voel me niet zo lekker vandaag maar hoef niet te werken dus dat komt goed uit." 
("I don't feel very well today but I don't have to work so that suits me fine.")

- "Wil je een lift naar huis? Ik moet toch die kant op dus dat komt goed uit." 
("Do you want a ride home? I have to go that direction anyway so that fits in very well.")

Related words:
- Uitkomen: to end up, to come out, to lead to, to be disclosed [verb] [kwam uit, uitgekomen]

Beroerd

miserable, nasty, rotten, awful [adjective]

"Beroerd" is synonymous to "belabberd". It also indicates an opposite state of well-being. Like "belabberd", "beroerd" can be used for mental and physical state, situations and performance.

Examples:
- "Ik heb flinke keelpijn, ik voel me erg beroerd." 
("My have a very sore throat, I feel really miserable.")

- "Vanochtend had ik een gigantische kater, ik heb me nog nooit zo beroerd gevoeld..."
("This morning I had a terrible hangover, I've never felt so miserable...")

- "De situatie in Congo is beroerd nu de oorlog tussen de Hutu's en de Tutsi's weer begonnen is." 
("The situation in Congo is nasty now the war between the Hutus and the Tutsis has started again.")

- "10 km in twee en een half uur? Dat is een beroerde prestatie van Frank..." 
("10km in two and a half hour? That's a lousy achievement of Frank....")

Expressions:
- "De beroerdste niet zijn": to be not that difficult. (Used to indicate one's flexible attitude)

Example:
- "Liefie, wil jij de afwas doen?" - Tuurlijk scheetje, ik ben de beroerdste niet."
("Sweetie, do you want to do the dishes?" - "Of course my little darling, I'm not that difficult.")

Related words:
- Belabberd: lousy, miserable [adjective].
- Slecht: bad [adjective].

Uitgeput

exhausted, worn out, empty, depleted [adjective]

"Uitgeput" is derived from the verb "uitputten": to exhaust, to deplete. You will often encounter the word "uitgeput" in the context of energy/strength, or supplies/budget.

Examples:
- "Ik heb geen fut vandaag." - "Geen fut? Volgens mij ben je uitgeput!" 
("I do not have a lot of energy today." - "Not a lot of energy? I think you are exhausted!" Note that "fut" translates to something like "energy/strength, zip, kick, drive".)

- "Helaas kan het boek nog niet geleverd worden, onze voorraden zijn uitgeput." 
("Unfortunately the book cannot be delivered yet, our supplies are exhausted.")

- "Het spijt me, een nieuwe laptop zit er dit jaar niet in. Het budget is volledig uitgeput." 
("I'm sorry, a new laptop will not be possible this year. The budget is completely depleted." Note the expression "het zit er niet in": it is not going to happen, it will not be possible.)

Related words:
- Uitputten: to exhaust, deplete, finish up [verb] [putte uit, uitgeput].
- Moe: tired [adjective].
- Energie: energy [noun] [de energie, no plural].

Koekeloeren

to (sit and) stare, to (take a) peek [verb] [koekeloerde, gekoekeloerd]

If you think that "koekeloeren" is in some way related to "koekoek" (cuckoo), you're wrong. It's a verb that is used informally to describe a somewhat dull or furtive way of looking or staring. 

"Loeren" translates to "to peer/leer/spy". The etymological origin of "koek(e)" is unknown to me (although "koe" translates to "cow"... or maybe "koek", which translates to "cake/cookie"). Readers are kindly requested to provide additional info :-)

Examples:
- "Hee makker, zit je naar mijn vriendin te koekeloeren?" 
("Hey pal, are you peeking at my girlfriend?")

- "Frank zat tijdens de presentatie alleen maar een beetje te koekeloeren." 
("During the presentation, Frank was just sitting and staring.")

- "Ik zit hier maar naar mijn scherm te koekeloeren, maar ik heb geen inspiratie..."
("I'm just sitting and staring at my screen, but I have no inspiration...")

- "De billenknijper stond vanuit een donkere hoek naar zijn volgende slachtoffer te koekeloeren.
("The bottom squeezer was taking a peek at his next victim from a dark corner.")

Related words:
- Loeren: to peer, to leer, to spy [verb] [loerde, geloerd].
- Gluren: to peep, to peek [verb] [gluurde, gegluurd].
- Gluurder: peeping tom, voyeur [noun] [de gluurder, de gluurders].
- Staren: to stare [verb] [staarde, gestaard].
- Billenknijper: bottom squeezer [noun] [de billenknijper, de billenknijpers].

Extra:
Apperently, there's an organised tour through the red light district in Amsterdam which is called "Koekeloeren bij de hoeren" (lit.: peeping around at the hookers)...

Kegel

"Kegel" has three common translations. If you are not into bowling or mathematics, jump to translation 3!

1. (ten)pin [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

A "kegel" is also used for the (nine)pin in the game of skittles ("kegelspel", with associated verb "kegelen") but in the Netherlands this is not a common game, contrary to bowling.

Example:
- "Te gek, in één worp alle kegels omver!!" 
("Super/cool! All pins down in one throw!" Note that "omver" implies falling over and it is usually combined with the verb that causes the movement such as "gooien" ("to throw"), "stoten" ("to bump/knock") etc.)

Related words:
- Bowlen: to bowl [verb] [bowlde, gebowld].
- Bowlingbaan: bowling alley [noun] [de baan, de banen].
- Bowlingbal: bowling ball [noun] [de bal, de ballen].

2. cone [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

Here "kegel" is the three-dimensional geometric shape "cone". The word is also used for anything that is shaped like a cone.

Examples:
- "De inhoud van een kegel bereken je als volgt: ..." 
("One calculates the volume of a cone as follows:...")

- "Mijn favoriete ruimtelijke figuur is de kegel." 
("My favourite three-dimensional shape is the cone.")

- "Verkoopt u ook wierook in de vorm van een kegeltje?"
("Do you also sell incense in the shape of a small cone?")

Related words:
- Cilinder: cylinder [noun] [de cilinder, de cilinders].
- Bol: sphere [noun] [de bol, de bollen].

3. badly smelling alcohol breath [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

Now this is one you should know. Whenever one is not talking about bowling or a cone, it must be about badly smelling alcohol breath! Mind that the word is obviously used informally.

Examples:
- "Ik ben naar de tandarts geweest vanochtend en die gast had een enorme kegel, ongelofelijk!" 
("I have been to the dentist this morning and that bloke/guy was reeking of alcohol, unbelievable!")

- "Ga nou maar slapen, je hebt een enorme kegel!" 
("Just go to bed will you, your breath smells of alcohol." Lit. "you have an enormous..")

Related words:
- Alcohol: alcohol [noun] [de alcohol, no plural].
- Dronken: drunk [adjective].

Eens maar nooit weer

Once is enough / Never again [Dutch phrase of the week] 

In this phrase "eens" has the meaning of "once" or "one time only". You will also hear "Dat is/was eens maar nooit meer". And... I now realize that this phrase is very close to "Eén keer nooit meer!" that we have already covered, so I guess the phrase does not apply to this post ;-)

Examples:
- "Ik ben op zaterdagmiddag naar de Mediamarkt in Den Haag gegaan. Nou dat was eens maar nooit meer!" 
("I went to Mediamarkt in the Hague on Saturday afternoon. Well, never again I say!")

- "En, ben je nog naar dat restaurant geweest dat ik had voorgesteld? Ja, en het was eens maar nooit meer!" 
("And, did you go to the restaurant that I suggested? Yes, and once was enough!")

- "Ga je ooit nog trouwen? Nee, ik denk dat het eens maar nooit meer is." 
("Will you ever get married again? No, I think one time was enough!"

Related words:
- Eenmaal: once, one time only [adverb].
- Nooit: never [adverb].

Krachtpatser

muscleman, musclehead [noun] [de krachtpatser, de krachtpatsers]

"Krachtpatser" is an informal word. It is composed of "kracht" ("force") and "patser" ("show-off"), the latter derived from the informal verb "patsen": "to show off, to boast". Although informal, you may encounter "krachtpatser" in serious contexts. It can be used for people (mainly men), machinery and animals, but for animals it is not as common.

Examples:
- "Uitsmijters zijn meestal krachtpatsers." 
("Bouncers are usually musclemen." Note that "uitsmijter" is also a type of egg breakfast/lunch, see DWOTD Ei.)

- "De nieuwe vriend van Cathrine is een beetje een krachtpatser; dat zou niks voor mij zijn!" 
("Cathrine's new boyfriend is a bit of a muscleman; that wouldn't by my first choice!" Literally: "that would be nothing for me!")

- "De Toyota Prius is milieuvriendelijk, maar niet echt een krachtpatser." 
("The Toyota Prius is environmental friendly, but not much of a muscle car.")

- "Het paard Lazka van 'de Hollandsche manege' in Amsterdam is geen krachtpatser, maar ze is wel heel lief." 
("The horse Lazka from the "Hollandsche manege" in Amsterdam is not a very powerful horse, but she definitely is very sweet.")

Related words:
- Krachtig: powerful, strong [adjective].
- Sterk: strong [adjective].
- Patsen: to show off, to boast [verb] [patste, gepatst].
- Patserig: "show-offish" [adverb].
- Zwaargewicht: heavyweight [noun] [het zwaargewicht, de zwaargewichten].

Bijwonen

to attend, to be present at [verb] [woonde bij, bijgewoond]

"Bijwonen" is composed of "bij" and "wonen" but contrary to what you might expect, it does not translate as "to live at".  You use the verb "bijwonen" when you are present at some kind of meeting or event, but do not really participate in the activity.

Examples:
- "Wilt u de opname bijwonen? Dat kan. Bel naar het volgende nummer: ..." 
("Would you like to attend the recording? That is possible. Call the following number: ...")

- "Kun jij morgen de vergadering bijwonen, of ben je verhinderd?" 
("Can you attend the meeting tomorrow, or are you unable to go?")

- "Ik heb de bespreking alleen bijgewoond, ik heb niet echt deelgenomen aan het gesprek." 
("I was only present at the meeting, I did not really participate in the conversation.")

Related words:
- Toehoren: to listen to (other people in a meeting, etc.) [verb] [hoorde toe, toegehoord].
- Deelnemen: to participate [verb] [nam deel, deelgenomen].

Example:
- "Heb jij wel eens deelgenomen aan de marathon van Rotterdam?"
("Have you ever participated in the Rotterdam marathon?")

- Publiek: audience [noun] [het publiek, no plural].
- Wonen: to live, to inhabit [verb] [woonde, gewoond].

Mijlpaal - DWOTD 500

milestone, landmark [noun] [de mijlpaal, de mijlpalen]

"Mijlpaal" is composed of "mijl" and "paal", which respectively translate to "mile" and "pole". The English "milestone" apparently transforms into a "milepole" in Dutch :-) Just like in English the word "mijlpaal" is used to refer to an important event in history or in one's life, and it is of course also a very popular project management term, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Vandaag de 500e DWOTD! Een ongelofelijke mijlpaal, al zeggen we het zelf ;-) ."
("Today it's DWOTD 500! An incredible milestone, even though we say so ourselves ;-) .")

- "Dit project heeft de volgende mijlpalen en resultaten:" 
("This project has the following milestones and results:")

- "En, heb je je mijlpaal bereikt, of heeft het werk vertraging opgelopen?" 
("And, have you reached your milestone, or has the work been delayed?" Note the expression "vertraging oplopen": "to get behind", where "vertraging" means delay.)

Related words:
- Prestatie: achievement [noun] [de prestatie, de prestaties].
- Paal: post, stake, pole [noun] [de paal, de palen].
- Kilometer: kilometre [noun] [de kilometer, de kilometers].
- Hectometerpaal(tje): 'hectometre marker/stone' [noun] [de paal, de palen].
- Project: project [noun] [het project, de projecten].

Extra:
In the old days, "mijlpalen" or milestones were used to indicate the distance of one mile relative to a city gate or next milestone, to inform travellers about their position. The modern Dutch equivalent is the so-called "hectometerpaal", which is located along the main roads in the Netherlands ("provinciale wegen" and "rijkswegen"). You often hear the word "hectometerpaal" or its diminutive "hectometerpaaltje" on the Dutch traffic news to warn you for speed radars along the motorway. When you are not sure about the speed limit, just check out the speed limit sign on the "hectometerpaaltjes". If there is no speed limit sign, the motorway speed limit is 120km/h (on a "snelweg"). For more info, see "hectometerpaal" at Wikipedia.

Ouwehoeren

1. to talk rubbish/nonsense/crap/bullshit [verb] [ouwehoerde, geouwehoerd]

"Ouwehoeren" is composed of "ouwe" (from "oud") and "hoer", which translate to "old" and "whore", hence the literal translation would be "to oldwhore"... The related noun "geouwehoer" can be more ore less translated with "old wives chattering", but somehow the old wives ended up has whores in the Dutch language...:-)

"Ouwehoeren" can be used in a negative and positive context, where in the first context it is best translated with "to talk rubbish" (see 1.) and in the latter context with "to chat(ter) (informally)" (see 2.).

Examples:
- "Wat bedoelt Frank daarmee?" - "Let er maar niet op, hij zit te ouwehoeren..."
("What does Frank mean by that?" - "Just don't pay attention to it, he's talking rubbish...")

- "Schat, ouwehoer niet zo en schiet op! We moeten nu gaan!!"
("Honey, don't give me that crap en hurry up! We need to go now!!")

Expressions:
- "Uit zijn nek kletsen": to talk out of the back of one's neck, to talk nonsense. Lit.: to talk out of one's neck.

Related words:
- Geouwehoer: rubbish, (load of) crap, bullshit [noun] [het geouwehoer, <no plural>].

Example:
- "De kredietcrisis is de schuld van een wereldwijd financieel-militair complex." - "Geouwehoer!"
("The financial crisis is to be blamed on a global financial-military complex." - "Bullshit!")

- Kletskoek: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletskoek, <no plural>].
- Kletspraat: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletspraat, <no plural>].

2. to chat, to chatter, to chit-chat [verb] [ouwehoerde, geouwehoerd]

In a positive context, "ouwehoeren" can be used when chatting while sitting back in a relaxed atmosphere.

Examples:
- "Wat hebben jullie gisteravond gedaan?" - "Een biertje gedronken en lekker geouwehoerd!"
("What did you do last night?" - "Had a beer and just chatted!"

- "Een beetje voetbal kijken en ouwehoeren over buitenspel, dat is wat mannen doen op zondagavond!"
("Just watching some football and chit-chatting about offside, that's what men do on Sunday night!")

Related words:
- Kletsen: to chat, to chatter, to chit-chat [verb] [kletste, gekletst].

Example:
- "Kinderen! Niet kletsen in de klas!"
("Children! No talking/chatting during class!")

- "Ohaën": (sometimes (incorrectly) spelled as OH-en) short for "OuweHoer-en": to talk rubbish.

Lekkerbek

deep-fried cod, epicure [noun] [de lekkerbek, de lekkerbekken]

"Lekkerbek" consists of "lekker", which means good (as in "tasty") and "bek", which means "beak" (for a bird) or "mouth". "Bek" is mostly used informally or in a vulgar way, check out the example with the Related words.

"Lekkerbek" is the popular name for codfish wrapped in dough and deep-fried, but is also used for someone who really appreciates food. The Dutch word for codfish is "kabeljauw".

Examples:
- "In Scheveningen kun je het hele jaar door lekkerbekken eten." 
("You can eat codfish warpped in dough all year long in Scheveningen.")

- "Hij is een echte lekkerbek, hij eet het liefst de hele dag." 
("He is a real epicure, he prefers eating all day long".)

Related words:
- Lekker: good [adjective/adverb].

Example:
- "Het eten in dat Thaise restaurant is superlekker." 
("The food in that Thai restaurant is outstanding.")

- Bek: beak [noun] [de bek, de bekken].

Example:
- "Ik word helemaal gek van je; houd je bek!" 
("You're driving me nuts; shut up!" Please note this is a rude way of asking someone to keep quiet. Parents tell their children to shut up in a slightly more polite way: "houd je mond!", meaning "shut your mouth!")

- Mond: mouth [noun] [de mond, de monden].

Extra:
Please note that "lekker" can be used for almost everything: food, drinks, weather, people, how you feel, etc. Since the use of "lekker" is so diverse, we'll devote a separate DWOTD to it. Check the DWOTD "Lekker belangrijk" to get started.

Ho eens even!

Not so fast! / Now just a minute! / Hold it right there! [Dutch phrase of the week]

The word "ho" is an interjection. You can use it when you want to say "stop!". It is the typical thing to say to a horse if you want it to stop, but if you don't ride a horse, you can use it when somebody is pouring you wine and you have had enough. Not that I ever do so ;-)

"Ho eens even" is typically used when somebody is going to fast, literally or figuratively, or when you want somebody to realize that this is not how things are done.

Examples:
- "Ho eens even meneer, u hebt nog niet betaald!" 
("Hold it right there sir, you haven't paid yet!")

 - "Ho eens even, nu draaf je door; de kredietcrisis heeft hier niets mee te maken!" 
("Now just a minute, you are rattling on. The financial crisis has nothing to do with this!")

- "Mevrouw, ho eens even! Ik sta al veel langer in de rij te wachten dan u!" 
("Not so fast madam! I have been waiting in line / queueing a lot longer than you (have)!")

Related words:
- Ho!: stop! [interjection].
- Stoppen: to stop [verb] [stopte, gestopt].
- Doorgaan: to continue [verb] [ging door, doorgegaan].

Uitbuiken

to sit back and relax (after dinner) [verb] [buikte uit, uitgebuikt]

"Uitbuiken" is composed of "uit" and "buiken", from "buik", which respectively translate to "out" and "belly". Here the noun "buik" has been transformed into a (non-existent) verb by adding "-en" to it to create the infinitive form.

"Uitbuiken" is used informally, and was earlier described in DWOTD "Bierbuik". As said then, "uitbuiken" is what you do after a lavish dinner: sit back and relax to (literally) "stomach out", or give your stomach or belly some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to provide their stomach with the necessary space to stimulate the digestion process :-)

Examples:
- "Na het eten moet ik altijd even uitbuiken." 
("After dinner I always have to sit back and relax.")

- "Altijd als we het eten bij een afhaalchinees bestellen, moet ik daarna echt uitbuiken." 
("Always when we order food at a take-away Chinese, I really have to sit back and relax afterwards.")

- "Heb jij net die joekel van een taart in je eentje opgegeten?" - "Ja, ik denk dat ik heel even moet uitbuiken..." 
("Did you just eat that giant cake all by yourself?" - "Yes, I think I need to sit back and relax for just a tiny bit now...")

Expressions:
- "Het eten laten zakken": to let one's food go down.

Example:
- "Liefie, het toetje was erg lekker. Ik ga even uitbuiken." - "Ja, ik ga ook even het eten laten zakken."
("Sweetie, dessert was very good. I'm gonna just sit back and relax now." - "Yes, I'm gonna let my food go down too.")

- "Smakelijk eten": bon appetit.

Related words:
- Natafelen: to linger at the dinner table [verb] [tafelde na, nagetafeld].

Example:
- "Met kerst kan onze familie altijd erg lang natafelen met franse kaas en rode wijn."
("During Christmas our family can always linger at the dinner table for a long time with French cheese and red wine.")

- Ontbijt: breakfast [noun] [het ontbijt, de ontbijten].
- Bierbuik: beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken].

Knikker

marble [noun] [de knikker, de knikkers]

Unless you are still a child (that doesn't like computer games) you will probably not shoot or play marbles anymore. There are however a few good expressions with "knikker" or the verb "knikkeren", see below.

Mind the pronunciation: in ‘kn’ the ‘k’ is always pronounced.

 Examples:
- "Ik ben gisteren bijna gevallen omdat er een knikker op de vloer lag in de keuken."
("Yesterday I almost fell because there was a marble on the floor in the kitchen.")

- "Knikkers? Nee volgens mij verkopen we die niet, is dat de naam van een Nintendo-spel?"
("Marbles? No I don’t think we sell those, is that the name of a Nintendo game?")

- "De namen die kinderen aan knikkers geven, verschillen per regio."
("The names that children give to marbles differ per region.”)

Expressions:
- "Er is stront aan de knikker": we’re in trouble, there is trouble, the shit hits the fan etc. Lit.: "there is shit/crap on the marble", but my guess is that "knikker" might have a different meaning here.
- "Zo kaal als een knikker": literally "as bald as a marble", this says you are really bald.
- "Het gaat om het spel, niet om de knikkers": it's not winning that counts, but taking part. Lit.: "It's about the game, not about the marbles." There are several variations to this expression.
- "Ik heb nog met hem geknikkerd": I know him from when we were young, lit.: "I used to play marbles with him".
- "Iemand eruit knikkeren": to chuck somebody out. Usually out of a group activity, a team, job position etc.

Example:
- "Na de slechte prestatie van het afgelopen jaar is de manager eruit geknikkerd."
("Due to the bad performance of the past year the manager was chucked out.")

Related words:
- Knikkeren: to play/shoot marbles [verb] [knikkerde, geknikkerd].
- Knikkerspel: game of marbles [noun] [het spel, de spelen].
- Potje: game [noun] [het potje, de potjes]. Also "pot", this is an informal synonym for "spel".

Example:
- "Zullen we nog een potje knikkeren?"
("Shall we play another game of marbles?")

- Knikkerzak: marbles pouch/bag [noun] [de zak, de zakken].

Poging

attempt, effort, try [noun] [de poging, de pogingen]

"Poging" is related to the verb "pogen", which is quite formal, which "poging" isn't. Instead of "pogen" you'll see "proberen", which translates to "to try". However, "proberen" doesn't have a directly related noun, well... that would be "poging" then :-)

"Poging" is often used in combination with the verb "wagen": "een poging wagen", which literally translates to "to wager/bet/risk an attempt", hence "to give it a try" or plain "to attempt/try".

In court, you'll encounter the expression "poging tot [subject]" - literally translating to "attempt at [...]", but which is commonly translated with "attempted [...]", as in "attempted murder": "poging tot moord".

Examples:
- "Dit is al haar derde poging om haar rijbewijs te halen." 
("This is already her third attempt to get her driver's license.")

- "En daar gaat-ie! Eerste poging voor de 2 meter 10 centimeter..." 
("And off he goes! First attempt at 2 meter and 10 centimeters." Note that in Dutch "centimeter" stays singular..)

- "De verdachte wordt beschuldigd van poging tot moord." 
("The suspect is charged with attempted murder.")

- "Marc, kun jij vandaag een DWOTD schrijven."  - "Ik heb eigenlijk geen tijd, maar ik zal een poging wagen..."
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD today?" - Actually, I don't have time, but I'll give it a try...")

Expressions:
- "Wie niet waagt, die niet wint": nothing ventured, nothing gained, fortune favours the bold. Lit.: Who doesn't risk/bet, doesn't win.

Related words:
- Proberen: to try [verb] [probeerde, geprobeerd].
- Pogen: to attempt [verb] [poogde, gepoogd].
- Probeersel: try-out [noun] [het probeersel, de probeersels].

Example:
- "Wat is dit voor presentatie?? Zeker één van Frank's gekke probeersels..."
("What kind of presentation is this?? Must be one of Frank's funny try-outs...")

Fikken

to be on fire, to burn [verb] [fikte, gefikt]

"Fikken" is the informal synonym for "branden" ("to burn") in its translation of "to be on fire". Both "brand" and "fik" mean "fire" (as in "a fire"), but again "fik" would be informal. The noun for the phenomenon "fire" is "vuur". A related verb is "affikken": to burn down/out. They say that Dutch and German are similar, but in this case it is far from true (inside joke for our German readers).

There are a few expressions with the noun "fik" and not the verb, but I have included them below anyway.

Examples:
- "Zo, dat fikt goed!" 
("My, that burns well!")

- "Marcs auto is gisteren bijna afgefikt." 
("Marc's car almost burnt down yesterday.")

- "De ene houtsoort fikt beter dan de andere." 
("The one type of wood burns better than the other.")

Expressions:
- "De fik erin!": burn it (down)!
- "Een fikkie stoken": to start a controlled fire, to set something on fire. This is not your arsonist type of fire but usually kids setting a few things (twigs, garbage etc.) on fire.

Example:
- "Laten we een fikkie gaan stoken!" - "Nee man, dat is veel te gevaarlijk!"
("Let's set something on fire!" - "No man, that is way too dangerous!")

- "In de fik staan": to be on fire. Usually for things, not persons. The formal alternative is "in brand staan".

Related words:
- Branden: [verb] [brandde, gebrand].
- Brand/fik: fire [noun] [de brand/fik, de branden/fikken].
- Vuur: fire [noun] [het vuur, de vuren].
- Lucifer: match [noun] [de lucifer, de lucifers]. You can also use "Lucifer" for Lucifer the devil.
- Afbranden/fikken: to burn down/out [verb] [brandde/fikte af, afgebrand/fikt].

Sportief

The word "sportief" is used in three common translations. The link with the noun "sport" is obvious.

1. sporty, sports [adverb/adjective]

Here "sportief" is used to describe appearance or character.

Examples:
- "Ik heb afgelopen zaterdag een proefrit gemaakt in een Toyota Prius, maar ik denk dat ik toch voor een sportievere auto ga." 
("I test-drove the Toyota Prius last Saturday, but I think that I prefer / will go for a more sporty car.")

- "Leuk jasje heb je aan, sportief hoor!" 
("Nice jacket! Sporty/casual!")

Related word:
- Sport: sport [noun] [de sport, de sporten]. Also used in the translation of "sports" (the category).

2. sports-loving, fond of sports [adverb/adjective]

Here you can use "sportief" to say that somebody likes to sport or exercise, or that the person is in fact quite fit.

Examples:
- "Madelon gaat een paar keer per week fitnessen. Ze is best wel sportief!" 
("Madelon goes to fitness training a few times a week. She likes to exercise / she is quite fit!")

3. sportsmanlike, sporting [adverb/adjective]

The expression "sportief zijn" is commonly used in the context of this translation. It translates as "to be a good sport (about something)". Along the same lines you can also say "dat is (niet) sportief (van jou)" (something like "that's (not) sportsmanlike (of you)").

Examples:
- "Marc is heel sportief, want hij geeft doorgaans direct zijn fouten toe." 
("Marc is a good sport, because he usually admits his mistakes straight away.")

- "Het gedrag van de supporters was niet bepaald sportief te noemen..." 
("The behaviour of the supporters wasn't quite sportsmanlike..." Lit. : "... couldn't really be called sporting".)

- "Ik zal dit keer de rekening betalen." - "Tof, dat is sportief van je." 
("I will pick up / pay the bill this time." - "Cool. You are being a good sport.")

Expression:
- "Iets sportief opvatten": to take something well/with grace.

Related word:
- Eerlijk: fair [adjective/adverb].

Tuig

1. scum [noun] [het tuig, no plural]

"Tuig" has several meanings. It is most commonly used to describe a group of scumbags. It can also be used as an adjective (see Examples). In the seventies, the expression "langharig werkschuw tuig" ("long-haired workshy riff-raff") was used frequently to describe everyone who wasn't willing to work or had a different interpretation of working (musicians, etc.). Nowadays, every Dutch person will still understand what you mean.

Examples:
-" Mijn buurvrouw hoopt dat het kraakverbod wordt aangenomen. Ze vindt alle krakers werkschuw tuig." 
(" My neighbour hopes that the law prohibiting squatting will pass. She thinks all squatters are workshy scum.")

-"Dat tuig heeft in alle auto's in mijn straat ingebroken." 
("Those scumbags broke in in all cars in my street.")

- "Hij heeft dat arme omaatje zomaar in haar gezicht geslagen. Hij is tuig." 
("He beat that poor little grandma in her face just like that. He is scum." Please note that "omaatje" is the dimunitive of "oma".)

Expressions:
- "Tuig van de richel": scum of the earth. Lit.: scum of the (l)edge.

Example: 
- "Hooligans zijn echt tuig van de richel".
("Hooligans are really the scum of the earth".)

The picture belongs to a Hyves-group with the name "Tuig van de richel".

Extra:
Related verbs are "optuigen" and "aftuigen". Both verbs were originally (and still are) used in the sense of "to harness" and "to unharness" a horse. Although the verb "aftuigen" is still used in this sense, nowadays, its most common use is "to beat up someone". "Optuigen" can also be used in the meaning "to decorate".

Examples:
- "Ik ga de kerstboom optuigen, haal jij de ballen?"
("I am going to decorate the Christmas tree, will you fetch the baubles?")
- "Dat tuig heeft gisteren mijn buurman afgetuigd."
("That scum beat up my neighbour yesterday.")

2. harness [noun] [het tuig, no plural]

The second meaning of "tuig" is "harness" that you put on your horse (see picture).

Examples:
-" Ik heb een nieuw tuig voor mijn paard gekocht."
("I bought a new harness for my horse.")

-" Een blindengeleidehonde heeft vaak ook een tuigje om zodat zijn baas zijn bewegingen kan volgen."
("A guide dog (for the blind) also often has a harness so that his boss can follow his movements." Please note that "blindengeleidehond" literally means "blind-guidance-dog".)

Related words:
- Optuigen: to harness, to decorate [verb] [tuigde op, opgetuigd].
- Aftuigen: to unharness, to beat up [verb] [tuigde af, afgetuigd].
- Werktuig: equipment [noun] [het werktuig, de werktuigen].

We laten de boel de boel

Let's leave things as they are [Dutch phrase of the week]

You can use the expression "de boel de boel laten" when you make the deliberate choice not to do anything about what you should be doing something about. Then you go and do something else (fun) instead!

This phrase is commonly used when you don't want to do the housekeeping... :-)

The word "boel" is derived from "boedel" ("big quantity") or "inboedel" ("home contents"). The common translation of "boel" is "things (to be done)", "matters", "stuff" etc.

Examples:
- "Kom, we laten de boel de boel en we gaan dit weekend naar Rome!" 
("Come on, let's leave things as they are and go to Rome this weekend!")

- "Soms zou ik gewoon de boel de boel willen laten, maar ja, ik voel me altijd zo verantwoordelijk voor de dingen!" 
("Sometimes I would really like to leave things as they are, but you see, I always feel so responsible for things/everything!")

- "Het is zulk lekker weer! Laten we de boel de boel laten en lekker een fles wijn opentrekken!" 
("It is such great weather! Let's leave things as they are and open a bottle of wine instead!" Note twice the use of "laten": first to say "let us" and then to say "leave the things". The verb "opentrekken" means "to pull open" and here it refers to the "uncorking" of the bottle.)

Related words:
- Boel: things, matters, stuff [noun] [de boel, no plural].
- Huishouden: housekeeping or household [noun] [het huishouden, de huishoudens].

Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?!

What's happening, what's all this? [Dutch phrase of the week]

You all know how the Dutch love their bikes. Since bikes are such a large part of everyday Dutch life, many references to it exist in the Dutch language. A few months ago, we explained "Op die fiets". "Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen" literally means: "What is hanging from my bike now?" and it can be used in this sense when you find for instance a flyer attached to your bike (see picture). Most often however, it is used figuratively to express one's astonishment: "What's happening to me now?" or "What's all this?".

Examples:
-"Hij stond om drie uur 's ochtends aan te bellen! Ik dacht 'Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?'." 
("He was ringing my doorbell at three o'clock in the morning! I didn't understand what was happening." Lit.: "... I thought 'What's going on?")

-"Vertel je me nu dat je me op staande voet ontslaat? Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?" 
("Are you telling me that you are firing me on the spot? What's all this?" Please note that 'op staande voet' is an expression meaning "at once", or "on the spot". )

- "Ik gaf de zwerver een euro, en toen zei hij: "Één euro maar? Heb je niet meer?" Ik dacht 'Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?". " 
("I gave the tramp a euro, and he said to me: "Only one euro? Is that all you have?" I thought 'What's all this?'")

Related words:
- Fiets: bike, bicycle [noun] [de fiets, de fietsen].
- Hangen: to hang [verb] [hing, gehangen].

Matsen

to give someone a break, to do someone a favour [verb] [matste, gematst]

"Matsen" is Bargoens, the former Dutch thieves' cant. Whether "matsen" is also from Yiddish origin - like "gozer" - was unknown at the time of publication of this DWOTD...readers are kindly requested to post ethymological information :-)

"Matsen" is used informally, and originally meant to cheat or to mess with. It is now used in a more positive sense: to settle/arrange something for someone outside the 'normal' path via which things should be arranged, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Gozer, ik krijg nog 57 euro van je, maar ik zal je matsen: 50 is prima."
("Dude, you still owe me 57 euros, but I'll give you a break: 50 is fine.")

- "Hoe kan die loser de finale van Dancing With The Stars bereikt hebben?? De jury heeft hem ongelofelijk gematst!"
("How could this loser reach the final of Dancing With The Stars?? The jury has given him a huge break!")

- "<agent:> Ik moet u helaas een bekeuring geven. U reed te hard." - "<overtreder:> Ach, kunt u me niet voor één keer matsen?"
("<officer:> I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give you a ticket. You were speeding." - "<perpetrator:> Ah, can't you just give me a break just once?")

Expressions:
- "Door de vingers zien." See also Extra.
("To give someone a break".)

- "Een oogje dichtknijpen."
("To turn a blind eye to someone/something".)

Related words:
- "Geluk": luck.
- "Mazzel": luck.
- "Voortrekken": to favour.

Extra:
Check out this funny video of a commercial of a Dutch temporary employment agency. In the end of the commercial, the expression "For this time I'll see it through the fingers" is used, which is the literal translation of "Ik zie het voor deze keer door de vingers": I'll give you a break this time...

Autovrij

carless [adjective]

"Autovrij" is composed of "auto" and "vrij", the latter translates as "free". A more literal translation of "carless" exists in Dutch, that is "autoloos". A subtle distinction might exist in that the ending "vrij" can indicate a temporary state, whereas "loos" in general means "without".

You will typically encounter "autovrij" in the combination "autovrije zondag" ("carless Sunday"). Read more about it in the Extra.

Examples:
- "Autovrije zondag? Man, dat is toch te bezopen voor woorden!"
("Carless Sunday? Man, surely that is insane!" Literally: "Man, that is too pissed/sloshed for words!" Here the drunk state of "bezopen" (from the verb "zuipen") is used in the translation of daft/crazy/ridiculous. This expression was actually used by a driver who wasn't allowed to enter Amsterdam last Sunday: she says it twice, at the beginning of the following videofragment and at the end of the news item (wait for the commercial to finish).)

- "Ik vind de autovrije zondag een goed initiatief, maar ja, ik heb toch geen auto dus..."
("I think the "autovrije zondag" is a good initiative, but then again, I don't own a car anyway so...")

- "Ook op een autovrije zondag blijft het link om door Amsterdam te fietsen met al die toeristen die zomaar oversteken!"
("Even on a "autovrije zondag" it remains risky to cycle through Amsterdam with all those tourists who cross the road just like that!" Note the verb "oversteken": whatever your cross is already implied.)

Related words:
- Autoluw: low-traffic, restricted traffic [adjective].
- Binnenstad: city centre [noun] [de stad, de steden]. Literally: "inner-town/city".
- Voetganger: pedestrian [noun] [de voetganger, de voetgangers]. Literally: "foot goer".
- Milieu: environment [noun] [het milieu, no plural]. There is a plural in the translation of "social environment": de milieus.

Extra:
Last Sunday it was "autovrije zondag" in a number of cities and towns in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam. Cars were allowed to leave town, but couldn't enter between 9 AM and 5 PM. Of course this led to problems when people wanted to return to their homes. However, contrary to last year, it didn't lead to drivers assaulting traffic wardens.
The other usage of "autovrij" is when speaking of a pedestrian zone; here you will hear "autovrije binnenstad" (carless city centre) and you can use "autovrije zone", but in case of the latter it is more common to say "voetgangersgebied" ("pedestrian area"). Note that a "voetgangersgebied" can mean that no cyclists are allowed!

The intent is to make "autovrije zondag" a tradition to be repeated annually. Goals are to make people aware of the environment, to stimulate people to think about alternative transport, and just to allow people to have a good time by being able to organize events that become possible in the absence of cars. Note that we once had a real "autoloze zondag" in the seventies during the oil crisis.

Koets

coach, carriage [noun] [de koets, de koetsen]

Today, the third Tuesday of September, is called "Prinsjesdag" ("Day of the little princes"). "Prinsjesdag" marks the opening of the Dutch parliamentary year and the day on which the government makes public the national budget for the coming year. The Queen will read her "troonrede" ("speech from the throne") in the "Ridderzaal" ("Room of the knight") outlining the government's plans for the coming year. The Queen traditionally arrives at the "Ridderzaal" in the golden coach. This coach, offered by the people of Amsterdam to the Queen's grandmother in 1898, is used only on "Prinsjesdag" since 1903.

Examples:
- "In het sprookje 'Assepoester' verandert de fee een pompoen in een gouden koets."
("In the fairytale 'Cinderella' the fairy changes a pumpkin into a gilded coach".)

- "De koningin zwaait vanuit de gouden koets naar de menigte."
("The Queen waves from the golden coach at the crowd.")

- "De gouden koets wordt getrokken door acht paarden."
("The golden coach is pulled forward by eigth horses.")

- "Koningin Beatrix arriveert op het Binnenhof waar zij om half twee de Troonrede zal voorlezen in de Ridderzaal."
("Queen Beatrix arrives at the 'Binnenhof' where she will read the speech from the throne at 1.30 PM in the 'Ridderzaal' .")

Extra:
The document in which the National Budget is presented is called the 'Miljoenennota', literally translated as the 'Document of the Millions'. The Minister of Finance gives both the National Budget and the 'Miljoenennota' in a golden suitcase to the (Dutch) Lower Chamber. 

Related words:
- Koetspaard: coach horse [noun] [het koetspaard, de koetspaarden].
- Koetsier: coach driver [noun] [de koetsier, de koetsiers].
- Troonrede: speech from the throne [noun] [de troonrede, de troonredes].
- Koningin: queen [noun] [de koningin, de koninginnen].
- Begroting: budget [noun] [de begroting, de begrotingen].

Hoteldebotel

swept off one's feet, smitten with, enamored of [adjective]   

"Hoteldebotel" has nothing to do with a hotel :-) It is used to describe your thoughts being confused, mostly by the fact that you're in love...
Sometimes it is used to refer to a more general discombobulated state, see the last example.

Examples:
- "Luc is helemaal hoteldebotel..." - "Echt?? Van wie?" - "Van Mélanie!"
("Luc is completely swept of his feet..." - "Really?? By whom?" - "By Mélanie!")

- "Scheetje, wat ben je toch een lekker ding! Ik ben helemaal hoteldebotel van je..."
("Baby, you're such a hottie! You've totally swept me of my feet..."

- "Kent is hoteldebotel van Lara. En zij is hoteldebotel van hem!"
("Kent is smitten with Lara. And she's enamored of him!")

- "Al die auto's in Lima...ik werd er helemaal hoteldebotel van..."
("All those cars in Lima...they drove me totally crazy...")

Expressions:
- "Hij/zij is helemaal in de wolken."
("His/her head is the clouds.")

Related words:
- "Tureluurs": totally confused/disoriented, crazy.
- "Verliefd": in love.

Ellende

misery, distress [noun] [de ellende, <no plural>] 

In Dutch, "ellende" does not always have a weighty connotation (e.g. like in "the misery of war...") . Also the insignificant occurrences of life's distress are referred to as "ellende", see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Ik word echt chagrijnig van alle ellende in deze wereld..."
("All the misery in this world really makes me cranky..." Lit.: "I really get cranky because of all the misery in this world...")

- "Het Nederlands elftal heeft afgelopen zaterdag verloren van Australië...ellende..."
("The Dutch were beaten by Australia last Saturday...misery...")

- "Eerst kreeg ik een lekke band, daarna begon het te regenen." - "Jongen, wat een ellende!"
("First I got a flat tyre, then it started to rain." - "Dude, what a distress!")

Expressions:
- "Na regen komt zonneschijn": After rain comes sunshine.

Related words:
- "Balen": to be fed up with.
- "Belabberd": lousy, terrible, miserable.
- "Ellendig": [adjective] miserable.
- "Ellendeling": [noun] [de ellendeling, de ellendelingen] wretch, villain.

Zwerver

tramp, vagabond, hobo, homeless person [noun] [de zwerver, de zwervers]

The word "zwerver" can also be translated with "drifter" or "wanderer", the associated verbs being "zwerven" or "rondzwerven" (see Related words). However, usually the meaning is more negative: "tramp" or "homeless person".

In the Netherlands we are not doing too badly in preventing people from becoming homeless. However, we do have our fair share of "zwervers" in the bigger cities. The situation seems to have improved in the last decade and one is not confronted with beggars as much as for example in the 80s.

Examples:
- "De zwerver probeerde wat geld te verdienen voor een slaapplaats door op straat liedjes te zingen."
("The tramp tried to make some money for a sleeping-place by singing songs on the street.") 

- "Ach moet je die zwerver zien, echt zielig..."
("My, look at that hobo, how sad/pitiful...")

- "Je hebt ook mensen die er voor kiezen om zwerver te zijn."
("There are people who choose to be homeless.")

- "In Italië lopen overal zwerfkatten."
("In Italy, stray cats are everywhere.") 

Related words:
- Zwerven: to wander, float, drift [verb] [zwierf, gezworven].
- Rondzwerven: to wander/roam about [verb] [zwierf rond, rondgezworven].

Examples:
- "Wie laat zijn kinderen nou zo laat op straat rondzwerven?"
("Who would let his children wander on the streets this late?")

- "We gaven de rondzwervende huisdieren wat eten en water."
("We gave the stray pets some food and water.")

- Bedelaar: beggar [noun] [de bedelaar, de bedelaars].
- Bedelen: to beg [verb] [bedelde, gebedeld].
- Dakloos: homeless [adjective]. Literally: "roofless".
- Dakloze: homeless person [noun] [de dakloze, daklozen].
- Verslaafd: addicted [adjective].
- Opvang: shelter [noun] [de opvang, no plural]. Usually this implies food and a bed.

Bierbuik

beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken]

"Bierbuik" is the Dutch word for "beer belly". It's definitely not a nice thing to say that someone has a beer belly. "Buik" is used in many other ways (see DWOTD "Buik") and the Dutch even use it as part of a verb (see "Extra").

Examples:
- "Als je zo doorgaat met bier drinken heb je op je 30e een bierbuik!"
("If you continue drinking beer like that you'll have beer belly when you're 30!" Note that in Dutch the word "beer" translates to "bear".)

- "Ondanks zijn bierbuik is het hem gelukt de marathon van New York uit te lopen!"
("Despite his beer belly, he managed to finish the New York marathon!")

- "Hij gaat elke week naar de sportschool om zijn bierbuik weg te krijgen, hij traint net zolang tot hij een wasbordje heeft."
("He goes to the gym every week to get rid of his beer belly, he will train until he has six pack abs." Please note that "wasbordje" literally means "washboard", the board that was used by your grandmother to wash clothes on.)

Related words: 
- "Buikspreker": ventriloquist [noun] [de buikspreker, de buiksprekers].
- "Buikpijn": stomachache [noun] [de buikpijn, no plural].
- "Buikje": little belly [noun] [het buikje, de buikjes].
- "Uitbuiken": digest your food comfortably [verb] [uitbuikte, uitgebuikt].

Extra:
When you sit back and relax after a lavish dinner, this is called "uitbuiken" in Dutch. Literally, it means something like "to stomach out", or give your stomach some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to give their stomach some space.

Example:
- "Pff, ik heb zoveel gegeten, even uitbuiken!"
("Pff, I ate so much, let's sit back and relax!")

Verreweg

by far, far and away, easily [adverb]

"Verreweg" is composed of "ver" ("far") and "weg" ("way/road"). The additional "re" in the middle is basically glue, but comes natural to the Dutch speaker. Mind that without the "re" it would sound as "ver weg" which means "far away".

Examples:
-"Pieter van den Hoogenband is verreweg de meest succesvolle Nederlandse zwemmer."
("Pieter van den Hoogenband is easily the most successful Dutch swimmer." Read more about Pieter in the Extra below.)

- "Bea is verreweg het aardigste meisje dat je in de trein van Den Haag naar Amsterdam kan ontmoeten."
("Bea is by far / far and away the nicest girl who one can meet on the train from The Hague to Amsterdam.")

- "Ik was vroeger goed in alle vakken op school, maar ik vond wiskunde verreweg het leukste vak."
("I used to be proficient in all subjects at school, but mathematics was by far my favourite subject.")

Extra:
Other than being very successful, Pieter van den Hoogenband is also a very popular sportsman. In fact he has almost become a BN'er (Bekende Nederlander) by now. Pieter van den Hoogenband officially retired from professional swimming after the Beijing Olympics where he was not as successful as he and the entire Dutch population had hoped.
He was world record holder on the 100m freestyle for 8 years, a record set in Sydney 2000. In the past 6 months this record was broken 12 times, attributed to the recent advances in swimming attire of which the more force-driven swimmers seem to take most advantage. Pieter van den Hoogenband however was never renowned for his strength, but more for his technique.

Reason for Pieter's popularity outside the swimming pool is his genuine friendliness and down to earth, modest, mentality. A typical Pieter van den Hoogenband performance in this context is his reaction to his friend Maarten van der Weijden winning the 10km open water race during Beijing 2008. Check out this video of the last meters of Maarten's winning race (first wait for the commercial to end). You will hear Pieter - a commentator during the race - screaming euphorically and then after the race you will see him hugging Maarten. The fragment is taken from yesterday's talkshow "Holland Sport". If you are bored and your Dutch is good enough you can keep watching the show which is all about Pieter van den Hoogenband and Maarten van der Weijden. Another interesting note is the fact that Maarten van der Weijden recovered from leukaemia in 2001 and managed to return to professional swimming.

Aan de slag!

(Let's) get going / get to work! [Dutch phrase of the week]

This phrase can be used to encourage people to start with an activity right away, or as an announcement that you (all) are going to get busy. The activity is usually involves serious effort such as studying or work.

You can also use the phrase with the verbs "zijn" and "gaan". You will use "aan de slag zijn" for being in a work related activity or "having a job" (informally). Alternatively you can use "aan de slag gaan" for going to start an activity or "starting a job" (informally). Check out the example sentences.

Note that you will mostly hear the word "slag" used in its translation of "blow/stroke/strike" or "battle".

Examples:
- "Jongens het is al half 9 geweest, open je boek op pagina 16 en aan de slag!"
("Guys, it's past 8.30 now, open your book at page 16 and let's get going!")

- "Ok mensen, de koffie is op, aan de slag!"
("Alright people, we have finished our coffee, let's get to work!"

- "Na drie weken vakantie ga ik morgen weer aan de slag; jammer!"
("After three weeks of holiday, I'm getting back to work tomorrow; too bad!)

- "Zal ik jullie morgen komen helpen?" - "Nou graag, maar we gaan wel al om 8 uur aan de slag!"
("Shall I help you out tomorrow morning?" - "Well, please do, but mind that we will be starting at 8!")

- "Het was gezellig om weer bij te kletsen, maar nu is het tijd om weer aan de slag te gaan!"
("It was really nice to catch up again, but now it's time to get back to work!")

- "Chantal zoekt al heel lang een baan. Ze ziet er echt naar uit om weer aan de slag te gaan."
("Chantal has been looking for a job for quite some time now. She is really looking forward to getting back to work.")

Medaille

medal, prize-medal [noun] [de medaille, de medailles]

The word "medaille" is the topic of conversation on Dutch sport news these days, and probably not only in the Netherlands :-) Even though a small country, the Dutch participate in many sports at the Olympics, ranging from sailing to fencing. Sometimes we see Dutch sportsmen/women competing who we have never heard of!

The Dutch typically do well in hockey, swimming, rowing and judo where "we" expect some medals. We always have our hopes up for the Dutch volleyball teams, the cyclists and the gymnasts. So far the Netherlands is at the ninth place in the medal ranking ("medailleklassement") with one gold (4x100m Freestyle Relay Women - last time was in 1936!), one silver (Judo Women -57 kg) and one bronze medal (Judo Men -60 kg).

These Olympics there is excitement for the Dutch gymnast Epke Zonderland, who is the first Dutch (male) gymnast to participate since 1928.

Although the word "medaille" is borrowed from French, the pronunciation will be Dutchified :-) However, the practical rule is to at least try to approach the French pronunciation. Some fail miserably at this and talk of a "mee-dal-ju" where the "dal" is emphasized more significantly.

A slang word for "medaille" is "plak" ("slice"), and you might hear a Dutch winner talk about his or her "gouden plak".

Picture shows Dutch swimmers Femke Heemskerk, Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Marleen Veldhuis finishing first in the 4x100m freestyle relay (Reuters Press, NRC Handelsblad 11-08-2008).

Examples:
- "Nederland heeft tot nu toe drie medailles gewonnen."
("Up to now the Netherlands have won three medals.")

- "Als topsporter doe ik alles voor een gouden medaille!"
("Being a professional athlete/sportsman/sportswoman, I would do anything for a gold medal." A "topsporter" literally translates to a "top sportsman".)

- "Vertel ons eens, hoe voel je je, nu dat je geen medaille hebt behaald?"
("Now that you have not won a medal, tell us, how do you feel?" The verb "behalen" can also be translated with "to obtain" or "to achieve".)

- "Het winnen van een gouden medaille op de Olympische spelen was mijn droom. Nu is deze droom in duigen."
("Winning a gold medal at the Olympics was my dream. Now this dream is shattered. Note that "in duigen" is short for "in duigen gevallen".)

Expression:
- "Elke medaille heeft een keerzijde": every medal has two sides / its reverse.

Related words:
- Olympische spelen: Olympic games, Olympics.
- Medaillewinnaar: medallist [noun] [de winnaar, de winnaars]. Literally a "medal winner".
- Medailleklassement: medal ranking [noun] [het klassement, de klassementen].
- Plak: slice. Slang for "medal" [noun] [de plak, de plakken].

Uitstellen

to postpone, to put off, to procrastinate [verb] [stelde uit, uitgesteld] ['uit-stel-lun']

Note that there is no direct translation of "to procrastinate" in  Dutch. It will be either clear from context that you are (once again :-) ) procrastinating, or if you want to be clear you can use "voortdurend uitstellen" (to keep putting off).

Examples:
- "Heb je ook gemerkt dat Frank zijn werk uitstelt?"
("Have you also noticed that Frank puts off his work?")

- "Ik heb de neiging om lastige telefoontjes uit te stellen, jij ook?"
("I tend to put off tricky phone calls, you too?" Lit. "I have the tendency to..." Note that a "telefoontje" is literally a small telephone, but most common a popular word for a phone call.)

- "De wedstrijd tussen Ajax en Feyenoord is uitgesteld wegens slecht weer."
("Due to bad weather the match between Ajax and Feyenoord has been postponed.")

- "David is echt lui, hij stelt altijd alles continu uit!"
("David is really lazy, he is always procrastinating!" The word "continu" is a synonym for "voortdurend".)

Expressions:
- "Stel niet uit tot morgen wat je vandaag kan doen": never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
- "Van uitstel komt afstel": this expression is used as a warning; if you keep putting something off, it will not happen anymore ("afstel").

Related words:
- Uitstel: postponement [noun] [het uitstel, no plural].
- Lui: lazy [adjective].

Hitte

heat [noun] [de hitte, no plural] ['hi-tu']

It isn't quite applicable to the Netherlands (yet?), but in this season we should be closest ever to heat. 'Hitte' is what the Dutch use when the weather is beyond 'warm', and you can hear them exclaim behind their fans: 'Wat een hitte!' (see examples).

Examples:
- "Door de wind en de aanhoudende hitte is het vrijwel onmogelijk de bosbranden te blussen."
("Due to the wind and the continuing heat it's almost impossible to extinguish the forest fires".)

- "Wat een hitte! Ik ga lekker afkoelen in het zwembad."
("What a heat! I'm heading to the swimming pool to chill.")

- "De hitte was de grootste tegenstander van de tennisspelers."
("The heat was the tennis players' biggest enemy.")

- "Het zuiden van Spanje is in de greep van een hittegolf."
("The south of Spain is in the grip of a heat wave.")

- "<Omslag van het boek:> Hitte - hoe voorkomen we dat de planeet verbrandt?"
("<Cover of the book:> Heat - How can we prevent the planet from burning down?")

- "Zijn die borden wel hittebestendig? Anders kun je ze beter niet in de oven doen."
("Are those plates heat-resistant? Otherwise you'd better not put them in the oven.")

Expressions:
- "In de hitte van de strijd" or "In het heetst van de strijd": in the heat of the battle/moment.

Example:
- "In de hitte van de strijd botsten de twee wielrenners tegen elkaar en vielen."
("In the heat of the battle, the two cyclists collided and fell".

Extra:
You'd expect that a country like The Netherlands wouldn't need it, but The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, KNMI) closely watches the Heat-index (Hitte-index) to warn the Dutch population in case of heat waves. Check out their website for more info.

Related words: 
- Hittegolf [noun] [de hittegolf, de hittegolven]: heat wave.
- Hittebestendig [adjective]: heat-resistant.
- Heet [adjective]: hot.

Vluggertje

quickie [noun] [het vluggertje, de vluggertjes] ['vlu-gur-tju']

"Vluggertje" is derived from "vlug": quick, fast, rapid. "Vluggertje" is mostly used in a sexual context, but also applies to more general contexts where something is done quickly, like writing a Dutch Word Of The Day, for example... :-)

Its use is informal, sometimes derogatory.

Examples:
- "Marc, kun jij even snel een DWOTD schrijven?" - "Nou, dat wordt dan een vluggertje."
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD just quickly?" - "Well, that's going to be a quickie then.")

- "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje doen?" - "Een vluggertje dan."
("Shall we have one for the road?" - "A quickie then.")

- "Schat, heb je zin in een vluggertje?"
("Babe, do you fancy a quickie?")

Related words:
- "Vlug": quick, fast, rapid.
- "Snel": quick, swift, fast.
- "Nummertje": [noun] shag. Lit.: "little number".

Uitschakelen

The verb "uitschakelen" can be used in different ways.

1. to switch off [verb] [schakelde uit, uitgeschakeld] ['uit-schaa-ku-lun']

In this translation "uitschakelen" is most commonly used for engines, but you can use it for small devices too, such as phones. You will also hear "afzetten" and "uitdoen".

Examples:
- "Als u lang moet wachten voor een open brug, schakel dan de motor uit."
("If you have to wait long in front of an open bridge, then turn of the engine.")

- "Dames en heren, wij zijn klaar voor vertrek. Wilt u alle elektronische apparatuur uitschakelen en opbergen?"
("Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready for departure. Would you please switch off all electronic devices and stow them?")

2. to eliminate, to rule out, to cut out, to knock out [verb] [schakelde uit, uitgeschakeld] ['uit-schaa-ku-lun'] 

Other common verbs to use are "verslaan" ("to beat (in a game)") and "verslagen worden" ("to be beaten").

Examples:
- "Toen Napoleon ook zijn laatste vijand had uitgeschakeld, stond niets hem meer in de weg."
("When Napoleon had also eliminated his last enemy, nothing stood in his way anymore.")

- "Het Nederlands elftal is door Rusland uitgeschakeld. Jammer maar helaas!"
("The Dutch team has been knocked out by Russia. Too bad!" Literally, "jammer maar helaas" translates to "pity but alas".) 

3. to be out of circulation  [verb] [schakelde uit, uitgeschakeld] ['uit-schaa-ku-lun'] 

A third meaning of "uitschakelen" is only used with the past participle, in case of being out of circulation through ill health or because of injuries.

Examples: 
- "Laura is twee dagen uitgeschakeld vanwege een blindedarmontsteking, en daarom schrijft Sander vandaag de DWOTD."
("Laura is out of circulation due to appendicitis, and that's why Sander writes the DWOTD today.")

- "De voetballer is drie maanden uitgeschakeld vanwege een enkelblessure."
("The football player is out of circulation for three months because of an ankle injury.")

Spits

1. striker [noun] [de spits, de spitsen] ['spits']

"Spits" has several meanings in Dutch. During the 2008 European Football Championship, the meaning most often heard is "striker".

Examples:
- "Bondscoach Marco van Basten heeft Ruud van Nistelrooy geselecteerd als spits."
("National coach Marco van Basten has selected Ruud van Nistelrooy as striker".)

- "Een paar maanden geleden werd de Real-spits geopereerd aan zijn enkel."
("A few months ago, the Real striker was operated on his ankle.")

- "Wie speelt er bij Nederland in de spits?"
("Who in the Dutch team plays forward?")

2. peak, peak/rush hour [noun] [de spits, de spitsen] ['spits']

Another meaning of "spits" that you can hear every hour on the radio news, is "peak/rush hour". One of the free daily newspapers is also named "Spits" for this reason (see picture). Related to this meaning is the translation "peak (of a mountain or tower)".

Examples:
- <Nieuwslezer> "We hebben een drukke ochtendspits zoals gebruikelijk op maandag: 160 kilometer file."
(<Newsreader> "We have a busy morning rush hour as usual on Monday: 160 kilometres traffic jam.")

- "Er komen steeds meer gratis dagbladen zoals 'Metro', 'Spits', 'Pers' en 'Dag'."
("The number of free daily newspapers such as 'Metro', 'Spits', 'Pers' and 'Dag' is growing." Note that "metro" means "metro" or "subway"; "pers" means "press" and "dag" means "day".)

- "De spits van de toren was ernstig beschadigd door de blikseminslag."
("The spire of the tower was badly damaged by the thunderbolt.")

Expressions:
- "De spits afbijten": to go first, be the first (to).

Example:
- "Joris beet de spits af met zijn presentatie over HRM."
("Joris was the first to give a presentation on HRM ".)

- "Iets op de spits drijven": make an issue of something.

Example:
- "Ze overdrijft; het was toch nergens voor nodig om het zo op de spits te drijven!"
(" She's overexaggerating; it wasn't necessary to make such an issue of it, was it!")

3. sharp, pointy [adjective/adverb] ['spits']

A third meaning of "spits" is pointy, sharp or pointed.

Examples:
- "Zij heeft een spits gezicht met scherpe trekken."
("She has a pointed face with sharp features".)

- "De klompen hebben een spitse neus."
("The wooden shoes have a sharp point." Lit.: ".. have a sharp nose.")

- "De meeste daken lopen spits toe."
("Most roofs end in a point.")

Opstootje

(street) row, disorder, clash, disturbance [noun] [het opstootje, de opstootjes] ['op-stoot-ju']

An "opstootje" is a physical confrontation between people. It is not really a big fight but more a little row or relatively short confrontation. You might read about "opstootjes" on a Friday night, at the football pitch or during events with a lot of visitors. And if it's not the adrenaline during a sport event, it is most likely the alcohol that plays an important role. But I also remember being part of an "opstootje" in the school playground when I was young :-)

"Opstootje" is a diminutive, but "opstoot" is never really used (other than in boxing, where it means "uppercut"). The base verb of which it is derived is "stoten": to bump, knock hit or punch.
                                                                                     
Examples:
-"Ondanks de feeststemming en bovenmatige alcoholconsumptie na de overwinning op Frankrijk, waren er slechts enkele opstootjes in het centrum van de stad."
("Despite the festive atmosphere and excessive alcohol consumption after the victory over France, there were only a few disturbances in the city centre.")

- "De scheidsrechter hield de kaarten op zak en was in staat om de meeste opstootjes in de kiem te smoren."
("The referee did not pull out any cards and was able to prevent most clashes from getting out of hand." Note that "de kaarten op zak houden" is a bit of a football/soccer expression: "keep the cards in the pocket". Literally the second part of the sentence translates to "to nip the disturbances in the bud".)

- "Hé moet je kijken, volgens mij gaat het daar helemaal los!" - "Nee joh, het is maar een opstootje."
("Hey look at that, I think things are completely getting out of hand over there!" - "No no, not at all, it is just a little row." Lit. "Hey, you must look, I think it's going complete loose over there." The use of "joh" is informal and it takes some practise to know when you can use it but it basically strengthens your statement.)

Related words:
- "De vechtpartij": fight.
- "Het geweld": violence.
- "De confrontatie": confrontation.
- "De botsing": the clash, collision.

Fluitconcert

1. catcalls, hissing [noun] [het fluitconcert, de fluitconcerten] ['fluit-kon-sert']

"Fluitconcert" is composed of "fluit" and "concert", which translate to "whistle" and "concerto" respectively, hence the literal "flute concerto", see 2.
However, "fluitconcert" is more known in its other context: the disapproving whistling during soccer matches, as can be heard in this video. In English "fluitconcert" would more or less translate to catcalls or hissing.

The diminutive of "fluit" is "fluitje" which was one of our early DWOTDs...check it out!

Examples:
- "Wat een verschrikkelijke wedstrijd! Logisch, al die fluitconcerten..."
("What a terrible match! Makes sense, all that disapproving whistling...")

- "Omdat de scheidsrechter steeds voor buitenspel floot, ontstond er een fluitconcert in het stadion."
("Because the referee continuously whistled for off-side, a hissing/catcalls rose in the stadium.")

- "Tijdens de volksliederen waren er diverse fluitconcerten." - "Geen respect, die supporters..."
("During the national anthems there were numerous catcalls." - "No respect, those fans...")

Related words:
- "Applaus": applause.
- "Juichen": to cheer.
- "Oerwoudgeluiden": monkey sounds (made by so-called supporters during a soccer match). Lit.: jungle sounds.

2. flute concerto [noun] [het fluitconcert, de fluitconcerten] ['fluit-kon-sert'] 

Examples:
- "Het Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest speelt nu voor u het tweede fluitconcert van Mozart."
("The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra will now play for you: Mozart's second flute concerto.")

Related words:
- "Fluit": flute.
- "Concert": concerto.
- "Dirigent": conductor.

Watje

1. cotton pad, wad of cotton wool [noun] [het watje, de watjes] ['wa-tju']

A "watje" is the pad that you remove your make-up with or clean your ears with, or what you use when cleaning a wound or stemming the blood flow when one of your wisdomtooth has just been removed. "Watje" is the singular diminutive of the plural "watten", which can be translated as "cotton wadding" or "batting".

Examples:
- <Vrouw op foto> "Ik vind het heerlijk om elke avond mijn make-up te verwijderen met een watje!"
(<Woman in picture> "I love removing my make-up every night with a cotton pad".)

- "De wattenstaafjes zijn weer op; haal je even nieuwe bij Etos?"
("We ran out of cotton buds / Q-tips again; will you get new ones at Etos?" Lit.: "The cotton-buds are finished again,.. ")

- "We hebben het matras opgevuld met watten."
("We've stuffed the mattress with batting.")

-"De dokter op de spoedeisende hulp stopte het bloeden van haar knie met bloedstelpende watten."
("The doctor at the emergency room stopped the bleeding of her knee with styptic cotton." Note that the emergency ward was previously called "Eerste Hulp" ("First Aid"). The name was changed to "spoedeisende hulp" (lit.: speed demanding help) . Since the Dutch health system includes general practitioners ("huisartsen"), people should only go to the "spoedeisende hulp" when there is an emergency. If not, they should visit their general practitioner. Many hospitals have a general practitioner's ward ("huisartsenpost") and a emergency ward ("spoedeisende hulp post") to prevent people with non-emergency complaints to get in the way of patients that need emergency aid.)

Expressions:
- "Als haar vriend jarig is, legt ze hem in de watten."
("She pampers her boyfriend on his birthday.")

2. sissy, wimp [noun] [het watje, de watjes] ['wa-tju']

Another meaning of "watje" - maybe because of its nice soft fluffiness - is "sissy" or "wimp". Friends can use it amongst each other without being too offended. The picture shows the photo of a man on a cotton pad with the caption: "Echte man of een watje?" which means "Real man or a wally?" I guess his friends had a ball ;-)

Example:
- "Hij steunt zijn eigen collega's nooit; hij is zo'n watje!"
("He never backs his own colleagues; he's such a wimp!")

Related words:
Now that we're talking terms of abuse, let me give you some more - I'll stick to the acceptable ones (starting with the least harmful one):
- "Doetje":  an outdated word for "softy", no-one will be really offended when called a "doetje", but rather laugh at you.
- "Sukkel": is still used for an idiot or clumsy person (mostly boys). The related verb is "sukkelen" which is often used when referring to someone who's suffering from diseases ("hij sukkelt met zijn gezondheid" means "he's in ill-health").
- "Trut": is only used for girls and means something like "cow", "goat". It is often accompanied by "stom" ("stupid"), as in "stomme trut!" ("stupid cow").
- "Mietje": is used to offend boys or men by calling them a "sissy". The following dubious expression exists in Dutch: "Laten we elkaar geen mietje noemen" which means "Let's call a spade a spade". 
- "Loser": no explanation needed.
- "Eikel": (here's where the genitals come in) "idiot" or "oaf".
- "(Kloot)zak": (another genital) "sucker".

Buitenspel

offside [adverb] ['bui-tun-spel']

Euro 2008 has begun, and how! A 3-0 victory for Holland against Italy yesterday evening!!! Let's do a soccer-related word :-)

"Buitenspel" is the Dutch word for "offside". It is composed of "buiten" and "spel", which translate to "outside" and "game" respectively. As we all know, a soccer player is in offside position when he is in front of the opponent's  defender at the moment the ball is played by one of his team (provided that the goalkeeper is still in his goal). The idiom "buitenspel staan" (lit.: "to stand offside") is frequently used for "to be (in) offside (position)".

"Buitenspel" can also be used figuratively, often in combination with the verb "zetten" ("to put"), in the context of sidelining someone or shunting someone off. See the last of the Examples.

Examples:
- "Die eerste goal van Van Nistelrooy was buitenspel, toch?" 
("That first goal by Van Nistelrooy was offside, right?")

- "Die speler stond buitenspel!" - "Echt niet! Hij stond gelijk met de laatste man!"
("That player was offside!" - "No way! He was level with the sweeper!")

- "Frank vindt dat hij vaak buitenspel wordt gezet door zijn manager."
("Frank feels he's being sidelined a lot by his manager.")

Related words:
- "Buiten": outside, out, out of.
- "Spel": game. See also "spelletje".

Extra:
Since you will probably hear a lot of people talk about soccer these days, we'll provide you with some basic soccer vocabulary :-)

- "Voetbal": soccer, football (the sports).
- "Voetbal": (foot)ball (the ball).
- "Scheidsrechter": referee. Often abbreviated to "scheids" (: "ref").
- "Speler": player.
- "Keeper": (goal)keeper.
- "Verdedigen": to play defense, to defend.
- "Aanvallen": to attack.
- "Middenveld": midfield.
- "Aftrap": kickoff.
- "Vrije trap": free kick.
- "Hoekschop": corner.
- "Strafschop": penalty. Often the English "penalty" is used, pronounced with Dutch accent and emphasis :-)
- "Hands": hands, handball.
- "Overtreding": foul, offense.
- "Uit": out.
- "Inwerpen/ingooien": to throw in.

Goed bezig!

nice job, great work, doing well! [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Goed bezig" is actually a shortened form of "<subject> <finite form of "zijn"> goed bezig": "you are doing well".

"Bezig" actually translates to "busy" and "bezig zijn" means "to be in the act of". So "goed bezig" means that whatever it is that you are doing, you are doing it well, or you are doing well for yourself. You can also use it to encourage somebody, a bit like the "nice job!" that I frequently hear when I'm in the U.S.

Mind that "goed bezig" is used informally. You will also hear "lekker bezig" which kind of has the same meaning but is mainly used ironically, see the last example.

Examples:
- "Heb jij ook gemerkt dat Edyta al veel beter Nederlands spreekt?" - "Ja man, ze is echt goed bezig!"
("Have you also noticed that Edyta's Dutch has already improved?" - "Yeah man, she is really doing well!" Lit. "...that Edyta already speaks Dutch a lot better?")

- "Goed bezig mannen!"
("Nice job guys! / (You are) doing well guys!")

- "Wist je al dat Pepijn en Anneloes een huis hebben gekocht?" - "Nee nog niet. Maar die zijn dus goed bezig!"
("Did you know that Pepijn and Anneloes have bought a house?" - "No not yet. I understand that they are doing well!" Note that "maar" normally translates to "but" and "dus" to "thus/hence", but in this case the "maar <subject> dus" is best translated with "I understand".)

- "Frank is net begonnen met zijn nieuwe baan en heeft nu al promotie gemaakt!" - "Zo hee, die is goed bezig!"
("Frank has just started his new job and now he has already been promoted!" - "Wow, he is doing well for himself!" Literally "... has made promotion".)

- "Er komt weer een reorganisatie aan!" - "Nou, het management is weer lekker bezig!")
("There is another reorganization coming!" - "<ironically:> My, the management at its best again!")

Bliksem

lightning [noun] [de bliksem, de bliksems] ['blik-sum']

"Thunder and lightning" is translated in Dutch as "donder en bliksem". The two combined are called "onweer" ("thunderstorm"; "weather" in Dutch is "weer"). The related verb is "onweren" and can only be used in the third-person singular "it": "het onweert" ("there is a thunderstorm"). The same is true for the verb "bliksemen": "het bliksemt" translates to something like "there are flashes of lightning".

"Bliksem" is often combined with the verb "inslaan, sloeg in, ingeslagen" ("to strike, struck, struck").

Examples:
- "Gisteravond is de bliksem ingeslagen in twee huizen. Ze brandden volledig uit."
("Last night two houses were struck by lightning. They burnt down completely.")

- "Mijn hond kan niet tegen vuurwerk en onweer."
("My dog can't stand fireworks and thunderstorms.")

- "Er zit onweer in de lucht: het weer is benauwd en te warm voor de tijd van het jaar."
("There's a storm brewing: the weather is a bit muggy and too warm for this time of year.")

- "De veiligste plek om te zijn als het onweert, is in de auto, zolang je er maar niet uitkomt!"
("The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is inside a car, as long as you don't get out!")

- "Tijdens het bliksembezoek van de minister van Defensie aan de troepen in Afghanistan maakte hij bekend wanneer zij terug naar huis konden."
("During the flying visit of the Secretary of State for Defence to the troops in Afghanistan, he announced when they could return home.")

Expressions:
- "Kom als de bliksem naar beneden, we gaan nu!"
("Come down immediately, we're leaving now!" Instead of 'als de bliksem', it's possible to use 'als de wiedeweerga'.)

- "Zijn gezicht stond op onweer toen hij zijn ex-vrouw samen met zijn collega zag."
("His face spelled trouble when he saw his former wife together with his colleague.")

Related words:
- "De bliksemschicht": thunderbolt.
- "De bliksemafleider": lightning rod.
- "Het bliksembezoek": flying visit.
- "De blikseminslag": stroke of lightning.
- "De bliksemschade": damage caused by lightning.

Het moet maar

(oh well alright,) I guess it just has to be done [Dutch phrase of the week] 

The translation above is just one of many possibilities, depending on context. We'll cover a few in the Examples.

Examples:
- "Ik heb helemaal geen zin om vandaag weer naar het werk te gaan...het moet maar..."
("I really don't feel like going to work again today...I guess I'll just have to do it...")

- "Ga jij ook naar de afscheidsborrel van Frank?" - "Het moet maar..."
("Are you going to the Frank's farewell drink too?" - "I guess I have no choice...")

- "Spring, spring!" - "Het moet maar..."
("Jump, jump!" - "Here goes nothing...")

- "Sander, weet jij een andere vertaling voor 'het moet maar' ?" - "Nee makker, het moet maar zo...bij gebrek aan betere alternatieven..."
("Sander, do you know another translation for 'het moet maar' ?"- "No dude, I guess we'll have to do this one...for lack of better alternatives...")

Related words:
- "Moeten": [verb] to must, to have to.
- "Maar": [adverb] but, only, just.

Bedoeling

1. intention, aim, purpose, idea, meaning [noun] [de bedoeling, de bedoelingen] ['bu-doe-ling']

Although the literal translation of "bedoeling" is "intention", it is used so often in Dutch in various contexts with subtle differences that many descriptive translations will apply. Especially the following phrase you may see a lot: "Het is de bedoeling dat...", which would literally translates to "It is the intention/idea that..." but which would best be translated with the hint "You're supposed to..." (where the subject "you" can be substituted by any other person or subject).

Examples:
- "Is het jouw bedoeling om mij te beledigen?"
("Is it your intention to insult me?")

- "Frank, het is de bedoeling dat je eerst de gebruiksaanwijzing leest."
("Frank, you're supposed to read the manual first.")

- "Vrees niet, ik heb geen kwade bedoelingen." - "Ik geloof u niet!"
("Fear not, I have no cruel intentions." - "I don't believe you!")

Expressions:
- "Met de beste bedoelingen": with the best of intentions.

Related words:
- "Doel": goal, purpose.
- "Intentie": intention.
- "Betekenis": meaning.

2. odd situation, fuss, ado [noun] [de bedoeling, de bedoelingen] ['bu-doe-ling'] 

The use of "bedoeling" in this context is in fact incorrect! It is actually "bedoening", but a lot of people say "bedoeling" instead. "Bedoeling/bedoening" is used informally and refers to an out of the ordinary situation going on.

Examples:
- "Ik vind dit een rare bedoeling..."
("I think this is a strange situation (going on)...")

- "Fraaie bedoeling is dit, eet ik bij een drie-sterren restaurant, drijft er een vlieg in mijn soep!"
("How nice, I'm eating at a three star restaurant, and there's a fly in my soup!")

Related words:
- "Bedoening": odd situation, fuss.
- "Gedoe": fuss, hassle.
- "Situatie": situation.
- "Toestand": state.

Als de wiedeweerga

right away, on the double, in a flash [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Als de" translates to "like the". But what does "wiedeweerga" mean? Well, it is something fast, that's for sure! And it can imply urgency, so it is a bit stronger than just "right away".

You might also hear "als de gesmeerde bliksem": like greased lightning!

Examples:
- "Ik moet als de wiedeweerga mijn koffer in gaan pakken, want anders red ik het niet!"
("I have to start packing my suitcase right away, because otherwise I will not make it!" Note the use of "het redden": although "redden" means "to save (somebody/something)", "het redden" means "to make it (in time for something)" or "to succeed".)

- "En nu ga je als de wiedeweerga je kamer opruimen, want ik ben het zat!"
("And now you will clean up your room, on the double, because I have had it!")

- "Waar is Cathrine?" - "Ik weet het niet, ze kreeg een telefoontje en toen is ze als de wiedeweerga naar Zweden vertrokken!"
("Where is Cathrine?" - "I don't know, she received a phone call and then she left for Sweden in a flash!")

Onbegonnen werk

It's a hopeless task [Dutch phrase of the week]

The literal translation of this phrase is "unbegun work". It is used to say that a certain activity is hopeless or impossible to even begin undertaking.

Examples:
- "Het is onbegonnen werk om met de vrijdagmiddagfiles van Den Haag naar Maastricht te rijden."
("It's a hopeless task to drive from The Hague to Maastricht with the Friday afternoon traffic jams.")

- "Kun jij mijn brief controleren op spelfouten?" - "Onbegonnen werk, jongen..."
("Can you check my letter for spelling errors?" - "That's hopeless, dude...")

Expression:
- "Dat is zoeken naar een speld in een hooiberg": That's looking for a needle in a haystack.

Related words:
- "Hopeloos": hopeless.
- "Onmogelijk": impossible.

Joekel

whopper, a really big one [noun] [de joekel, de joekels] ['joe-kul']

"Joekel" is used informally to refer to something of great size. This can be practically anything. "Joekel" is often used in the common construction "een joekel van een ...", see the Examples.

"Joekel" can sometimes have a sexual connotation. The singular "joekel" would be the male genital organ, whereas the plural "joekels" would refer to a woman's sizable breasts.

By the way, a Burgerking "Whopper" is not a "Joekel", but just a "Whopper":-)

Examples:
- "Ik heb nog nooit zo'n grote spin gezien, wat een joekel!"
("I've never seen such a big spider, what a whopper!") 

- "Ik had gisteravond een feestje, nu heb ik een joekel van een kater..."
("I had a party last night, now I have a really big hangover...")

- "Zo moppie, jij hebt lekkere joekels!" - "Oprotten viezerik, of ik bel de politie!"
("Well sweetie, you have a nice set of knockers!" - "Piss off you pervert, or I'll call the police!")

Related words:
- "Kanjer": synonymous to "joekel": whopper. Also used to refer to a person of great character/skills.
- "Groot": big, large.

Dat slaat nergens op

that makes no sense at all [Dutch phrase of the week]

The informal "dat slaat nergens op" can be a bit stronger than "that makes no sense at all", and can convey the message that you think it is ridiculous or plain crazy.

The literal translation does not seem to make much sense: "That beats/hits on nowhere". In this context however, "slaan op" translates to "to refer to", where "nergens" translates to "nowhere". From "that refers to nowhere" it is a small step to "that makes no sense at all", well, at least it is for us ;-)

To say it even stronger, "helemaal" can be added to the phrase: "Dat slaat helemaal nergens op!" And if you are looking for (implicit) confirmation, you can add "toch": "dat slaat toch helemaal nergens op!" :-)

You will also hear the question: "Waar slaat dit op?" ("What is this about? / What is this supposed to be/do?")

Examples:
- "Meneer, u mag hier niet parkeren!" - "Belachelijk! Dat slaat helemaal nergens op!"
("Sir, you are not allowed to park here!" - "Ridiculous! That really makes no sense at all!")

- "Wat vond je van de uitleg van de professor?" - "Die sloeg helemaal nergens op!"
("What did you think of the professor's explanation?" - "It really didn't make any sense at all!")

- "Het slaat nergens op dat ik door die mierenneuker word beschuldigd van het gebruiken van schuttingtaal!"
("It's ridicuous that I'm being accused of using foul language by that nitpicker!")

- "De prijs die je tegenwoordig moet betalen voor een enkeltje Den Haag - Amsterdam slaat helemaal nergens op!"
("The price one has to pay nowadays for a single ticket from The Hague to Amsterdam is ridiculous!" Note that "enkel" in Dutch can have two meanings: 'single', or 'ankle'. It is common to use the diminutive "enkeltje" for a single train ticket. A return ticket is a "retour" or "retourtje".)

Related words:
- "Onzin": nonsense.
- "Belachelijk": ridiculous. Lit. "laughable".
- "Onterecht": unjust, wrongful.

Gebruiksaanwijzing

manual [noun] [de gebruiksaanwijzing, de gebruiksaanwijzingen] ['gu-bruiks-aan-wij-zing']

Literally a "gebruiksaanwijzing" is a "direction" ("aanwijzing") of use ("gebruik").

Examples:
- "Het lukt me niet om de dvd-speler in te stellen, weet jij waar de gebruiksaanwijzing is?"
("I'm unable to set/program the dvd player, do you know where the manual is?")

- "U kunt de gebruiksaanwijzing ook downloaden op www.philips.nl ."
("You can also download the manual at www.philips.nl .")

- "Mijn vriendin zegt dat ik een gebruiksaanwijzing heb... Nou, zij anders ook!"
("My girlfriend says I have a manual... Well, so does she!" Here we mean the behaviour of course.)

Related words:
- "Gebruiken": to use.
- "Aanwijzen": to point at, to direct.

Aan de lopende band

constantly, all the time [Dutch phrase of the week]

Literally translated, a "lopende band" would be something like a "running belt". Actually, "lopende band" is the translation for "conveyor belt" (as part of an assembly line in a factory). The expression "aan de lopende band" is used to refer to the continuous or repetitive nature of a certain event or activity.
In the case of a continuous activity "aan de lopende band" is synonymous to "de hele tijd", which is the literal translation of "all the time", see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Tijdens de vergadering moest Frank aan de lopende band hoesten."
("During the meeting, Frank had to cough constantly.")

- "Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat jij me aan de lopende band beledigt, en dat ik mijn mond moet houden!"
("It can't possibly be the case that you insult me all the time, and that I have to keep my mouth shut!")

- "Schat, je zit aan de lopende band in je neus te peuteren." - "Moet jij nodig zeggen!"
("Honey, you're picking your nose all the time." - "Look who's talking!" Note that the typical Dutch construction for continuous activities is used here: [subject]  + [conjugation of verbs suchs as "lopen" / "zitten" / "staan" / "hangen"]  + ["te"] + [infinitive].)

- "Die man met dat blotebillengezicht zit de hele tijd naar me te gluren...wat een engerd!"
("That man with the pudding-face is peeping at me all the time...what a creep!" In Dutch, "scary" or "spooky" is translated with "eng".)

Related words:
- "Lopen": to walk, to run.
- "Band": band, belt, strip, tire.

Op het nippertje

at the very last moment, only just in time, a close call [Dutch phrase of the week]

A "nipper" does not exist, nor does "nippertje" have a meaning of its own. You'll only hear and use it in this phrase. Another version is "op het laatste nippertje": at the very very last moment.

Examples:
- "Vanochtend heb ik op het nippertje de trein gehaald."
("This morning I only just managed to catch the train." Note that the Dutch say "de trein halen".)

- "De scholier stak zonder te kijken de spoorwegovergang over, en is op het nippertje aan de dood ontsnapt."
("The pupil/student crossed the railway/road crossing without looking, and escaped death by a hair's breadth.")

- "Iedereen was ruimschoots op tijd, terwijl Frank weer eens op het laatste nippertje arriveerde."
("Everybody arrived well on time, while Frank once again arrived at the very very last moment.")

Pleite

"Pleite" is slang and is only used informally. It can be used in two ways:

1. gone, out of here [adjective] ['plei-tu']

Here it is also often used in the phrase "pleite gaan", which translates to "to clear/take off".

Examples:
- "Jongen, ik ben pleite."
("Dude/Mate, I'm out of here.")

- "Weet jij waar Eline is?" - "Nee, ze was ineens pleite."
("Do you know where Eline is?" - "No, all of a sudden she was gone.")

- "Kunnen we nu pleite gaan?" - "Nog heel even Yolanda, het is zo gepiept."
("Can we clear off now?" - "Just a moment Yolanda, it won't take long.")

 Related words:
- "Peren": to leave.
- "Pleiten": "Pleite" is not to be confused with the verb "pleiten", which translates to "to plead". The following example contains both :-)

- "Na het pleiten in de rechtszaal ging de advocaat pleite."
("After pleading in court, the lawyer cleared off.")

Extra: more on the background of "pleite" and "pleiten" can be found in this article (in Dutch).

2. nowhere to be found, gone, missing [adjective] ['plei-tu']

Examples:
- "M'n sleutels zijn pleite. Wat nu?"
("My keys are gone. Now what?")

- "Sinds de verhuizing is de afstandsbediening van de TV pleite."
("Since the move, the remote control of the TV is missing.")

Related words:
- "Weg": gone, left missing away.
- "Kwijt": gone, missing.
- "Foetsie": [informal] gone, missing.
- "Verschwunden": [informal] past particple of the German verb "verschwinden": to disappear, and for some reason informally used when something is nowhere to be found and you have absolutely no clue.

 

Chagrijnig

grumpy, grouchy, cranky, bad-tempered [adjective] ['sja-grij-nug']

The related verb is "chagrijnen", which translates to "to grouch/grumble". The related noun is "chagrijn", which can be either a grouchy person, or the bad temper of that person. Both the verb and the noun are not used as frequently as the adjective "chagrijnig".

Often you will hear the pronunciation "sja-gu-rij-nug" or "sja-ga-rij-nug".

Examples:
- "Frank is altijd chagrijnig 's morgens."
("Frank is always grumpy in the morning.")

- "Waarom ben je zo chagrijnig?" - "Ik heb gisteravond een blauwtje gelopen bij Ludmilla..."
("Why are you so bad-tempered?" - "I was turned down by Ludmilla last night...")

- "Wat is er met je zus aan de hand?" - "O, niets ernstigs, ze is een beetje chagrijnig."
("What's wrong with your sister?" - "Oh, nothing serious, she is a bit grumpy." Note the common expression: "aan de hand zijn".)

- "Ik word zo chagrijnig van al die files! Het moet niet gekker worden in dit land!!"
("All these traffic jams make me so cranky! This country has reached the limit!!" Lit.: "I become so cranky... It must not become any crazier in this country!!")

Related words:
- "Chaggie"/"chagge"/"sjaggie"/"sjagge": informal version of "chagrijnig" that you might hear in speech.

Example:
- "Sorry hoor, maar ik ben een beetje chaggie vanochtend."
("I hope you don't mind, but I'm a bit bad-tempered this morning.")

- "Ochtendhumeur": bad morning temper.
- "Nors": grumpy.
- "Ontvreden": dissatisfied.
- "Boos": angry.
- "Mopperen": to grumble.

Het is zo gepiept

It's easily done/fixed/accomplished, it won't take long (to complete) [Dutch phrase of the week]

The verb "piepen" is translated with "to squeak, peep, shriek, wheeze" or verbs such as "to whine/moan". However in the phrase "het is zo gepiept" it takes the meaning of "to complete/do/fix/...", and you will only encounter it as such in this phrase.

Mind that whatever it is that has to be completed, must be a physical activity.

Examples:
- "Hoe lang gaat dit duren denk je?" - "O, maak je geen zorgen, het is zo gepiept!"
("How long do you think this wil take?" - "Oh, don't worry about, it won't take long!")

- "Kun je me helpen met het verplaatsen van de wasmachine? Ik zweer het je: het is zo gepiept!"
("Can you help me move the washing machine? I swear: it won't take long!" Lit. "...with the moving of the washing machine? I swear it to you:...".)

- "Dat gaat ons toch nooit lukken, dan moeten we allemaal gaten gaan boren!" - "Nou en, het is zo gepiept, let maar op!"
("We will never be able to do that, we'd have to drill all these holes!" - "So what, it's easily done, just watch me!" Lit. "We will never succeed in doing that..." - "Now and..., just pay attention!")

Aanstaande

1. next, coming, approaching [adjective] ['aan-staan-du']

"Aanstaande" literally translates to "onstanding". It is used to indicate that the adjective's subject is about to happen/become (true) in the near future.

Sometimes, you may find "aanstaande" placed behind its subject. This is only the case when it is used in the context of a time adjunct. In that case, "aanstaande" is often abbreviated to "a.s.", see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Wanneer is de vergadering?" - "Aanstaande donderdag om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" - "Next/This Thursday at ten o'clock.")

- "Wanneer is de vergadering?" - "Donderdag aanstaande om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" - "Next/This Thursday at ten o'clock.")

- "Wanneer is de vergadering?" - "A.s. donderdag om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" - "Next/This Thursday at ten o'clock.")

- "Wanneer is de vergadering?" - "Donderdag a.s. om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" - "Next/This Thursday at ten o'clock.")

- "Er wordt gezegd dat aanstaande moeders veel augurken eten."
("It is said that expectant mothers eat a lot of pickles.")

- "Het tijdperk van de mens is ten einde, het tijdperk van de ork is aanstaande..."
("The age of man is at an end, the age of the ork is near/imminent...")

Related words:
- "Komende": coming.
- "Volgende": next.

2. fiancé(e), future husband/wife [noun] [de aanstaande, de aanstaanden] ['aan-staan-du'] 

In this context, "aanstaande" is essentially short for "aanstaande vrouw/man": wife/husband to be. There's also the synonym "verloofde", but this word has quite a formal connotation.

Examples:
- "Mag ik u mijn aanstaande voorstellen?"
("May I introduce my fiancé(e) to you?")

- "Wie is de vrouw die zo zit te mekkeren?" - "Dat is Franks aanstaande..."
("Who is that wining woman?" - "That's Frank's future wife.")

Related words:
- "Verloofde": fiancé(e).
- "Zich verloven": to get engaged.
- "Verloving": engagement.
- "Trouwen": to marry, to get married.

Moet jij nodig zeggen!

Look who's talking! [Dutch phrase of the week]  

This phrase is always used to express irony. The literal translation - "Must you necessarily say" - does not make much sense, but something like "It is really necessary that you say that...NOT" would somewhat cover its meaning. Luckily, there's a dedicated English phrase for it: "Look who's talking".

The phrase can be used in every person, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Jij bent echt druk!" - "Moet jij nodig zeggen! Ik probeer al weken een afspraak met je te maken!"
("You're a really busy person!" - "Look who's talking! I've been trying for weeks now, to make an appointment with you!")

- "Frank beweert dat jij je snor hebt gedrukt tijdens de vergadering." - "Moet hij nodig zeggen! Hij kwam tien minuten te laat!"
("Frank claims that you weaseled out during the meeting." - "Look who's talking! He came in ten minutes late!")

- "Wordt het niet eens tijd dat je gaat stofzuigen?" - "Moet jij nodig zeggen, jij zou afwassen weet je nog?!"
("Isn't it about time that you start vacuum-cleaning?" - "Look who's talking, you were supposed to wash up / do the dishes, remember?!")

Related words:
- "Nodig": necessary, needful.
- "Zeggen": to say.

Related expressions:
- "Moet je horen wie het zegt!": this phrase can be used the same way as "moet jij nodig zeggen" but you don't have to conjugate as you are not addressing somebody directly.
- "Het moet niet gekker worden!": This is ridiculous!

379. Rietje

1. straw [noun] [het rietje, de rietjes] ['riet-ju']

When referring to the object with which to suck up fluids, the Dutch have chosen to use the diminutive of a plant with a similar shape: "riet": the long, hard grass that grows in shallow, calm waters.

As a translation, "reed" can be used too, but in the context of the wood-wind instruments, see 2.

Examples:
- "Mam, ik wil een rietje!"
("Mum, I want a straw!")

- "Als je bier met een rietje drinkt, word je sneller zat."
("If you drink beer with a straw, you get drunk faster." Note that "word" does not get the additional 't' since the second person "je" and the verb are swapped.)

- "Mag ik twee bier en een cola alsjeblieft." - "Natuurlijk, wil je een rietje bij de cola?"
("Can I have two beers and a coke please." - "Sure, do you want a straw with the coke?")

Related word:
- "Parapluutje": little umbrella.

2. reed [noun] [het rietje, de rietjes] ['riet-ju'] 

Most of the wood-wind instruments have a small, flat piece of wood, which is part of the mouthpiece, and which produces the actual sound by vibration when blowing the instrument: the reed.

Examples:
- "Mijn klarinet is vals." - "Misschien moet je het rietje vervangen."
("My clarinet is out of tune." - "Perhaps you should replace the reed.")

Related word:
- "Houten blaasinstrument": wood-wind instrument.

377. Jatten

to steal, to nick, to pinch [verb] [jatte, gejat] ['ja-tun']

"Jatten" is used informally. It is also the plural of "jat", and then has the meaning of "hands", but again informally.

Examples:
- "Zo, die fiets is gloednieuw! Pas maar op dat hij niet gejat wordt!"
("My, that bicycle is brand-new! You had better pay attention that it is not stolen!")

- "Hé, wat is er gebeurd?" - "Mijn portemonnee is gejat in de tram."
("Hey, what happened?" - "My wallet was stolen in the tram.")

- "Kijk maar uit in de trein, tegenwoordig jatten ze je laptop zonder dat je het doorhebt!"
("You'd better watch out on the train, these days they steal your laptop without you noticing it!" Note the verb "doorhebben": to see (through), to be on to, ...")

Expression:
- "Beter goed gejat dan slecht bedacht": populistic expression saying that it's better to copy something well, than to have a bad idea.

Related words:
- "Jatmoos": pincher, swiper.
- "Dief": thief.

375. (Het is een) gekkenhuis!

It's chaos/insane/bizar, completely crazy/wacko [Dutch phrase of the week] 

This phrase has a few variations depending on where the chaos actually is :-) and translations may vary, see the examples.

Now, what is a "gekkenhuis" anyway? It's the colloquial word for "mental asylum", literally meaning "house of nutters/madmen" or "madhouse".

So the phrase basically says that a situation or process is like one would expect to occur in a "gekkenhuis". Not the most politically correct you might think, but nevertheless very common in everyday speech.

Sometimes the phrase is abbreviated to just the word "gekkenhuis", an example of which can be found below (or in this car commercial that appeared on Dutch television a few years ago showing two sloths discussing the capabilities of a car).

Examples:
- "Ken je de drie dwaze dagen in de Bijenkorf? - "Het is een gekkenhuis jongen!"
("Do you know the "drie dwaze dagen" at the Bijenkorf?" - Man/dude, it's chaos!")

- "Op Koninginnedag is heel Amsterdam een gekkenhuis!"
("On Queen's Day it's total chaos in the entire city of Amsterdam.")

- "Ik was gisteren op het strand in Scheveningen. Gekkenhuis!"
("Yesterday I was at the beach in Scheveningen. It was complete chaos!")

- "Ze sluiten de binnenstad af voor alle autoverkeer!" - "Echt? Gekkenhuis..."
("They are closing off the city centre for all motor/car traffic!" - "Really? Insane..."

- "Het is een gekkenhuis. Een gekkenhuis."
("It's a madhouse. A madhouse." Charlton Heston in 'Planet of the Apes'.)

373. Zat

"Zat" is a word that can be used in several - very different - meanings. Before you know it, you're telling your boss that you are drunk when you really want to say that you're fed up with your job ;-) See examples below to clarify things. And don't get confused: 'zat' is also the singular past tense of 'zitten' ("to sit"), e.g. 'ik zat, jij zat, hij/zij zat' ("I sat, you sat, he/she sat"). 

1. drunk [adjective] ['zat'] 

"Zat" can be informally used as the word for "drunk" (or "drunken").

Examples:
- "Hij was niet gewoon zat, hij was ladderzat."
("He wasn't just drunk, he was smashed.")

- "Zij kan niet tegen drank; na vier biertjes is ze al compleet zat."
("She doesn't take alcohol (lit: booze) very well; she is completely drunk after four beers.")

Expression:
- "Zo zat zijn als een aap/kanon.": lit. to be as drunk as a monkey/cannon, this says you are very drunk ('drunk as a lord').

Example:
- "Marc is zo zat als een aap!"

Related words:
- "Zatlap": a boozer, soak. A "lap" is like a piece of cloth.
- "Ladderzat": smashed, zonked.
- "Aangeschoten": tipsy.
- "Bezopen": drunk (informal).

2. fed up [adjective] ['zat']

Examples:
- "Houd nou eens even je mond, ik ben je gezeur helemaal zat!"
("Please shut up for a moment, I'm totally fed up with your moaning!")

- "Ik stop ermee, ik ben het zat!"
("I quit, I've had enough (of it)!" Note it's all in the word 'het' ("it"). When you omit 'het' in this sentence, its meaning turns into "I'm drunk".)

- "Fokke en Sukke zijn het zat: 'Eén dag vrijzijn van meningsuiting, da's toch
godverdomme niet te veel gevraagd!!!' "
"Fokke en Sukke have had enough. 'One day without (lit. 'being free of') expression of opinion, that can't be asking too bloody much!!!'"
(Fokke and Sukke - the two most famous (and infamous) Dutch ducks that appear in a cartoon every day on the back page of Dutch national newspaper NRC Handelsblad - are referring to the current Dutch debate on where freedom of speech ends and irresponsible insults start.)

3. plenty, to spare [adverb] ['zat']

Examples:
- "Je hoeft je niet te haasten, je hebt nog tijd zat."
("No need to rush, you have plenty of time left.")

- "Waarom zou je gaan werken? Dankzij die erfenis heb je toch geld zat!"
("Why would you work? After all, you have lots of money (to spare) thanks to that inheritance!")

This DWOTD was provided by guest author Laura.

372. Irritant

annoying, bothersome, irritating [adjective] [ 'ie-rie-tant'] 

"Irritant" is most often used to describe an annoying event, person or situation. It can also be used as an exclamation (see the examples). The word is similar to the English "irritant" but cannot be used in the same context everywhere. For example, the Dutch "irritant" cannot be used when describing allergic reactions or inflammation to flu ids or other substances. In these cases, you would use a construction with the Dutch verb "irriteren" (see Related words).

Less often you will hear "irritant" being used as an adverb. You can for example say "irritant goed" about somebody who annoys you by always excelling.

Examples:
- "Het is heel erg irritant dat ik iedere dag in de file sta..."
("It's really very annoying to be in a traffic jam every day..." Lit.: "...that I stand in a traffic jam..." Check the first two minutes of this hilarious video from the movie "Office Space".)

- "Hij weet altijd alles beter; hij is echt een irritant mannetje."
("He always knows things best; the guy is a real pain in the neck." Lit: "He always knows everything better; he really is an annoying little man.")

- "Door die stomme muis ben elke keer mijn cursor kwijt. Irritant!"
(<office language> "This stupid mouse makes me loose my cursor all the time. Annoying!")

Related words:
- "Irriteren": to irritate.

Examples:
- "De harde muziek irriteert me, ik kan niemand meer verstaan".
("The loud music is annoying me, I can't hear anyone anymore".)

- "Sanex irriteert je huid niet."
("Sanex does not irritate your skin.")

- "Irritatie": [noun] irritation, vexation.

Example:   
"Haar continue klagen was de voornaamste bron van zijn irritatie."
("Her constant complaints were the main source of his vexation.")

- "Irritatiegrens": [noun] irritation threshold.

Example:
- "Ik luister niet meer naar je stomme opmerkingen, mijn irritatiegrens is bereikt."
("I won't listen to your stupid remarks anymore, my irritation threshold has been reached.")

Extra:
A mistake often made when using the verb "irriteren" in an active mode, is "ik irriteer me aan hem" (Lit: "I annoy me on him"). The correct way of saying this is: "hij irriteert mij" ("he annoys me"), since the verb "irriteren" always needs a direct object. A verb with a similar meaning as 'irriteren' is 'ergeren'. This verb can be used in both ways, e.g. "hij ergert mij" and "ik erger me aan hem", both translated as "he annoys me".

This DWOTD was provided by guest author Laura.

368. Mierenneuker

nitpicker [noun] [de mierenneuker, de mierenneukers] ['mie-run-neu-kur']

This word is composed of "mieren" ("ants") and "neuker" - derived from "neuken". Originally "neuken" meant "to knock / thrust" but is currently only known in its translation of "to f*ck". That's why some people may consider "mierenneuker" to be foul language. Although its use is mostly informal, this word is not meant to have an offensive connotation. In fact, a man was acquited after charges were pressed against him for calling a traffic warden a "mierenneuker", see also Extra.

The related verb is "mierenneuken": to nitpick.

Examples:
- "Ik vind Frank een enorme mierenneuker!"
("I think Frank is a huge nitpicker!")

- "Als het gaat om de lay-out van een DWOTD post, kan Sander een echte mierenneuker zijn."
("When it comes to the layout of a DWOTD post, Sander can be a real nitpicker.")

- "Het nastreven van orde en precisie kan toch niet als mierenneuken bestempeld worden?"
("Striving for order and precision can't be called nitpicking, can it now?" This sentence was obviously added by Sander :-) )

- "Wat ben jij een ongelofelijke mierenneuker!" - "Je bent zelf een verschrikkelijke zeur!"
("You're such an incredible nitpicker!" - "You're a terrible sorehead yourself!.")

Related words:
- "Muggenzifter": (lit.: "mosquito sifter") niggler, hairsplitter. Synonymous to "mierenneuker" but never considered rude.
- "Kommaneuker": (lit.: "comma f*cker") nitpicker. Synonymous to "mierenneuker", and equally informal.

Extra:
Calling an overzealous traffic warden a "mierenneuker" is allowed in The Netherlands. This was the verdict of judge in Alkmaar. A driver had parked his car on the sidewalk for quickly withdrawing some cash from an ATM ("pinnen"). When the man got back to his car, a traffic warden was already writing out a fine ("bon"). The man got angry and called the traffic warden a "mierenneuker", at which the traffic warden felt offended and threatened, so he had the driver arrested by the police. The driver refused to pay the 220 euro fine and went to court with it...
The judge decided that the driver was right! Based on the authorative Dutch dictionary Van Dale, he concluded that the word "mierenneuker" is not offensive. According to the judge, a "mierenneuker" or a "muggenzifter" is a person who is very meticulous at his job. The judge found the remark inappropriate, but the traffic warden coud have interpreted "mierenneuker" as a compliment too...

364. Visitekaartje

business card [noun] [het visitekaartje, de visitekaartjes] ['vie-sie-tu-kaart-ju']

"Visitekaartje" is composed of "visite" and "kaartje", which respectively translate to "visit" and "little card". Sometimes "visite" is left out, which would obviously translate to just "card".

"Visitekaartje" is also used in a figurative way: someone or something can be the "visitekaartje" of something, indicating a positive ambassador's function, see the examples.

Examples:
- "Sander heeft DWOTD visitekaartjes ontworpen."
("Sander has designed DWOTD business cards.")

- "Mag ik u mijn kaartje aanbieden?"
("Can I offer you my card?")

- "Ik heb geen visitekaartjes meer, waar kan ik die laten drukken?"
("I'm out of business cards, where can I have them printed?")

- "Het Lange Voorhout is een van de visitekaartjes van Den Haag."
("The Lange Voorhout is one of The Hague's frontpieces/highlights.")

Expression:
- "Je visitekaartje afgeven": literally to hand out your business card, this is said when you do something that makes you leave a good impression.

Extra:
The DWOTD business card: highly popular collector's item :-)

361. Kibbelen

to bicker, to argue [verb] [kibbelde, gekibbeld] ['ki-bu-lun']

"Kibbelen" has an informal connotation: the subject of arguing is mostly trivial. The noun related to "kibbelen" is "gekibbel": bickering. Not be confused with "kibbeling", which are deepfried pieces of fish (cod): a popular hearty snack which can be obtained at the many Dutch fish shops and stands.

Examples:
- "Sander en Marc kibbelen vaak over de opmaak van de DWOTD website."
("Sander and Marc often bicker about the DWOTD website's layout.")

- "Kinderen, stop met kibbelen, of jullie krijgen geen toetje."
("Children, stop bickering, or there will be no dessert." Lit.: "...or you'll get no dessert.")

- "Iedere keer als ik Frank met zijn vriendin zie, zitten ze te kibbelen."
("Everytime I see Frank with his girlfriend, they're arguing." Note that "kibbelen" is a continuous activity, and the typical Dutch construction for continuous activities is used here: [subject]  + [conjugation of verbs suchs as "lopen" / "zitten" / "staan" / "hangen"]  + [te] + [infinitive].)

Related words:
- "Ruzie": quarrel, argument, row.
- "Onenigheid": disagreement.
- "Vechten": to fight.
- "Schuttingtaal": foul/obscene language.
- "Twisten": to argue.

Expression:
- "Over smaak valt niet te twisten": you can't argue about taste.

360. Daar heb ik geen kaas van gegeten

I don't know how that works [Dutch phrase of the week]

This phrase has a really Dutch taste to it, because the literal translation would be: "I didn't eat any cheese of that." The phrase can be used in all persons, singular and plural. It says that you are far from knowledgeable or proficient in a certain subject area, or simply do not know how things work. The word "daar" can also be replaced with the matter that is not understood, see the examples.

Examples:
- "Hoe kan ik in Windows Vista de tijd instellen? - Sorry, van computers heb ik geen kaas gegeten."
("How can I set the time in Windows Vista? - Sorry, I don't know how computers work / anything about computers.")

- "Frank heeft duidelijk geen kaas gegeten van Powerpoint...zijn presentatie was verschrikkelijk vanochtend..."
("Frank clearly doesn't how Powerpoint works...his presentation was terrible this morning...")

- "Heb jij kaas gegeten van het strafrechtelijk systeem in Iran?" - "Helaas nee, daarvoor moet je bij Rosalie zijn."
("Do you know how the judicial system in Iran works?" - "Unfortunately no, you should see Rosalie for that." Lit.: "...you must be at/with Rosalie for that.")

Related words:
- "Snappen": to get, to understand.
- "Begrijpen": to understand.

357. Uitgezonderd

except for, apart from, with the exception of, bar(ring) [coordinating conjunction] ['uit-gu-zon-durd']

This is a popular word to put on traffic signs and in any formal communication, because there are always exceptions. Well, "uitzonderingen daargelaten" of course ;-) (see Related words).

Examples:
- "Verboden in te rijden, uitgezonderd bestemmingsverkeer."
("Entry prohibited, except for local traffic." Lit.: "Forbidden to drive into, except for destination traffic".)

- "Een toelatingsexamen is verplicht voor nieuwe leerlingen, Edyta uitgezonderd, want zij spreekt al een beetje Nederlands."
("An entrance exam is mandatory for all new students, with the exception of Edyta, because she already speaks a bit of Dutch.")

- "Alle modellen worden geleverd met waarschuwingssysteem, uitgezonderd het instapmodel."
("All models are provided with a warning system, except for the base model." Lit.: "...except for the step-in model.")

Related words:
- "Behalve": except (for), save.
- "Uitzondering": exception.
- "Daargelaten": except for, apart from, not counting.

Example:
- "Uitzonderingen daargelaten."
("Apart from/not counting exceptions." This seems to be a bit 'double', but you will often encounter this phrase.)

356. Klokhuis

core (apple, pear) [noun] [het klokhuis, de klokhuizen] ['klok-huis']

"Klokhuis" is a bit of a misleading word as it is composed of "klok" - "clock", and "huis " - "house". And, it might not be a word you'll use daily - this we'll admit. However, it is also the name of a famous Dutch tv programme for children:

"Het Klokhuis" is a popular programme because of its mix of informative themes and sketches brought in a light way. It is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is therefore not only well known by children but also by adults like us (early thirties that is ;-) ). Recently "Het Klokhuis" was looking for a new host for the show and immediately 600 people applied for the job (which is a large number in the Netherlands).

As "Het Klokhuis" is made for children, the level of Dutch might be accessible to those of you learning Dutch. A reader of the DWOTD recommends this tv programme for that purpose. So if you can receive Dutch tv broadcasts, check it out, on weekdays at "Nederland 3" from 6.25 - 6.45 PM.

Examples:
- "Ik eet het klokhuis nooit op, jij wel?"
("I never eat the core (of an apple/pear), do you?")

- "Wil jij je moeder helpen met het verwijderen van de klokhuizen; zij wil een appeltaart maken."
("Would you please help your mother with coring the apples, she wants to make apple pie." Literally "... removing the cores".)

- "Kijk jij wel eens naar "Het Klokhuis"? - "Nou, eigenlijk niet. Vroeger wel, toen ik klein was."
("Do you watch "Het Klokhuis" (from time to time)?" - "Well, actually, no. I used to, when I was young." In this example "eigenlijk" is a bit like "to be honest". Also, note the use of "vroeger" and "klein".)

355. Op die fiets!

Like that / In that way [Dutch phrase of the week]

This phrase has already appeared in one of our early DWOTDs: "Fiets". Literally translated with "On that bike", this phrase does not really make a lot of sense. We don't know exactly how and when this expression was introduced into the Dutch language, but some 25 years ago it wasn't there yet.

"Op die fiets" is used to express your understanding following a previous (explanatory) statement, explaining something you didn't understand (fully) at first, see the examples.

Examples:
- "Hoe werkt dit? - Nou, als je op deze knop drukt, begint de muziek te spelen. - Ah, op die fiets!"
("How does this work? - Well, if you press this button, the music starts to play. - Ah, like that!")

- "Je kunt je aanmelden voor de Dutch Word Of The Day mailinglijst door een mailtje te sturen naar dwotd@dwotd.nl, met onderwerp "yes". - Okee, op die fiets..."
("You can subscribe to the Dutch Word Of The Day mailing list by sending an e-mail to dwotd@dwotd.nl, with subject "yes". - Okay, in that way...")

Related words:
- "Fiets": bike, bicycle.

354. Allochtoon

immigrant, alien, foreigner [noun] [de allochtoon, de allochtonen] ['al-log-toon']

The word 'allochtoon', or 'allochtonen', is mostly used in the Netherlands when referring to immigrants. Originally this word, stemming from ancient Greek, simply means 'coming from another land'. An 'autochtoon', also from Greek origin, means 'coming from the same land'.

The official definition of allochtoon (by the Dutch Statistical Office) can be a bit
confusing as it states that an "allochtoon" is somebody born in a different country, or having a parent born in a different country. When this definition is literally applied, most members of our Royal Family are also 'allochtonen'!

Examples:
- "Een allochtoon is iemand die in het buitenland is geboren of van wie één ouder of beide ouders in het buitenland zijn geboren (officiële definitie)."
("An immigrant is someone who was born abroad or who has a parent that was born abroad (official definition).")

- "Volgens bovenstaande definitie, is Sander een allochtoon."
("According to the definition above, Sander is an 'allochtoon'.")

- "Als je ouder een allochtoon is, ben jij een tweede-generatie allochtoon (officiële definitie)".
("If one of your parents is an immigrant, you are a second-generation immigrant (official definition).")

Related words:
- "Buitenlander": foreigner living in the Netherlands, literally "outside-country man". This word is generally only applied to the traditional immigrants.
- "Immigrant": immigrant.
- "Autochtoon": somebody who is originally from - in this case - the Netherlands.
- "Excuusallochtoon": 'excuse' allochtoon, see below.
- "Knuffelallochtoon": see below.

Extra:
The word "allochtoon" was introduced by a Dutch sociologist in the 1970s to soften the Dutch words 'immigrant' or 'buitenlander', both meaning immigrant.
The intention to introduce a word without a negative intonation did not succeed as recently members of the Dutch Labour Party tried to ban the word 'allochtoon' from official documents, because of its pejorative sense. It seems like time's ripe for another word.

The Dutch government stimulates Dutch companies to apply 'positive discrimination' when hiring new employees in that they prefer an "allochtoon" over an "autochtoon" if they are equally suitable for the position. The goal is to have a better refection of society in the personnel. If such an "allochtoon" is hired this person is sometimes mockingly called an "excuusallochtoon" by criticasters of this policy. Or, in general when "allochtonen" are favoured just to be politically correct, or are put forward as a successful example of integration into society, you might here the same criticasters speak of a "knuffelallochtoon". The Dutch/Moroccan rapper 'Ali B' once got Queen Beatrix to kiss him on the cheek by saying he was a 'knuffelallochtoon'!

This DWOTD was provided by guest author Laura.

352. Feestbeest

party animal [noun] [het feestbeest, de feestbeesten] ['feest-beest']

"Feestbeest" is composed of "feest" and "beest", which respectively translate to "party" and "animal"/"beast", hence "party animal" :-)

Examples:
- "Zo, feestbeest, heb je een kater?"
("Well, party animal, do you have a hangover?")

- "Ken je Frank? Door de week een saaie consultant, maar in het weekend een groot feestbeest!"
("Do you know Frank? During the week a boring consultant, but in the weekend a big party animal!")

- "Carnaval in Maastricht is echt leuk man!" - "Ja, zeker voor zo'n feestbeest als jij..."
("The carnival in Maastricht is really fun man!" - "Yes, certainly for such a party animal like yourself...")

Related words:
- "Beest": animal, beast.
- "Feesten": to party.
- "Kater": hangover.

350. Eén keer nooit meer!

Once but never again! / One time only! [Dutch phrase of the week]

Literally "One time, never again" this informal expression implies that the experience was bad or disappointing and you have no intention to go through that again voluntarily. Therefore it is a bit stronger than just a 'one time affair'.

You will also hear the (more formal) expression "Eens, maar nooit weer", which has the same meaning.

Examples:
- "Ik ben vanochtend met de tram naar het werk gegaan. Eén keer nooit meer, wat een plebs!"
("I took the tram to work this morning. Never again I say, what plebs!")

- "Ik heb laatst meegedaan aan speed-daten. Nou, één keer nooit meer, want dat werkt dus echt niet!"
("I have recently participated in speed dating. Well that was a one time affair, because it really doesn't work!")

- "En ben je nog koffie wezen drinken in the Amsterdam American Hotel?" - "Ja, en het was één keer nooit meer, wat een afzetters!"
("And, did you have coffee in the Amsterdam American Hotel?" - "Yes and I will never go back, what a rip-off!" Mind that "afzetten" is the verb for "serious overcharging" for something (goods or service). The use of the verb "wezen" indicates an activity (a longer period of time).)

345. Niet te doen

impossible, tough, very unpleasant [Dutch phrase of the week]

This phrase is used when things are difficult or almost impossible to accomplish or when a situation is tough in general. And this can be anything, from lousy weather to climbing the Mount Everest and from boring presentations to difficult exams. You can use it as part of a sentence but also on its own.

The translation is a bit difficult to give, it depends a lot on the context. Literally it says: "not to be done" or "not doable".

Examples:
- "Het was niet te doen in de stad vanmiddag, veel te druk!"
("It was very unpleasant in the city centre this afternoon, way too crowded!")

- "Door een ongeval op de A13 was het voor veel automobilisten vanochtend niet te doen om Den Haag te bereiken."
("For many drivers it was almost impossible to reach the Hague this morning, due to an accident on the A13.")

- "Het was niet te doen om mijn fiets te reparen, ik heb niet het juiste gereedschap."
("It was impossible to repair my bicycle, I don't have the proper tools.")

- "Ik vond het examen echt niet te doen, belachelijk gewoon!"
("I though the exam was too tough, just ridiculous!")

- "De presentatie van de directeur was zo saai, het was gewoon niet te doen, ik ben in slaap gevallen!"
("The managing director's briefing was so boring, I just couldn't handle it, I fell asleep!")

340. Dat is het hele eieren eten!

And that's all there is to it! / That's how it's done! [Dutch phrase of the week]

You can use this phrase to conclude your explanation of how something is done. Usually it implies that it is not all that difficult.

Literally the expression "Dat is het hele eieren eten" translates to "That is the whole egg eating". Weird people the Dutch, are they not?

Examples:
- "Je neemt de tram naar CS, de trein naar Schiphol, je checkt in bij balie 16 en dan direct door naar de paspoortcontrole; dat is het hele eieren eten!"
("You take the tram to central station, then the train to Schiphol, you check in at row 16 and then straight to passport control; that's all there is to it!")

- "Luister mamma, je doet eerst Control-Alt-Delete, dan selecteer je 'Taakbeheer' en dan stop je gewoon het proces! Echt, dat is het hele eieren eten!"
("Listen mom, you first do Control-Alt-Delete, then you select 'Task manager' and then you just stop the process! Really, that's all there is to it!")

335. Wolkenkrabber

sky scraper [noun] [de wolkenkrabber, de wolkenkrabbers] ['wol-kun-kra-bur']

This is one of those words that if you keep repeating it, it sounds really strange. But to you probably each Dutch word sounds strange! ;-)

A more direct translation of "wolkenkrabber" would be "cloud scratcher" but it's the same principle. There are no real sky scrapers in the Netherlands, although Rotterdam has a few relatively high office buildings.

Examples:
- "Zou jij in een wolkenkrabber willen wonen?"
("Would you like to live in a sky scraper?")

- "Tegenwoordig vind je de hoogste wolkenkrabbers in Azië."
("Nowadays one finds the highest sky scrapers in Asia.")

- "Als je in Manhattan op straat loopt, dan ben je je niet echt bewust van de wolkenkrabbers die je omringen."
("When you walk (on) the streets of Manhattan, you are not really aware of all the sky scrapers surrounding you." Mind that "to be aware" is reflexive in Dutch: "zich bewust zijn", hence twice the "je".)

Related words:
- "Gebouw": building.
- "Wolk": cloud.
- "Krabben": to scratch.
- "Jeuk": itch/itching.

333. Piekeren

to worry, to brood, to ponder [verb] [piekerde, gepiekerd] ['pie-ku-run']

The verb "piekeren" has no direct relation to "piek", which appeared not so long ago on DWOTD.nl. "Piekeren" is used for intensive thinking about something without reaching an outcome. Usually a lot of worrying is involved. "Piekeren" is not a direct translation of "to worry" though, see the Related words.

Since "piekeren" is a continuous activity, it is often used with a typical Dutch construction for continuous activities: [subject]  + [conjugation of verbs suchs as "lopen" / "zitten" / "staan" / "hangen"]  + [te] + [infinitive]. See the Examples.

Examples:
- "Ik loop al de hele dag te piekeren over wat Frank me vanochtend vertelde."
("I've been worrying all day about what Frank told me this morning.")

- "Waar zit je toch over te piekeren, schat?"
("What's on you mind now, darling?" Lit.: "What are you worrying about now, darling?")

- "Daar moet ik eens goed over piekeren."
("I've got to give it some serious thought." Lit.: "I've got to ponder it a while.")

- "Ilsa heeft zich de hele week suf gepiekerd over wat ze in haar bruiloftspeech zal zeggen."
("All week, Ilsa has been worrying herself sick about what she will say in her wedding speech.")

Expression:
- "Ik pieker er niet over!": "I wouldn't even dream/think of doing it!"

Related words:
- "Zorgen": [noun, plural] worries.
- "Zich zorgen maken": to worry. Lit.: to make oneself worries.
- "Denken": to think.
- "Nadenken": to think, to reflect (on).

331. Nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst

New Year('s Day) reception [noun] [de nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst, de nieuwjaarsbijeenkomsten] ['niew-jaars-bij-een-komst']

Not the usual Dutch Phrase Of The Week to start off the new year, but a word that will be heard in many Dutch offices and workplaces today: "Nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst".

Composed of "nieuwjaar" and "bijeenkomst" - resp. translating to "New Year" and "meeting/gathering" - the translation of "nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst" is quite straightforward.

Examples:
- "Hoe laat is de nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst vandaag?"
("What time is the New Year meeting today?")

- "Ga je ook naar de nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst? - Nee, ik heb echt geen zin om naar die saaie speech van onze directeur te luisteren...")
("Are you going to the New Year meeting too? - No, I really don't feel like listening to that boring speech of our CEO...")

Expression:
- "Een goed begin is het halve werk": well begun is half done / the first blow is half the battle. Literally: "A good start is half the work".

Related words:
- "Nieuwjaar": New Year('s Day).
- "Bijeenkomst": gathering, meeting.

330. Vriespunt

freezing point [noun] [het vriespunt] ['vries-punt']

The last word of 2007 is inspired by the weather. "Vriespunt" is composed of "vries" and "punt" that translate to "freeze" and "point" respectively. "Vries" is derived from the verb "vriezen": "to freeze". If you tune in to the Dutch weather forecasts the coming days, you might hear this word.

Examples:
- <Erwin Kroll (weather-man of the news on Dutch national channels 1, 2, 3):> "Vandaag krijgen we temperaturen onder/rond het vriespunt."
("Today, we can expect temperatures below/around the freezing (point)").

- "Als de temperatuur onder het vriespunt blijft, krijgen we misschien een witte kerst!"
("If temperatures remain below the freezing point, we might be in for a white Christmas!")

Expressions:
These are actually with the verb "vriezen", but they are good to know! :-)

- "Het vriest dat het kraakt": there's a sharp frost. Lit.: "It freezes that it cracks".

- "Het kan vriezen en het kan dooien": the outcome can be either way, or: everything is possible. Lit.: "It can freeze and it can thaw".

Related words:
- "Vriezen": to freeze.

Example:
- "Het gaat vriezen vannacht, pas op voor gladheid op de wegen".
("It's going to freeze/We're in for a frost tonight, mind icy patches on the roads.")

- "IJs": ice.

This DWOTD was provided by guest author Laura.

325. Computeren

to use the computer for recreational purposes [verb] [computerde, gecomputerd] ['kom-pjoei-tu-run']

The verb "computeren" is a typical example of a verb that is derived from an English word. The usage of such verbs, or English words in general, is prevalent in technical areas. Some Dutch language purists have tried to replace such English words by Dutch words, but this was never really picked up. An example of this is the word "rekenaar", a literal translation of "computer". You do however encounter this word in South-African.

What is remarkable about the verb "computeren" is that it has taken on the meaning of recreational usage of a computer, mainly what you do at home (when not working). The usage of a pc for work purposes is usually described as "bureauwerk" ("desk work" where the pc is implied), "met een computer/pc werken" ("work with a computer/pc"), "achter een pc werken" ("work behind a pc" (or in front of, depending how you look at it) ) or "computerarbeid" ("computer work").

Examples:
- "Mijn vriend zit de hele avond te computeren. Ik kan er net zo goed niet zijn!"
("My boyfriend is behind his computer all evening. I might as well not be there!")

- "Tegenwoordig zijn er ook veel senioren die thuis computeren."
("Nowadays there are also many seniors who use the computer at home.")

- "De passie van Sanders vader was computeren. Hij deed niets anders dan de hele dag gamen!"
("The passion of Sander's father was (to use) his computer. He did nothing else than gaming all day long!" Here the verb "gamen" is derived from the English "game" and pronounced similarly.)

Related words:
- "Spelletje": a game. Also "computerspelletje" to disambiguate.
- "Computerspelletjes spelen": to play computer games.
- "Muis": mouse.
- "Keyboard": keyboard. You will also hear "toetsenbord".

321. Ik ben niet op mijn achterhoofd gevallen

I wasn't born yesterday [Dutch phrase of the week]

"Achterhoofd" is composed of "achter" and "hoofd", which respectively translate to "behind" and "head". Hence, this phrase literally translates to "I haven't fallen on the back of my head". It is used to say that you are not ignorant, dumb or stupid.

Examples:
- "Probeer je me te bedriegen, makker? Ik ben toch niet op mijn achterhoofd gevallen!"
("Are you trying to cheat on me, pal? I wasn't born yesterday, you know!" Note that "toch" is translated with "you know"; it expresses an implicit request for confirmation. In this case, "toch" could also be translated with "was I?" at the end of the sentence.)

- "Laat je niet afleiden door zijn/haar uiterlijk, hij/zij is zeker niet op zijn achterhoofd gevallen."
("Don't let yourself be distracted by his/her looks, he/she certainly wasn't born yesterday.")

- "Ja, ik ga echt geen 2,40 betalen voor een biertje, ik ben niet op mijn achterhoofd gevallen!"
("Yeah right, no way I'm going to pay 2.40 Euro for a beer, do they think I'm stupid or what!" Unfortunately, in more and more places in The Hague, a beer costs 2,40 Euro!)

320. Misverstand

misunderstanding, misapprehension, misconception [noun] [het misverstand, de misverstanden] ['mis-vur-stant']

"Misverstand" is composed of "mis" and "verstand", which - in this context - respectively translate to "wrong" and "understanding". "Verstand" can also translate to "intellect" or "knowledge", also see the Related words.

Examples:
- "Het spijt me, dit moet een misverstand zijn."
("I'm sorry, this must be a misunderstanding.")

- "Ach, ik zou boeken vol kunnen schrijven over het eeuwige misverstand tussen mannen en vrouwen."
("Ah well, I could write entire books about the everlasting misunderstanding between men and women." Lit. : "I could write books full...")

- "Om een misverstand te voorkomen: is vanavond het kledingvoorschrift smoking of rokkostuum?"
("To prevent a misunderstanding: tonight's dresscode, is it black tie or white tie?")

- "Er is hier sprake van een misverstand meneer de agent: het stoplicht was nog oranje. - Nou, nou, meneer, dat was dan wel heel donker oranje, maar ik zal het voor deze keer door de vingers zien."
("This is a (case of) misconception officer: the light was still yellow. - Well, well, sir, that was really dark yellow then, but I will turn my blind eye on you for this time." Lit.: "There is talk here of a misconception..." and "...I'll see it through the fingers this time.")

Note that a yellow light is an orange light in Dutch :-)

Related words:
- "Verstand": reason, intellect.
- "Verstaan": to be able to hear, to understand.
- "Begrijpen": to understand, to comprehend.
- "Onbegrip": incomprehension, ignorance.
- "Verwarring": confusion.

318. Smoking

dinner jacket, tuxedo, black tie [noun] [de smoking, de smokings] ['smoo-king']

"Smoking" is one of those rare Dutch words that seem to originate from the English language but don't... :-) The Dutch "smoking" has nothing to do with the English verb "smoking / to smoke", which is "roken" in Dutch.

Examples:
- "Ik heb morgen een galadiner...smoking verplicht..."
("I'm have a state banquet tomorrow...dinner jacket required...")

- "Frank, jij gaat toch ook naar die bruiloft? Ga jij in smoking?"
("Frank, you're going to that wedding too, right? Will you wear a tuxedo?" Lit.: "...Are you going in (a) smoking?")

- "Het kledingadvies voor de heren op het feest van vanavond is smoking of rokkostuum."
("The clothing advice for the gentlemen at tonight's party is black tie or white tie.")

Related words:
- "Strikje": bow tie. Lit.: "little bow".
- "Pak": suit.
- "Rokkostuum": white tie. Lit. "skirt costume".
- "Jacquet": morning coat, tails.

316. Als het gaat om

When it comes to / regarding / concerning [Dutch Phrase Of The Week]

This phrase is a very popular way among politicians to introduce a subject. It's also a good manipulative technique that allows you to give an answer while implicitly changing the question. Especially Dutch prime minister Balkenende seems very fond of this phrase...

Examples:
- "Als het gaat om veiligheid en comfort, dan is deze auto de juiste keuze voor u."
("When it comes to safety and comfort, this car is the right choice for you.")

- "Als het gaat om normen en waarden, zal deze regering haar steentje bijdragen."
("Regarding moral values, this government will do its bit." Lit.: "Regarding norms and values, this government will contribute its little stone." See Extra for more on "normen en waarden".)

- "Meneer Balkenende, wat vindt u van de verhoging van het collegeld?" - "Als het gaat om verbetering van de economische positie van ons land, is verhoging van de kwaliteit van het onderwijs noodzakelijk."
("Mister Balkenende, what do you think of the increase of college tuition fees?" - "If we consider the economical position of our country, increasing the quality of education is necessary.")

- "Als het gaat om lekker dineren in een vriendelijke sfeer, dan zit u goed bij restaurant Tartufo."
("When it comes to pleasant dining in a friendly atmosphere, then Tartufo's is the right place." Note: "goed zitten" literally translates to "to sit well/comfortably", but it also used as an expression meaning "to be right".)

- "Als het gaat om alles wat je lief hebt , wie kun je dan vertrouwen?"
("When it comes to all that you love, who can you trust?" Line from the classic Dutch pop song "Vriendschap" by the Dutch 80s band "Het goede doel".)

Extra:
"Normen en waarden" is frequently used in Dutch politics and media as one single concept. In general "normen en waarden" stands for manners and moral principles that should be used in public, social, inter-human traffic. The concept of "normen en waarden" was first introduced in Dutch politics in July 2002 by the first government led by prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, in that time often mockingly called "Harry Potter". Since then, a public debate has started (and is still going on), and "normen en waarden" is seen as an important political subject.

On a personal Guru note: the whole "normen and waarden" debate has a bit of a patronizing feel to it...

315. Pico bello

splendid, outstanding [adjective] ['pie-koo-bel-loo']

And who said the Dutch language doesn't have frivolities? Even Italian frivolities... ;-)

"Pico bello" is used to express some state of excellence. It's very positive and its use is mostly in speech. Sometimes you may also see "picobello."

Examples:
- "Antoinette ziet er iedere dag picobello uit, vind je ook niet?"
("Antoinette looks sharp every day, don't you think (too)?" Note that "ziet er...uit" comes from "eruit zien", a typical Dutch construction using (the infamous) "er" in combination with the preposition "uit" and the verb "zien".)

- "Hoe zie ik eruit? - Pico bello, schat."
("How do I look? - Very sharp, dear.")

- "De catering op het feestje gisteren was pico bello verzorgd."
("The catering at yesterday's party was outstanding." Lit.: "...outstandingly taken care off.")

- "Jouw presentatie voor de raad van bestuur was pico bello, niemand had vragen na afloop."
("Your presentation for the board of directors was splendid, nobody had questions afterwards.")

309. Noodweer

1. self-defence / self-defense [noun] [de noodweer, <no plural>] ['nood-weer']

"Noodweer" is composed of "nood" and "weer". "Nood" translates to "distress", and - in this context - "weer" comes from the verb "weren": "to keep off/away, to fight back", hence the overall translation: "self-defence".

Mind that "noodweer" is a bit of a legal term. The common word for self-defence would be "zelfverdediging".

Example:
- "De rechter heeft bepaald dat de winkelier uit noodweer handelde, toen hij de overvaller met een knuppel neersloeg."
("The judge has determined that the shopkeeper acted in self-defence, when he struck the robber down with a club/stick.")

Related word:
"Zelfverdediging": self-defence.

2. heavy weather, storm [noun] [het noodweer, <no plural>] ['nood-weer']

Note that the article changes: here one says "het noodweer" as opposed to "de noodweer" in the first translation. The translation of nood in this context stays the same: "distress". "Weer" though translates to "weather" in this case.

Example:
- "Het noodweer van vannacht heeft veel schade veroorzaakt."
("The heavy weather from last night has caused a lot of damage.")

307. Vaag

vague, unclear, indefinite [adjective/adverb] ['vaag']

The use of "vaag" is similar to the English "vague". In informal speech, however, you might hear "vaag" being used when the Dutch express they find something, well, vague, strange or unclear! See the Examples.

Examples:
- "Heb je gehoord dat Frank zomaar ontslagen is?" - "Echt? Vaag!!"
("Did you hear about Frank being fired just like that?" - "Really? Weird/bizar!!")

- "Hoe is nu de situatie met je ex?" - "Nou, nog steeds een beetje vaag..."
("So how is the current situation with your ex?" - "Well, still a bit indefinite...")

- "Ik kan me vaag herinneren dat we vandaag een afspraak hadden, maar ik weet het dus niet zeker!"
("I can vaguely remember that we have an appointment today, but I'm clearly not sure!" Be sure not to use "afspraakje" when you mean an "afspraak"!)

- "Hoe was je examen?" - "Nou, ik vond de vragen nogal vaag!"
("How did your exam go?" - "Well, I thought the questions were rather vague.")

Expressions:
- "Een vaag vermoeden hebben dat...": To have a sneaking suspicion that...
- "In een vaag verleden...": A long time ago... So long ago that you only vaguely remember... Literally: "in a vague past..."

Example:
- "In een vaag verleden heb ik wel eens gesquasht..."
("A long time ago I used to play squash now and then...")

Related words:
- "Duidelijk": clear.
- "Wazig": vague, blurry.

304. Vals

1. fake, false, fraudulent, off key [adjective/adverb] ['vals']

The Dutch "vals" is different from the English "false", although part of its meaning coincides.

In case "false" is meant as the opposite of "true", the Dutch will say "onwaar", or "niet waar", as opposed to "waar" ("true"). Alternatively we say "goed/juist" ("correct") or "fout/onjuist" ("incorrect").

Examples:
- "Rustig maar mensen, het was vals alarm!"
("Quiet now / take it easy people, it was false alarm!")

- "U krijgt van mij een boete voor het opgeven van een valse naam!"
("I'm giving you a ticket for stating a false name!" Lit. "You are given a ticket by me...")

- "De hardloper werd gediskwalificeerd na de tweede valse start."
("The runner was disqualified after the second false start.")

- "Direct vanaf de introductie werden er valse Eurobiljetten gesignaleerd."
("Straight after the introduction, counterfeit Euro bills were spotted.")

- "Jeetje zeg, wat zingt zij vals!"
("Oh my, how she sings off key / out of tune!" The word "jeetje" is derived from the name "Jezus" and was introduced as an "acceptable" alternative. You will also encounter "jee" or "jeeminee".)

Related words:
- "Valsspelen": to cheat (in a game).

Example:
- "Zeker, ik wil graag winnen, maar valsspelen, dat doe ik niet!"
("Sure, I'm eager to win, but cheating, that I won't do!")

- "Fout": wrong, incorrect.
- "Onjuist": incorrect.
- "Kopie": copy [noun].

2. vicious, mean, nasty [adjective/adverb] ['vals']

This translation is commonly used for animals, but can also be used for humans.

Example:
- "Je moet de kat van de buren niet proberen te aaien, het is echt een vals beest."
("You must not try to pet the neighbour's cat, it is really a vicious animal.")

302. Bomvol

chock-full, cram-full, packed, stuffed [adjective] ['bom-vol']

"Bomvol" is composed of "bom" and "vol", which translate to "bomb" and "full" respectively. It may be quite obvious that "bomvol" is used to indicate that something is very crowded, packed or filled.

Examples:
- "Tijdens de Drie Dwaze Dagen is de Bijenkorf van 's ochtends vroeg tot 's avonds laat bomvol."
("During the "Drie Dwaze Dagen", the Bijenkorf is packed from early morning to late in the evening.")

- "U2 heeft gisteravond opgetreden in een bomvolle Amsterdam Arena."
("Yesterday night, U2 played in a chock-full Amsterdam Arena.")

- "Ik hou helemaal niet van bomvolle kroegen, waar je helemaal niet kunt bewegen."
("I really don't like packed bars, where you cannot move at all.")

Related words:
- "Bommetjevol": a variation on "bomvol" by using the diminutive of "bom": "bommetje". Translation is the same though: chock-full.
- "Vol": full.
- "Bom": bomb.
- "Druk": busy, crowded.

300. Blijkbaar

apparently, evidently [adverb] ['blijk-baar']

Examples:
- "Het is een chaos op het kruispunt, blijkbaar doen de verkeerslichten het niet."
("It's a chaos at the intersection, apparently the traffic lights are out of order." Many Dutch people will also say "stoplichten", but "verkeerslichten" is the official name for traffic lights.)

- "Meestal schrijven Marc en Sander langere DWOTD's, blijkbaar hebben ze weinig tijd vandaag."
("Usually Marc and Sander write longer DWOTDs, apparently they don't have much time today." Lit. "... they have little time today.")

Related word:
- "Klaarblijkelijk": a synonym for "blijkbaar".

299. Afwas

1. dishes [noun] [de afwas, <no plural>] ['af-was']

"Afwas" can refer either to the dishes that are washed, or the activity of washing the dishes / washing up, see 2.

Examples:
- "Liefie, wil jij de afwas even naar de keuken dragen?"
("Sweetie, will you just carry the dishes into the kitchen?")

- "Dat is een heel grote afwas, zeker van een hele week!"
("That's a lot of dishes, must be from an entire week!" Lit.: "...certainly from an entire week!" Note the use of "heel" and "hele": the first is an adverb, the second an adjective. Very often Dutch people will use "hele" in both cases, but this is wrong :-) .)

Related words:
- "Vaat": synonym for "afwas": dishes.
- "Afwasmachine": dishwasher.
- "Vaatwasser": dishwasher.
- "Afwasborstel": dishwashing brush.
- "Theedoek": tea towel, dishtowel.

2. doing/washing the dishes [noun] [de afwas, <no plural>] ['af-was']

Note that this translation can only be used when referring to the activity. For the actual activity we either say "de afwas doen", or "afwassen", see Related Words.

Examples:
- "Geen zin in de afwas? Blijf dan maar lekker liggen op de bank, scheetje van me. Ik doe het vanavond wel."
("Don't feel like doing the dishes / washing up? Just keep lying on the couch/sofa, my (little) darling. I will do it tonight.")

Related words:
- "Afwassen": verb, synonymous to "de afwas doen": doing the dishes, to wash up.
- "Afdrogen": to dry (up) (the dishes).

298. Mat

1. mat, canvas, carpet [noun] [de mat, de matten] ['mat']

Examples:
- "Elke dag hoopt Frank nog dat er een brief van zijn ex op de deurmat zal vallen..."
("Each day, Frank still hopes that a letter from his ex will fall on the doormat... ")

- "De worstelaars vielen tijdens het gevecht van de mat af."
("The wrestlers fell off the canvas during the fight.")

Expression:
- "Op het matje roepen": to be put on the carpet, to be brought to account.

Example:
- "De minister-president heeft vandaag de ambassadeur van Iran op het matje geroepen in verband met de geplande executie van een mensenrechtenactivist."
("The ambassador of Iran has been brought to account by the prime-minister regarding the planned execution of a human rights' activist.")

Related words:
- "Mattenklopper": carpet-beater.
- "De groene mat": an informal synonym that can be used for "the football pitch / soccer field".

2. mat, dull, dim, flat, tired, weary [adjective/adverb] ['mat']

Examples:
- "Ik vind die matte kleur niet mooi bij die auto."
("I don't like that flat color on that car.")

- "Franks matte uitstraling maakt zijn presentaties altijd uitermate saai."
("Frank's dull appearance always makes his presentations extremely boring.")

- "Schat, je ziet een beetje mat uit, is er iets?
("Darling, you look a little weary, is something the matter?)

- "Weet jij wat er met Sander aan de hand is? Hij is een beetje mat de laatste tijd."
("Do you know what is wrong with Sander? He is a bit weary lately." Literally: "... what is on the hand? ... the latest time.")

3. (check)mate [adjective] ['mat']

In this context, instead of "mat", "schaakmat" is often used.

Example:
- " 'Mat' en 'schaakmat' zijn Nederlandse schaaktermen."
(" 'Mat' and 'schaakmat' are Dutch chess terms.")

297. Zeg maar

let's say / like [Dutch phrase of the week]

The use of "zeg maar" is a bit of a plague in the Dutch language. Many people use it constantly as a filler. Being a filler, "zeg maar" doesn't really mean anything. In fact, one could argue that it only shows that people who use it, are not really sure of what they're saying, or are only just babbling on.

"Zeg maar" is used by people of all ages in any kind of setting, informal and at the office, even during presentations. Dutch Guru Marc has colleagues that use "zeg maar" almost every other word...

There's no literal translation of "zeg maar", it is best translated with "let's say". Literal translation of "let's say" is "laten we zeggen", which is also often used as a bit of a more formal filler, but not as often as "zeg maar".

When young people use "zeg maar", we think the best translation would be "like", as in: "You know, it's, like, you know, like I don't know what to say, like, you know..." :-)

Examples:
- "Als ik naar dat schilderij kijk, krijg ik een warm gevoel, zeg maar."
("When I look at that painting, I get like a warm feeling.")

- "Snap je, zeg maar, wat ik bedoel?"
("Do you understand, like, what I mean?")

- "Als je na een hete sauna een koud bad neemt, is het, zeg maar, alsof je even niet kunt ademen."
("When you take a cold bath after a hot sauna, it's - let's say - as if you cannot breathe for a moment.")

Related expressions:
- "Laten we zeggen": (lit.) let's say.
- "Weet je": you know.

Related word:
- "Stopwoord": filler. Literally "stop word". You also often hear 'stopwoordje'.

296. Uitermate

extremely, greatly, exceedingly [adverb] ['ui-tur-maa-tu']

"Uitermate" is good candidate to bring some variation in your Dutch. Try to use it as a substitute for "heel erg" (as an adverb).

Examples:
- "Ik heb uitermate genoten van de gezellige avond uit!"
("I greatly enjoyed the nice evening out!")

- "Ik denk dat Frank een uitermate geschikte kandidaat is voor deze functie."
("I think that Frank is an extremely suitable candidate for this position.")

- "Wij zijn uitermate geschokt door het plotseling overlijden van..."
("We are extremely shocked by the sudden death of..." Literally: "...by the sudden decease of...")

- "Ben je al buiten geweest? Het is uitermate lekker weer!"
("Have you already been outside? It is exceedingly pleasant weather!")

Related words:
- "Bijzonder": [adverb] extraordinarily.
- "Enorm": [adverb] enormously.

292. Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat...

It can't possibly be the case that... [Dutch phrase of the week]

The word "toch" is used as an implicit request for confirmation, but the phrase can be put both as a question or a statement. In case of the first we could choose to add "right?" or "is it now?" to the end of the above translation.

This is a popular phrase that people use - either consciously or out of habit - in order to substantiate a claim, or express wonder. In case of the first it is nothing more than a manipulative technique to set the mind of the receiver: well, if this can't possibly be the case, then this person must be right! For this reason it is a popular phrase for politicians to use :-)

Examples:
- "Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat het standpunt dat hier geuit wordt, gesteund wordt door de meerderheid van de kamer?"
("It can't possibly be the case that the point of view that is expressed here, will be supported by the majority of the House of Commons/Representatives, can it now?" Here "kamer" is short for the Dutch "Tweede Kamer".)

- "Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat in onze maatschappij dit soort excessen worden getolereerd!"
("It can't possibly be the case that in our society these kind of excesses are tolerated!")

- "Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat je als burger zomaar wordt afgeluisterd!"
("It can't possibly be the case that civilians are eavesdropped, just like that!" Literally "...that as a citizen one is eavesdropped...")

- "Het kan toch niet zo zijn dat twee volkeren elkaar uitmoorden en de rest van de wereld slechts toekijkt?"
("It can't possibly be the case that two peoples massacre each other and the rest of the world just watches, right?")

291. Belabberd

lousy, terrible, rotten, miserable, extremely bad [adjective] ['bu-la-burt']

"Belabberd" indicates the opposite state of well-being. "Belabberd" can be used for mental and physical state, situations and performance.

Examples:
- "Ik voel me belabberd, ik heb echt een giga kater..."
("I feel terrible/like crap/miserable, I really have a huge hangover...")

- "Wat?! Je bent ontslagen? Dat is echt belabberd!"
("What?! You've been fired? That's really lousy!")

- "Alweer zulk belabberd weer vandaag. Regen, regen en nog eens regen..."
("Again such rotten weather today. Rain, rain, rain..." Lit. : "Rain, rain and rain again...")

- "Tegen Roemenië heeft het Nederlands elftal een belabberde prestatie geleverd."
("The Dutch football/soccer team played extremely badly in the match against Romania." Literally: "Against Romania the Dutch team delivered a lousy performance." Note that "elftal" literally means "a set of 11".)

- "Met name de spits heeft belabberd gespeeld."
("Especially the forward played extremely badly.")

Related words:
- "Beroerd": miserable.
- "Slecht": bad.

288. Sjouwen

to lug, drag, carry, haul [verb] [sjouwde, gesjouwd] ['sjou-wun']

"Sjouwen" is to carry with a lot of effort and possibly difficulty. It implies that whatever you carry is heavy.

Examples:
- "Kun je mij aanstaande zaterdag helpen met het sjouwen van een paar dozen?"
("Can you help me haul a few boxes this coming Saturday?" )

- "Ga je even mee naar de supermarkt? Anders moet ik zo sjouwen met al die tassen."
("Will you come with me to the supermarket? If not, I have to lug all the bags (so much)." Literally:"... with all those bags." To our German readers: don't mistake "tas" for "Tasse" (like we do when we try to speak German ;-) ).)

Related words:
- "Rondsjouwen": to drag about/around, to lug around.
- "Slepen": to drag, lug, or to tow.
- "Tillen": to carry.

285. Flut

of bad quality, of low significance, rubbishy, not cool [adjective] ['flut']

"Flut" is used to say informally that something is not to one's liking. Usually this is because it's of bad quality or just not cool. You can't really use "flut" for "nonsense" in itself, like the English "rubbish", but in combinations it's possible (see Examples).

There are many ways in Dutch to express that something is not to one's liking, in other words: that something sucks :-) We'll cover a few under Extra, ranging in mildness and vulgarity.

Examples:
- "Hé, bevalt je nieuwe stereo?" - "Niet echt, het is een flutapparaat!"
("Hey, do you like your new hifi set?" - "Not really, it's a crappy device." The Dutch commonly refer to a hifi set as a "stereo".)

- "Dit is echt flut...ik ben weer eens blut."
("This really not cool...I'm broke again.")

- "Wat een flutargument!"
("Nonsense!" Literally: "what a rubbish/absurd/nonsensical argument!")

- "Heb jij 'Spaceballs' gezien? Wat een flutfilm!" - "Nee man, die film is geniaal!!"
("Did you see 'Spaceballs' ? I think that movie is rubbish!" - "No way dude, that movie is brilliant!!")

- "Heb je nog wat kunnen krijgen voor je auto?" - "Ja, een flutbedrag!"
("Have you been able to get something in return for your car?" - "Yeah, like nothing!" A "bedrag" is an "amount" and "flutbedrag" is something like a "measly sum".)

Extra: here are some other ways to say that something is not to your liking :-)
- "Dit is pet": follow the link for explanation.
- "Dit is shit": no explanation needed.
- "Dit is kut": this is very informal, "kut" is slang for vagina.
- "Dit is klote": again very informal, "klote" is short for "kloten": slang for testicles.
- "Dit is vervelend": this is unfortunate/annoying.
- "Dit is onfortuinlijk": this is unfortunate.
- "Dit is ruk": literally "this is wank/jerk", a good translation of "this sucks"; derived from "rukken": to jerk off, to wank.
- "Dit is but": derived from English "butt", another good equivalent for "this sucks".
- "Dit is balen": this is unfortunate, this sucks, this is upsetting etc.
- "Dit is jammer": this is unfortunate/a pity.
- "Dit is niet tof": this is not cool.

284. Blut

broke, out of money [adjective] ['blut']

"Blut" is used to say informally that you are out of money. It can be used for both a temporary and more permanent state of being broke.

Examples:
- "Kun jij je zus geld lenen? Ze is weer eens blut."
("Can you lend your sister (some) money? Once again she is broke.")

- "Heb jij nog flappen? Ik ben blut."
("Do you have money left? I'm broke.")

- "Meestal ben ik blut ruim voor het einde van de maand..."
("Usually I'm broke way before the end of the month...")

Expressions:
- "Volkomen blut": flat broke. Literally "completely broke".
- "Iemand blut spelen": to clean someone out.

Example:
- "Ik ben gisteren blut gespeeld aan de blackjacktafel."
("I was cleaned out yesterday at the blackjack table.")

Related words:
- "Platzak": this is a synonym for "blut" and literally means "flat pocket".
- "Arm": poor.

283. Peuk

1. fag, smoke, cig(arette) [noun] [de peuk, de peuken] ['peuk']

"Peuk" is a popular synonym for cigarette. It is always used informally. The original translation of "peuk", see 2. below, is also common.

Examples:
- "Heb je een euro voor me? Ik wil peuken halen bij het café op de hoek van de straat."
("Do you have a euro (for me)? I want to get cigarettes in the bar at the corner of the street.")

- "Kan ik een peuk van je bietsen?"
("Can you spare me a fag? / Can I have a smoke from you?" Literally: "Can I bum/scrounge a fag of you?")

- "Op de grond ligt een tapijt van peuken."
("A carpet of (cigarette) butts lies on the floor." See Extra below.)

Related words:
- "Sigaret": cigarette.
- "Een pakje peuken": a pack of smokes/fags.
- "Aansteker": lighter.
- "Opsteken": to light (up).

2. butt, stub [noun] [de peuk, de peuken] ['peuk']

Examples:
- "Na de lunchpauze liggen er buiten overal peuken op de grond."
("After the lunchbreak, there are (cigarette) butts all over the place outside." Lit. "... lie all over the place...")

- "In het studentenhuis hing een stank van peuken en verschaald bier."
("In the students' house there was a stench of fags and stale beer." Lit.: "...there hung a stench...")

Extra:
From 1990 to 2005, the show "Jiskefet" was broadcast on the Dutch television. It was a show with various humoristic and absurdistic sketches. One of the recurring sketches was three snob students bragging about drinking beer and shagging women. In one episode, there's the song "Er zit een haar in m'n glas (start 1.45)" (there's a hair in my glass), which also contains the line: "op de grond ligt een tapijt van peuken" (on the floor lies a carpet of (cigarette) butts). Check the complete lyrics here.

The diminutive of "peuk" is "peukje" and the informal diminutive is "peukie". There is a beach restaurant/bar in Scheveningen that is called "peukie": http://www.peukie.nl . They apparantly also claim to be a steakhouse :-)

262. Makker

mate, pal, buddy, friend [noun] [de makker, de makkers] ['ma-kur']

"Makker" is originally a synonym for "vriend", the Dutch equivalent of "friend". It is now mainly used for the more informal "mate" or "buddy".

"Makker" and "vriend" can be used to informally and semi-friendly address a man you do not know, especially when you feel treated impolitely. This requires some experience though :-) Have a look at the Examples.

Examples:
- "Hé makker, wat wil je drinken?"
("Hey mate/buddy, what do you want to drink?")

- "Marc en ik zijn al jaren makkers."
("Marc and I have been friends for years.")

- "Wat maak je me nou makker! Ik zag deze parkeerplaats het eerst!"
("What's up with that buddy! / What's this mate! I was the first to spot this parking spot!" Literally: "what do you make me now...")

- "<bij de bakkerij:> Sorry makker, ik was eerst!"
("<at the bakery:> I'm sorry mate/pal, I was (the) first!")

Related words:
- "Dienstmakker": somebody that was in military service with you. The Dutch military service was abolished about 10 years ago. It is usually abbreviated from "militaire dienst" to "dienst".
- "Vriend": friend.
- "Maat": another informal synonym for "vriend".

249. Lieveheersbeestje

ladybird, ladybug [noun] [het lieveheersbeestje, de lieveheersbeestjes] ['lie-vu-heers-beest-ju']

This word may be a bit hard to pronounce :-)  "Lieveheersbeestje" is composed of "lief", "heer" and "beestje", which respectively translate to "dear", "lord" and "little bug". All together it's a kind of a sweet literal translation: "dear lord's little bug". Sometimes you might even see "Onzelieveheersbeestje", which translates to "Our dear lord's little bug".

Examples:
- "Kijk! Er zit een lieveheersbeestje op je mouw!"
("Look! There is a ladybird on your sleeve!")

- "Ze zeggen dat een lieveheersbeestje geluk brengt."
("They say that a ladybird brings luck.")

- "Hoeveel stippen heeft dat lieveheersbeestje?"
("How many dots does that ladybird have?")

Extra:
The logo of the "Landelijke stichting tegen zinloos geweld" (lit.: National foundation against pointless violence) is a ladybird.

240. Kluts

1. clutch [noun] [de kluts, de klutsen] ['kluts']

This translation is very uncommon. In the context of a car's gearbox, "clutch" is always translated with "koppeling" (lit. coupling). However, there are expressions with "kluts" that are often used, and you should know them.

Expressions:
- "De kluts kwijt raken": to lose one's bearings.
- "De kluts kwijt zijn": to be in a tizzy / flurry.

Examples:
- "Frank was totaal de kluts kwijt tijdens de vergadering."
("Frank was in a complete flurry/completely lost during the meeting.")

- "Sinds het uit is, ben ik totaal de kluts kwijtgeraakt."
("Since the break-up, I have totally lost my bearings / I'm a total mess.")

2. scrum, chaos [noun] [de kluts, de klutsen] ['kluts']

Examples:
- "De spits kon uit de kluts een doelpunt maken."
("The forward was able to score a goal from the scrum.")

- "Wat een enorme klutsbal! Die had ik nog erin geschoten!"
("What a terrible shot! I could have made that!")

3. drop, touch, splash [noun] [de kluts, de klutsen] ['kluts']

This translation of "kluts" is a bit informal and not often used.

Examples:
- "Wat heb jij in je koffie?" - "Doe maar een flinke kluts melk."
("What do you have in your coffee?" - "A big drop/splash of milk." Lit.: "...just do a big drop of milk.")

Related words:
- "Klutsen": to whip/beat up.

Example:
- "Geklutst ei": beaten egg.

239. Gedoe

fuss, hassle, ado [noun] [het gedoe, <no plural>] ['gu-doe']

You will also encounter the word "gedoetje" or more often "gedoetjes" (plural diminutive), which is used informally for the small fussy moments :-) It requires a bit of experience and exposing to the Dutch language before you know how to use it. But just so you know... :-)

Examples:
- "Wat een gedoe."
("What a fuss.")

- "Wat een gedoe om niks!"
("What a fuss about nothing!")

- "Wat is er aan de hand?" - "Ah joh, een hoop gedoe om niks!"
("What's going on?" - "Oh well, much ado about nothing!" The phrase "wat is er aan de hand" can't be used to ask in general what is going on or happening, but is only used when something is wrong or out of the ordinary. An alternative translation would be "what's the fuss?")

Related words:
- "Ophef": fuss, ado.

238. Mekkeren

to bleat (goats, sheep), to nag [verb] [mekkerde, gemekkerd] ['me-ku-run']

The common translation of mekkeren is "to bleat", but usually in the case of lambs or baby goats. For sheep and goats in general, one uses "blaten".

You can use the verb "mekkeren" informally for "zeuren", but usually jokingly.

Examples:
- "Het lammetje mekkerde onophoudelijk."
("The lamb bleated continuously." Literally: "... non-stoppingly.")

- "Ach wat een lief geitje! Hoor eens hoe het mekkert!"
("Ah, what a sweet little goat! Listen to it bleating!" Mind that "eens" is used here to lessen the command form a bit.)

- "Nou niet zo mekkeren, je hebt gisteren al snoep gehad!"
(<mother to child:> "Stop nagging, you alread got candy yesterday!" Literally: "Now don't bleat like that,...")

 Related words:
- "Blaten": to bleat, to baa, or to talk nonsense.
- "Zeuren": to nag, complain, whine.
- "Zaniken": less common synonym for "zeuren".

236. Mopperen

to grumble, to grouse, to complain [verb] [mopperde, gemopperd] ['mo-pu-run']

This verb has nothing to do with DWOTD 219. Mop, but is inspired by yesterday's " zeur". Somebody who "moppers" is called a "mopperaar", but mostly you will hear "mopperkont", which translates to something like "grumble butt" :-)

Examples:
- "Ik word niet goed van opa! De hele dag door niets anders dan mopperen!"
("Grandpa is driving me crazy! All day long nothing but grumbling!" Literally: "I am becoming not well because of grandpa." The expression "niet goed worden van" is very common. Without a subject it needs the ever tricky "er": "Ik word er niet goed van": "It is driving me crazy" or "I have had it (with it)".)

- "Wat zit je te mopperen? Is het weer niet goed?"
("What are you grumbling about? Is it once again not to your liking?")

- "De chef moppert de hele dag op zijn personeel."
("The manager grumbles at his personnel all day." The word "chef" is used for managers in production environments, including supermarkets and such.)

Related words:
- "Mopperkont": grumbler/grouch, somebody who complains a lot.
- "Mopperpot": like "mopperkont" but less common.

235. Zeur

bore, sorehead, nag [noun] [de zeur, de zeuren] ['zeur']

Of course, there's also a verb derived from "zeur", which is "zeuren": to nag, to whine, see the examples.

Examples:
- "Frank kan soms zo'n zeur zijn tijdens vergaderingen."
("During meetings, Frank can be such a nag." Note that "zo'n" is short for "zo een": 'such a".)

- "Mannen gebruiken vaak het cliché dat vrouwen veel zeuren."
("Men often use the cliché that women whine a lot.")

- "<Moeder tegen haar kind:> Nu ophouden met zeuren!"
("<Mother to her child:> "Now stop whining!" Note that the infinitive "ophouden" is used as an imperative. In Dutch, there are three possible imperative forms: the 'regular' imperative, the infinitive used as an imperative, and the past participle used as an imperative. See also 39. Oprotten. )

- "Zit toch niet zo te zeuren!"
("Don't be such a sorehead/nag!" Lit.: "Don't you whine / be whining like that!" Note that "zitten" is not used to express the literal "sitting", but is used to indicate a continuing action - in this case "zeuren".)

Related words:
- "Zeuren": to nag, to whine.
- "Zeurkous": synonym of "zeur": nag.
- "Zeurpiet": synonym of "zeur": nag.
- "Klagen": to complain.
- "Een zeurende pijn": a nagging pain.

232. Boon

bean [noun] [de boon, de bonen] ['boon']

"Boon" is used to indicate both the legume that contains the seed as well as the seed itself. Its diminutive "boontje" is also often used.

Examples:
- " 'Ik lust geen boontjes!', schreeuwde de kleuter naar zijn moeder."
(" 'I don't like beans!', yelled the toddler to his mother.")

- "Kun je mij de sperziebonen even aangeven, alsjeblieft?"
("Can you pass the French/green beans please?")

- "Ik eet alleen bruine bonen als ze in chili con carne zitten."
("I only eat kidney/brown beans when they're in chilli con carne.")

- "Frank walgt van witte bonen in tomatensaus."
("Frank is disgusted by white beans in tomato sauce.")

Expressions:
- "Een blauwe boon": (an ounce of) lead, a bullet. Lit.: "a blue bean".

- "Honger maakt rauwe bonen zoet": hunger is the best sauce. Lit.: "Hunger makes raw beans sweet".

- "Boontje komt om zijn loontje": he that mischief hatches, mischief catches / you get what you deserve. Lit.: "Little bean comes for his little pay".

- "Een heilig boontje": a goody-goody / prig.

Example:
- "Frank gedraagt zich altijd als een heilig boontje in de buurt van zijn manager."
("Frank always behaves so holier-than-thou / like a goody-goody when his manager is around." Lit.: "...in the neighbourhood of his manager.")

230. Parade

parade [noun] [de parade, de parades] ['paa-raa-du']

Examples:
- "De veteranen werden geëerd met een militaire parade."
("The veterans were honoured with a military parade.")

- "Ga jij ook naar De Parade deze week?")
("Are you also going to "De Parade" this week?" See 'Extra'.)

Related words:
- "Optocht": march, parade.
- "Paraderen": to march, to parade.
- "Processie": procession.
- "Stoet": procession, parade.
- "Begrafenisstoet": funeral procession.

Extra:
"De Parade" is a Dutch cultural festival which is held during the summer season every year. "De Parade" is held successively in Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht and Amsterdam. It offers a varying range of Dutch theatre, music, dance, film and special foods and drinks. The shows, often exclusively produced for "De Parade", vary from three to fourty minutes. Concept of "De Parade" is that an entrance fee (6 Euros) is paid to enter the Parade terrain, and then additional fees must be paid for individual shows (from 2 to 10 Euros). Every day from 15.00h there's also the "Kinderparade", for children (no entrance fee).

Although most of the spoken shows are in Dutch, "De Parade" is highly recommended by the Dutch Gurus, since the atmosphere is really relaxed, 'cultural' and friendly (there are also music shows and shows where it is not about speech). Even without going to a show, one can eat and drink at "De Parade" while doing some nice people watching. Dutch Guru Tip: don't leave "De Parade" without having paid a visit to the Silent Disco :-)

"De Parade" in Den Haag is located at the Westbroek Park, from July 6th-15th.

225. Tof

In general, "tof" is used to express a positive opinion on a subject. It is often used informally, and the "level of positivity" depends on context, see the examples.

1. great, smashing, cool [adjective; 'tof']

Examples:
- "Toffe actie!"
("Well done!" Lit.: "Great/cool action!")

- "Nicole is een toffe meid, vind je niet?"
("Nicole is a great girl, don't you think?")

- "Dat was een tof verjaardagsfeest gisteren!"
("That was a smashing birthday party yesterday!")

- "Sander en Marc zijn toffe peren :-) ."
("Sander and Marc are great guys :-) ." Lit.: "...are great pears..." An expression which can only be used for men...)

- "Vind jij 'Kiss' van Prince ook zo'n tof nummer?"
("Do you also think that 'Kiss' by Prince is such a cool song?" "Nummer" literally translates to "number", but - depending on context - can also translate to "song".)

2. decent, OK, okay [adjective; 'tof']

Examples:
- "Frank vindt de meeste van zijn collega's wel tof."
("Frank thinks most of his colleagues are pretty okay.")

- "Ik ken die jongens niet erg goed, maar volgens mij zijn ze wel tof."
("I don't know those chaps very well, but I think they are pretty decent." Lit.: "...according to me, they are pretty decent.")

Related words:
- "Gaaf": cool, smooth.
- "Keitof": very cool, only used in province of Noord-Brabant where they put "kei" in front of everything to emphasize :-) A "kei" is a cobble stone or boulder.
- "Aardig": nice, friendly.
- "Sympathiek": sympathetic, friendly.
- "Cool": cool.
- "Vriendelijk": friendly.

218. Scheetje

1. (little) darling [noun] [het scheetje, de scheetjes; diminutive] ['sgee-tju']

Literally, "scheetje" means "little fart" :-) , see 2. When used as a pet word, "scheetje" would be best translated with "little darling" in English, but alternatives exist depending on context, see the examples. We admit that it is strange to call your lover "little fart", but hey, someone thought it was a good idea! (Not that it is everybody's favourite pet name.)

Examples:
- "Wat ben je toch een scheetje!"
("You're such a (little) darling!")

- "Heb je de baby van Rosalie gezien? Het is echt een scheetje!"
("Have you seen Rosalie's baby? She's a real cutie!" From the Dutch sentence you cannot tell the gender of the baby, but since we actually know this baby we translated it with "she" ;-))

Related words:
- "Poepie": synonym for "scheetje". Can also be used as a pet name.
- "Drolletje": little turd. Can also be used as a pet name, if you care for more substance than a "scheetje" :-)

2. (little) fart [noun] [het scheetje, de scheetjes; diminutive] ['sgee-tju']

"Scheetje" is the diminutive of "scheet": fart. A more formal synonym (if existing!) for fart is "wind" or "windje".
"To fart" is translated with "een scheet laten", literally: "to let a fart".

Examples:
- "Ruik je dat? Volgens mij heeft er iemand een scheet gelaten!"
("Do you smell that? I think someone has farted!" Lit.: "According to me, someone has farted!")

- "Sorry, niet dichterbij komen, ik moet een scheetje laten!"
("I'm sorry, don't come any closer, I have to fart!" Lit.: "...I have to let a little fart!")

- "Het laten van scheten wordt over het algemeen als onfatsoenlijk gedrag gezien, maar zeg nu zelf, soms kan je er niets aan doen!"
("Farting is generally considered to be inappropriate behaviour, but you have to admit, sometimes you can't help it!" Literally "zeg nu zelf" translates to "say it yourself".)

Expression:
- "Het zijn de harde die klinken, maar de zachte die stinken.": we have heard the English say "silent but violent"; literally this means "the loud ones are the ones that sound, but the soft are the ones that smell."

Related words:
- "Wind/je": fart.
- "Poepie": (little) fart.
- "Schijten": to shit, to (take a) crap.
- "Poepen": less informal synonym for "schijten".

217. Liefie

sweetie, dear, darling [noun, informal diminutive] [de het liefie, de liefies] ['lie-fie']

"Liefie" is the informal diminutive of the noun "lief" that translates to "beloved/love/dear". As a pet name, "liefie" is more common amongst the younger generations (including people in their thirtees). Alternatively, the similar "lieveling" can be used. "Lieveling" has a slightly more poetic or old-fashioned touch to it, and would be best translated with "darling", not with "sweetie".
In general, one who is "lief" is called a "lieverd".

Examples:
- "Hoi liefie, ik ben even naar de Albert Heijn wat boodschapjes halen."
("Sweetie, I'm off to Albert Heijn to get some groceries.")

- "<sms text message:> Liefie! Kom je vanavond bij me eten? Mis jou..."
("Sweetie! Would you like to have dinner at my place tonight? Miss you...")

- "Jij bent mijn allerliefste liefie!!"
("You are my dearest sweetie!" In Dutch the superlative of 'lief' is 'liefst', however you can go one step higher by adding 'aller' :-) It means something like "of all". It is very common, so put it to practise!)

Related words:
- "Lieveling": darling, sweetheart, love.
- "Lieverd": synonym for "lieveling".

215. Noodzakelijk

1. necessary [adjective / adverb] ['noot-zaa-ku-luk']

Examples:
- "Samenwerking is noodzakelijk om een goed resultaat te behalen."
("Cooperation is necessary to achieve a good result.")

- "Het was noodzakelijk dat de politie met geweld ingreep tijdens de rellen."
("It was necessary that the police acted with force during the riots.")

- "Het feit dat Nederland coffeeshops heeft, betekent niet noodzakelijk dat iedereen in Nederland wiet rookt."
("The fact that The Netherlands have coffeeshops, does not necessarily mean that everybody in The Netherlands smokes weed.")

- "Liefde is een noodzakelijke levensbehoefte."
("Love is a necessity of life." Lit.: "Love is a necessary life's need.")

2. inevitable [adjective / adverb] ['noot-zaa-ku-luk']

Examples:
- "Files zijn een noodzakelijk gevolg van de toegenomen economie."
("Traffic jams are an inevitable consequence of the increased economy. ")

Related words:
- "Noodzaak": necessity.
- "Genoodzaakt": forced, obliged.
- "Nood": need.
- "Onvermijdelijk": inevitable, inescapable.

213. Verschrikkelijk

terrible, dreadful, awful [adjective / adverb] ['vur-sgri-ku-luk']

"Verschrikkelijk" is for most non-native Dutch speakers a terrible word to pronounce :-) The tongue breaking focuses around the letter combination "s"-"ch"-"r", pronounced: sharp "s" - raspy "g" - rolling "r". The only thing that we can advise is: keep on practising ;-)

Examples:
- "Verschrikkelijk!"
("Terrible!")

- "Dat is verschrikkelijk nieuws!"
("That is awful news!")

- "Het spijt me verschrikkelijk, lieveling."
("I'm dreadfully sorry, darling.")

- "Sinds de introductie van de euro is alles verschrikkelijk duur geworden."
("Since the introduction of the euro, everything has become terribly expensive.")

- "Frank deed verschrikkelijk kinderachtig tijdens die vergadering."
("Frank acted terribly childish during that meeting." Lit.: "Frank did terribly childish...")

- "Wat een verschrikkelijk auto ongeluk: drie doden, één zwaargewonde."
("What a terrible car accident: three dead, one heavily injured.")

Related words:
- "Gruwelijk": horrible.
- "De Verschrikkelijke Sneeuwman": The Yeti.  Lit.: The Abominable Snowman.

terrible, dreadful, awful [adjective / adverb] ['vur-sgri-ku-luk']

"Verschrikkelijk" is for most non-native Dutch speakers a terrible word to pronounce :-) The tongue breaking focuses around the letter combination "s"-"ch"-"r", pronounced: sharp "s" - raspy "g" - rolling "r". The only thing that we can advise is: keep on practising ;-)

Examples:
- "Verschrikkelijk!"
("Terrible!")

- "Dat is verschrikkelijk nieuws!"
("That is awful news!")

- "Het spijt me verschrikkelijk, lieveling."
("I'm dreadfully sorry, darling.")

- "Sinds de introductie van de euro is alles verschrikkelijk duur geworden."
("Since the introduction of the euro, everything has become terribly expensive.")

- "Frank deed verschrikkelijk kinderachtig tijdens die vergadering."
("Frank acted terribly childish during that meeting." Lit.: "Frank did terribly childish...")

- "Wat een verschrikkelijk auto ongeluk: drie doden, één zwaargewonde."
("What a terrible car accident: three dead, one heavily injured.")

Related words:
- "Gruwelijk": horrible.
- "De Verschrikkelijke Sneeuwman": The Yeti.  Lit.: The Abominable Snowman.

- "Sinds de introductie van de euro is alles verschrikkelijk duur geworden."
("Since the introduction of the euro, everything has become terribly expensive.")

- "Frank deed verschrikkelijk kinderachtig tijdens die vergadering."
("Frank acted terribly childish during that meeting." Lit.: "Frank did terribly childish...")

- "Wat een verschrikkelijk auto ongeluk: drie doden, één zwaargewonde."
("What a terrible car accident: three dead, one heavily injured.")

Related words:
- "Gruwelijk": horrible.
- "De Verschrikkelijke Sneeuwman": The Yeti.  Lit.: The Abominable Snowman.

212. Belachelijk

ridiculous, ludicrous [adjective / adverb] ['bu-la-gu-luk']

Examples:
- "Belachelijk!"
("Ridiculous!")

- "Doe niet zo belachelijk."
("Don't be (so) ridiculous.")

- "Dat is een belachelijk verhaal."
("That is a ludicrous story.")

- "In Nederland betalen we belachelijk veel belasting."
("In The Netherlands we pay a ridiculous amount on taxes." Lit.: "...pay ridiculously much taxes.")

- "Frank heeft zichzelf tijdens die presentatie belachelijk gemaakt."
("Frank made a fool out of himself during that presentation." Lit.: "...made himself (look) ridiculous...")

- "Een lekke band is een belachelijk slecht excuus om op een eerste afspraakje te laat te komen."
("A flat tire is a really lousy excuse to arrive too late at a first date." Lit.: "...a ridiculously bad excuse...")

Related words:
- "Belachelijk maken": to ridicule.
- "Spot": ridicule / mockery.
- "Hoon": scorn.

- "Dat is een belachelijk verhaal."
("That is a ludicrous story.")

- "In Nederland betalen we belachelijk veel belasting."
("In The Netherlands we pay a ridiculous amount on taxes." Lit.: "...pay ridiculously much taxes.")

- "Frank heeft zichzelf tijdens die presentatie belachelijk gemaakt."
("Frank made a fool out of himself during that presentation." Lit.: "...made himself (look) ridiculous...")

- "Een lekke band is een belachelijk slecht excuus om op een eerste afspraakje te laat te komen."
("A flat tire is a really lousy excuse to arrive too late at a first date." Lit.: "...a ridiculously bad excuse...")

Related words:
- "Belachelijk maken": to ridicule.
- "Spot": ridicule / mockery.
- "Hoon": scorn.

209. Kappen

The informal translation of "kappen" (number 2. below) is very common.

1. to chop, to cut, to axe (trees and such) [verb] [kapte, gekapt; 'ka-pun']

Examples:
- "De milieuactivisten protesteerden de hele nacht tegen het kappen van het bos."
("The environmentalists protested all night against the cutting of the forest.")

- "Het kappen van de regenwouden is een gevaar voor het behoud van onze Aarde."
("The felling of the rain forest is a danger to the preservation of our Earth.")

Related words:
- "Bijl": axe.
- "Hout": wood.
- "Boom": tree.
- "Bos": forest, woods.
- "Houthakker": lumberjack/man.

2. to stop, to quit, to break, to cut it out [verb; informal] [kapte, gekapt]

Examples:
- "Ik denk dat ik ga kappen met pianoles; ik kom gewoon niet aan spelen toe!"
("I think I'm going to quit my piano lessons; I just don't find the time to play!")

- "Wordt het niet eens tijd dat jullie kappen met jullie relatie?"
("Isn't it about time that you two break off your relationship?")

- "Dit heeft geen enkele zin, laten we er maar mee kappen!"
("This is completely useless / this serves no purpose at all, why don't we just stop (doing this)!")

- "Nu is het genoeg, ik kap ermee!"
("Now I've had it / it is enough, I quit!")

- "<moeder tegen vervelende kinderen:> En nu kappen!"
("<mother to annoying children:> Cut it out now! / Now stop it!")

- "Kap nou!"
(Even more informal translation of "Stop it!")

3. to do somenone's hair [verb] [kapte, gekapt]

It is more common to use the verb "knippen" (to cut (with scissors)) if the context is clear, however the 'Related words' below show some examples of derivations.

Related words:
- "Kapper": hair dresser.
- "Kapsalon": hairdresser's salon.
- "Kapsel": hair style, hairdo.

201. Pinksteren

Pentecost [noun] [<no article> Pinksteren, <no plural>; 'Pink-stur-run']

Today is the second day of "Pinksteren". Most people have a day off today. "Pinksteren" is a national (christian) holiday in the Netherlands. It always falls on a Sunday and consecutive Monday, ten days after "Hemelvaart" .

Examples:
- "Heb jij plannen voor tweede Pinksterdag? - Ik ga naar Pinkpop!")
("Do you have plans for the second day of Pentecost? - I'm going to the Pinkpop festival!")

Related words:
- "Eerste Pinksterdag": First day of Pentecost.
- "Tweede Pinksterdag": Second day of Pentecost.

Extra:
The pop/rock festival season in The Netherlands and Belgium has begun again. This weekend, the Pinkpop festival in Landgraaf will draw more than 50,000 people to the very south of the province of Limburg. Some well-known festivals are:
- Pinkpop
- Rock Werchter
- LowLands
- Pukkelpop
- Beatstad
A complete list of all festivals can be found at festivalinfo.nl.

195. Hemelvaart

Ascension [noun] [de Hemelvaart, de Hemelvaarten; 'hee-mul-vaart']

Hemelvaart is composed of "hemel" and "vaart", which respectively translate to "heaven" and "trip". "Hemelvaart" is a national (Christian) holiday in the Netherlands. Not many Dutch will still know that "Hemelvaart" is about Jesus returning to heaven permanently...

"Hemelvaart" always is a Thursday. A  lot of Dutch companies and institutions are also closed on the Friday after "Hemelvaart". Sometimes employees have to take mandatory leave of one day (on that Friday).

Ten days after "Hemelvaart" comes "Pinksteren": Pentecost. The second day of Pentecost, "Tweede Pinksterdag", is always a Monday, and is also a national Dutch holiday.

Since "Hemelvaart" and "Pinksteren" are not too far apart, a lot of the Dutch take leave in between. This holiday period is often referred to as the "HePi-vakantie". You may figure out for yourself what "HePi" stands for :-)

Examples:
- "Heb jij ook vrijdag vrij na Hemelvaart?"
("Do you also have a day off on the Friday after Ascension?")

- "Hebben jullie speciale plannen voor de HePi-vakantie?"
("Do you have special plans for the HePi-holiday period?")

Related words:
- "Hemelvaartsdag": Ascension day.

191. Paniek

panic [noun] [de paniek] ['paa-niek']

The English verb "to panic" is often translated with the Dutch idiom "in paniek raken", literally: "to get into panic". In Dutch, the verb "panikeren" does exist, but this is mainly used in Belgium.

Examples:
- "Geen paniek!"
("Don't panic!" Literally: "No panic!")

- "Frank raakte compleet in paniek toen de directeur hem een vraag stelde."
("Frank completely panicked when the CEO asked him a question.")

- "Een paniekaanval wordt vaak veroorzaakt door veel stress."
("A panic attack is often caused by lots of stress.")

- "De menigte vloog in paniek uit elkaar toen de politie traangas gebruikte."
("The crowd fled off in panic when the police used tear gas.")

Expression:
- "paniek in de tent": <slightly ironic> panic breaking out. Literally: "panic in the tent".

Example:
- "Toen zij bemerkte dat ze haar sleutels verloren had, was er plotseling paniek in de tent."
("When she found out that she had lost her keys, she suddenly broke into panic.")

- "paniek zaaien": to spread panic. Literally: "to sow panic".

Related words:
- "Stress": stress.
- "Ongerust": worried.
- "Zenuwachtig": nervous.

189. Balen

1. to be fed up (with), be sick (and tired / to death) (of) [verb] [baalde, gebaald; 'baa-lun']

In this context, "balen" is often used in conjuction with the preposition "van".

Examples:
- "Dat is balen!"
("That's tough luck!")

- "Frank baalt al heel lang van zijn werk."
("Frank has been fed up with his job for a really long time.")

Related expression:
- "Balen als een stekker": to be really fed up with something / to be really pissed (off). (Literally: "...like a plug."

Example:
- "Marc baalde als een stekker omdat de file 16 kilometer lang was."
("Marc was really pissed off because the traffic jam was 16 kilometers long.")

2. bags, sacks, bales [noun] [plural of "baal"]

Example:
- "In juli liggen er altijd veel hooibalen in het veld."
("In July, there are always a lot of hay bags laying in the (country) field.")

185. Burger

"Burger" appeared earlier in DWOTD 149. Arresteren.

1. citizen, civilian [noun] [de burger, de burgers; 'bur-gur']

Examples:
- "Burgers en militairen."
("Civilians and soldiers.")

- "Vandaag zijn bij een explosie in Bagdad 15 onschuldige burgers gedood."
("15 innocent citizens were killed in an explosion in Bagdad today.")

"Burger" can also be used in conjunction with another noun. This usually translates to an adjective-noun construction in English.

Example:
- "De politie patrouilleert in burgerkleding.")
("The police are patrolling in plain/civilian clothes.")

Expression:
- "Dat geeft de burger moed!": That's heartening/encouraging! (Literally: "That gives courage to the citizen!")

2. burger [noun] [de burger, de burgers]

Example:
- "Welke burgers vind je het lekkerst? Die van de Mc Donald's of die van de Burger King?"
("Which burgers do you like most? Those from Mc Donald's or the ones from Burger King?")

Related words:
- "Burgemeester": mayor.

178. Gapen

1. to yawn [verb] [gaapte, gegaapt]

"Gapen" has appeared earlier in DWOTD 89. Slapen.

Examples:
- "Ik kon vanochtend niet ophouden met gapen."
("I couldn't stop yawning this morning." Literally: "...stop with yawning.")

- "Frank zat tijdens de vergadering de hele tijd te gapen."
("During the meeting, Frank was yawning all the time." Note that "Frank zat...te gapen" (lit.: "Frank sat to yawn") is translated with "Frank was yawning"; it is a common construction in Dutch.)

- "Ik moet enorm gapen van deze slaapverwekkende film."
("I really have to yawn due to this dead boring movie." Literally: "...from this sleep generating movie.")

Related words:
1. "Slapen": to sleep.
2. "Slaperig": sleepy.
3. "Slaapkop": sleepy head.
4. "Dromen": to dream.
5. "Uitrekken": to stretch.

Extra:
Some old Dutch houses have an ornament which is a stone man's head with a wide opened mouth. They used to indicate that a pharmacy resided in the building. Such a stone head is called a Gaper ("Yawner") in Dutch, obviously because of the wide opened mouth...(which is actually open for taking in medicine...)

2. to gape [verb] [gaapte, gegaapt]

Example:
- "De gapende menigte had zich verzameld rond het gebouw dat in brand stond."
("The gaping crowd had gathered around the building that was on fire."  Lit.: "...that stood on fire.")

Related word:
1. "zich vergapen aan": to gape at.

Example:
"De menigte vergaapte zich aan de sterren op de rode loper."
("The crowd was gaping at the stars on the red carpet.")

167. Pendelen

1. to commute, to shuttle [verb] [pendelde, gependeld]

Although the dictionary mentions "to commute", this verb is more commonly used when talking about a shuttle service. It can also be used to say that you are travelling up and down between places.

Examples:
- "Marc pendelt vandaag tussen diverse bedrijfslocaties."
("Today, Marc travels up and down between several company locations.")

- "Reis met de trein naar Lelystad. Er pendelen bussen tussen station Lelystad en het Lowlands festival."
("Travel to Lelystad by train. There is a shuttle service between Lelystad and the Lowlands festival." Literally: "Busses shuttle between...")

Related words:
- "Op en neer rijden": to drive up and down.
- "Heen en weer reizen": literally "to travel forth and back" this is the common Dutch translation for "to commute".

Example:
"Frank reist elke dag heen en weer tussen zijn woon - en werkplaats."
("Frank commutes daily between home and work." Literally: "... between his place of residence and place of work." The '-' after 'woon' replaces the noun 'plaats'. In Dutch it is common to do this in such combinations.)

- "Pendelbus/busje": shuttle bus/van.
- "Pendeldienst": shuttle service.

2. to answer questions by interpreting the rotation of a threaded object to dowse, to divine [verb] [pendelde, gependeld]

Ok, so this has nothing to do with computer science nor physics. We couldn't find the proper name for the act of attaching an object of some weight to a thread that you hold between your fingers, and then asking a question and looking at the direction of rotation of the object :-)

Update: the correct verb is "to dowse" (thanks Ramie), or "to divine" (thanks Jim).

The thread with the object attached to it for the described purpose is called a "pendel".

Update: "pendel" is Dutch for "pendulum" in this context.

Example:
- "Sommige mensen beantwoorden vragen door middel van pendelen."
("Some people answer questions by means of dowsing/divining (with a pendulum)." You will often encounter the abbreviation 'd.m.v.' for 'door middel van'.)

160. Viaduct

viaduct, fly-over, overpass [noun] [het viaduct, de viaducten]

There is not much to elaborate on here, a viaduct is just a viaduct and a fly-over is just a fly-over :-) However, in the past 3 years or so there has been quite some discussion in the Netherlands on how to prevent people from throwing objects down on the motor ways; a few people were killed by bricks flying through the wind screen of their cars. Plan is to put up some cameras that are able to detect 'abnormal' activity.

Examples:
- "De politie houdt vaak stiekem snelheidscontroles onder een viaduct."
("The police often secretly perform speed checks underneath a fly-over.")

- "Blijf de A4 volgen. Neem na het viaduct de eerste afslag richting Amsterdam."
("Keep on the A4. Take the first exit to Amsterdam after the viaduct." Literally: "Keep following the A4.")

- "Afgelopen weekend zijn twee jongeren gearresteerd na het gooien van bakstenen vanaf een viaduct."
("The past weekend, two adolescents have been arrested after they threw bricks off a viaduct." Literally: "... after the throwing of bricks...")

- "Om het gooien van stoeptegels te bemoeilijken, heeft het rijk besloten hekken te plaatsen op viaducten."
("In order to hinder the throwing of paving stones, the government has decided to erect fences at viaducts." Literally: "... to place fences...". When it concerns the authority "government" and not specifically the group of people in the government, the term "rijk" is used (a bit like "state"); quite often in the case of infrastructure. Mind that the adjective "rijk" translates to "rich".)

159. Spoorwegovergang

railway / railroad crossing [noun] [de spoorwegovergang, de spoorwegovergangen]

"Spoorwegovergang" is a good word for Scrabble ;-) It is built from several other words:
- "spoor": (t)rail;
- "weg": way/road;
- "overgang": transition, crossing, passage.

In the Netherlands there are two types of "spoorwegovergangen": the "onbewaakte spoorwegovergang" (ungated railroad crossing) and the "bewaakte spoorwegovergang" (gated railroad crossing). There are different road signs for an ungated and a gated railway crossing to alert traffic that a railroad crossing is ahead.

Examples:
- "Vannacht is er een auto door een trein aangereden bij een onbewaakte spoorwegovergang."
("Last night, a car has been hit by a train at an ungated railway crossing." Literally: "...a car has been ridden into by a train...")

-  "Bij een bewaakte spoorwegovergang zie je op een bord altijd de melding: 'Wacht tot lichten gedoofd zijn, er kan nog een trein komen'."
("At a gated railway crossing, one always sees the following message on a road sign: 'Wait until lights are out, another train may come'." Literally: "...'Wait until lights have been extinguished'...")

Note:

This road sign is referring to the red lights that will blink as long as the gates are not fully up. The blinking red lights are accompanied by the sound of a clinging bell. No one ever really waits until the gates are fully up again...

Extra:
The word "overgang" (transition) is also used as a synonym for a woman's menopause.

Example:
- "Tijdens de overgang hebben vrouwen vaak last van opvliegers."
("During menopause, women often have (hot) flushes/flashes." Literally: "...women are bothered/burdened with...")

151. Knuppel

1. club, bat, stick [noun] [de knuppel, de knuppels]

A Dutch police officer carries the following weapons: a pistol, pepperspray, a stick, tear gas, and handcuffs. The official term for the stick is "wapenstok" - literally: weapon stick - but often the more informal "knuppel" is used. In general, "knuppel" is a round stick meant to swing at something (or someone...).
The related verb is "(neer)knuppelen": to club/beat (down), to bludgeon.

In the Netherlands, the police are allowed to use their weapons for defense only, except for the stick.

Examples:
- "De politieagent moest zijn knuppel gebruiken tegen de agressieve supporter."
("The police officer had to use his stick against the aggressive fan." Note that "agressief" has only one "g" in Dutch.)

- "Een aantal demonstranten werd neergeknuppeld door de politie."
("A number of protesters was beaten down by the police.")

- "Bij nachtelijke wegcontroles vindt de politie altijd veel messen en honkbalknuppels."
("During nightly traffic inspections, the police often find a lot of knives and baseball bats.")

Expression:
- "Een knuppel in het hoenderhok gooien": (literally: to throw the stick in the henhouse) to put the cat among the pigeons / to create a stir / chaos.

Extra:
During international sports events, Dutch supporters like to bring along all kinds of crazy attributes to help them support the Dutch team. This is a picture of an inflatable baseball bat.  The text reads: "Hup Holland" which translates to "Go Holland". The strange thing is that the word "hup" to cheer somebody on is only used in this alliteration. In all other circumstances it would be very archaic (however, it can be used to encourage somebody to hurry up a bit).

2. dork, dope, stupid person  [noun] [de knuppel, de knuppels]

In this context, "knuppel" is only used for men. The female equivalent would be "doos" (the very first DWOTD :-) ).

Examples:
- "Wat een knuppel!"
("What a dork!")

- "<vrouw:> 'Wat ben jij een slome knuppel!' <man:> 'Nou, ik vind jou ook een saaie doos!' "
("<woman:> 'What a slow dork you are!' <man:> 'Well, I think you're a boring stupid woman too!' " or something like that...:-) )

149. Arresteren

to arrest [verb] [arresteerde, gearresteerd]

Although Samuel L. Jackson joked in "Pulp Fiction" that police offers in Amsterdam are not allowed to search you, they are definitely allowed to arrest you so be aware of that! :-) Actually, it is a bit more sophisticated than Samuel stated and there is a chance that you are searched by police without being a suspect, as a preventive measure. Traditionally the Dutch police have been quite tolerant but it seems this has changed recently with more police on the streets and the law actually being enforced. You will most likely notice this when riding your bike: no bike lights and biking through red lights is no longer tolerated!
In general the law has become a bit stricter in recent years, one of the biggest changes being the fact that one has to be able to show ID at all times. This led to protest by left-wing parties who argue that this will not lead to a decrease in crime and is in fact a violation of privacy.

Examples:
- "Agent, arresteer deze man!"
("Officer, arrest this man!")

- "Na een felle strijd heeft de politie 10 krakers gearresteerd."
("After a heavy battle, the police have arrested 10 squatters.")

- "Na een lange zoektocht heeft de politie de daders kunnen arresteren."
("After a long search, the police have been able to arrest the offenders.")

Related words:
- "Inrekenen": less common synonym for "arresteren".
- "Agent/e": police officer.
- "Arrestatie": arrest [noun].
- "Burgerarrest": citizen's arrest. "Burger" translates to "citizen" (and to "burger" when you are at McDonald's :-) ).
- "Straf": punishment, sentence.

148. Bekeuring

fine, ticket [noun] [de bekeuring, de bekeuringen]

"Bekeuring" is used in the context of an authorized civil servant fining a person for violating the law, usually the police writing a ticket for breaking a traffic rule. Besides "bekeuring", the word "boete" is also often used to indicate a fine. A "boete" is a penalty in general, the difference with "bekeuring" in the above context is minimal though. In the context of football/soccer, the Dutch use the same word for "penalty", sometimes pronounced incorrectly though (by lower educated coaches :-) )

There are a number of synonyms for "bekeuring" and "boete". We have listed most of them under 'Related words'.

 

Examples:
- "Ik heb gisteren een bekeuring van 20 Euro gekregen voor rijden zonder verlichting."
("Yesterday I was fined 20 Euros for riding (my bike) without lights." Literally: "...I (have) received a fine..." The 20 Euros is actually the official figure.)

- "Ik heb dit jaar al drie bekeuringen gehad voor te hard rijden."
("This year I have already been fined three times for speeding." Literally: "...for driving too fast.")

- "Mensen die geen identiteitsbewijs bij zich hebben, kunnen tegenwoordig een boete krijgen."
("Nowadays, people who don't carry an ID card can be fined." Literally: "...can receive...")

 

Related words:
- "Bon": ticket.
- "Parkeerboete": parking ticket.
- "Prent": <informal> ticket. Literally: print/picture (old fashioned).
- "Proces-verbaal": charge / a written report by a police officer of the law violation in question.

Extra:
If one is stopped by a police officer for violating a traffic rule, the police officer always asks for the reason of your "bad" behaviour. Then he says that you are not obliged to answer. I (Sander) have never been able to determine why they want this information, since they just shrug or patronize you when you do tell them. One of our friends is infamous for giving rude, out-of-context, reasons. Consequently he is fined again, this time for insulting a police officer.
You never pay your fine on the spot, but you will get a receipt (some kind of "proof" of your crime). Then after a few weeks a letter will arrive with the fine which you will then have to pay by bank transfer.
Read more about Dutch traffic fines in the 'Extra' of DWOTD 127. Stoplicht.

146. Aanbieding

special offer, sale [noun] [de aanbieding, de aanbiedingen]

"Aanbieding" is derived from the verb "aanbieden", which means "to offer". It is commonly used for items that are on special offer in supermarkets or department stores, see 'Examples'.
Another common word you will encounter is "reclame" for "special offer". This word normally translates to "advertisement" or "commercial" depending on context.

Examples:
- "Aanbieding! Twee kilo bananen, van 2,30 voor 1,98!"
("Special offer! Two kilos of bananas, was 2.30, now 1.98!" Literally: "... from 2.30, for 1.98" Notice that in Dutch one uses commas to separate the cents from the whole euros.)

- "Deze week zijn de aardbeien in de aanbieding bij Albert Heijn."
("This week strawberries are on special offer / on sale at Albert Heijn.")

- "Ik denk dat ik een flatscreen TV ga kopen; ik heb een goede aanbieding gezien bij de Mediamarkt."
("I think that I'm going to buy a flat screen TV; I have seen a good offer at Mediamarkt.")

Related words:
- "Aanbieden": to offer.
- "In de reclame": on special offer, on sale (only for food products).
- "Uitverkoop": sale (mainly clothing shops).
- "OP=OP": this is used to encourage people to come down quickly and buy whatever is on sale, since it is expected that the item will be sold out soon (now, would there be some causal connection there?...) The word "op" in this case means "finished", as in "nothing left".

140. Standje

1. position [noun] [het standje, de standjes]

"Standje" is the diminutive of "stand", which gives it a more informal (and sometimes sexual) connotation, as you will see from the examples.

Examples:
- "De kamasutra kent de meest vreemde standjes."
("The kamasutra has the strangest (sexual) positions.")

- "Wat is het koud hier! De airco staat zeker op standje 'bevriezen'..."
("It's cold in here! The airconditioning must be on freeze..." Literally: "..on position 'freeze'...")

Related words:
- "Stand": score. In this meaning the word is only used as in the following example:

"Het is rust in de wedstrijd Feyenoord - Ajax! De stand is 2 - 0 in het voordeel van de Rotterdammers."

("It is half-time in the Feyenoord - Ajax match! The score is 2 - 0 for Rotterdam." Literally: "The score is 2 - 0 in the advantage of the guys from Rotterdam". A "Rotterdammer" is an inhabitant of Rotterdam.)

- "Houding": position, pose, posture, attitude.

2. rebuke, scolding, reprimand [noun] [het standje, de standjes]

Examples:

- "Frank kreeg een standje van zijn vrouw omdat hij hun trouwdag vergeten was."
("Frank was scolded by his wife because he had forgotten their wedding anniversary." Literally "Frank got/received a reprimand...")

- "Als kinderen niet naar hun moeder luisteren, verdienen ze een standje."
("When children do not listen to their mother, they deserve a reprimand.")

Related word:
- "Waarschuwing": warning.

138. Voorspel

1. foreplay [noun] [het voorspel, de voorspelen]

It is now time to get a little bit more physical with the "love" theme. However, we all know that we need to cover foreplay first!

Examples:
- "Een goed voorspel is het halve werk."
("Good foreplay is half the job.")

- "Sommige vrouwen beweren dat mannen liever het voorspel overslaan!"
("Some women claim that men would rather skip foreplay!")

The use of the word "liever" is very common to express a preference in choice.  The superlative would be "het liefst" and is used to say that you prefer something the most.

- "Goed voorspel is een belangrijk onderdeel van de kunst der liefde."
("Good foreplay is an important part of the art of love.")

The word "der" is a remnant of the old-fashioned use of the second (possessive) case in Dutch (genetivus, like in German). It is only used in archaic and/or dramatic expressions but there are a few common expressions. See also 'Extra'.

2. prelude, overture, prologue [noun] [het voorspel, de voorspelen]

Examples:

- "Er zijn veel boeken geschreven over het voorspel tot de Tweede Wereldoorlog."
("Many books have been written about the prelude to the second World War.")

- "Ouverture 1812 van Tchaikovsky is een bekend klassiek stuk."
("Tchaikovsky's Overture 1812 is a well known classical piece.")

Extra: on the use of the possessive case
"Den Haag" is not the only name for The Hague. Sometimes you may see the old fashioned version: " 's Gravenhage", which is short for "des graven hage" or - after a small reshuffle - "hage des graven", which literally translates to "hedge of the counts". Again you see here the (rare) use of the archaic second case in Dutch.

Another example of the use of the second case is the word " 's morgens", short for "des morgens". Literally: "of the morning", hence: "in the morning".

Respectively, " 's middags", " 's avonds" and " 's nachts" translate to "in the afternoon", "in the evening" and "in the night".

133. Aanbidder

admirer, worshipper [noun] [de aanbidder, de aanbidders]

"Aanbidder" is derived from the verb "aanbidden": to admire, or to worship. Literally "aanbidden" means "to pray at/to" derived from praying to a statue while kneeling.
It is however also commonly used when you adore somebody. In the context of the latter, "aanbidder" translates to "admirer", which of course is the translation of choice for this week :-) However, it is not romantic by definition!

Examples:
- "Het lijkt mij leuk om een stille aanbidder te hebben! Hé, misschien heb ik er wel een..."
("I think it would be nice to have a secret admirer! Hey, perhaps I have one..." Literally: "It seems nice to me to have...")

- "Morgen is het Valentijnsdag. Ik zal wel geen kaartjes van stille aanbidders ontvangen... :-("
("Tomorrow it's Valentine's day. I will probably receive no cards from secret admirers... :-(" The use of "wel geen" is a bit confusing, since "wel" is the opposite of "geen". However, "wel" can also mean "probably" which is the case in this construction.)

Expressions:
Quite a few expressions related to "aanbidden" exist. Here are a few:

- "Iemand op handen dragen": to like someone very much. Literally "to carry someone on hands" as in liking somebody so much that you lift him/her with your hands (like what sometimes happens in sports).

- "Weglopen met iemand": to like someone very much. Literally: "to walk away with someone", as in liking somebody so much that you just want to walk away with that person!

- "Iemand op een voetstuk plaatsen": to put somebody on a pedestal.

Related words:
- "Adoreren": to adore.
- "Vereren": to worship, adore. Also used in relation to God.
- "Verafgoden": idolize.

131. Drempel

1. threshold, barrier, doorstep [noun] [de drempel, de drempels]

Examples:
- "We bevinden ons op de drempel van een nieuw tijdperk: het tijdperk van de mensen zal eindigen, de orks zullen heersen..."
("We find ourselves at the threshold of a new era: the era of man will end, the orcs will rule...")

- "Frank voelde een grote mentale drempel om op de mooie dame aan de bar af te stappen."
("Frank felt a great mental barrier to approach the beautiful lady at the bar." Literally: "... to step to the beautiful lady...")

- "Ik zet daar geen voet meer over de drempel!"
("I shall never set foot in that house again!" Literally: "...set foot across the doorstep there.")

2. speed bump/ramp [noun] [de drempel, de drempels]

In this context, "drempel" is also referred to as "verkeersdrempel", which literally translates to "traffic barrier". Speed bumps are abundant in the Netherlands, especially in small streets in residential areas. They can be quite nasty!

Example:
- "Ik ben te hard over een drempel gegaan. Nu ligt de uitlaat van m'n auto eraf!"
("I went over a speed ramp too fast. Now the exhaustion (pipe) of my car has come off!" Literally: "...lies off!")

Related word:
- "30 kilometer zone": 30 kilometer zone, a zone in which a speedlimit of 30 km/h applies. These zones often have a lot of "verkeersdrempels"....

Extra:
Once in the United States Sander encountered the opposite of a speed bump, the "dip". "What the hell does D-I-P mean?" his co-worker asked after spotting the big
D I P sign. Not much later they understood! At least you can see a speed bump coming!

130. Verkeersbord

road/traffic sign
[noun]
[het ver-keers-bord, de ver-keers-bor-den]

Traffic in the Netherlands is a bit overregulated. You can't really go wrong ;-)
However, while trying to interpret all these traffic signs, of which the density in the Netherlands is very high, one almost forgets to actually pay attention to traffic!

The Dutch word for traffic is "verkeer". A "bord" in general is some kind of flat shape for display. Most common usages are a "plate" for food, a "sign" of some sort, or a "black/white board" (the latter translating to "schoolbord" at school or just "white board" in the office).

Examples:
- "Neemt u mij niet kwalijk; dat verkeersbord heb ik niet gezien!"
(<to a police officer:>"I beg your pardon; I did not see that traffic sign!")

- "De dichtheid van verkeersborden in Nederland is zeer hoog."
("The density of traffic signs in the Netherlands is very high.")

- "Dit verkeersbord vind ik echt extreem onduidelijk!"
("I find this traffic sign really extremely unclear!")

- "Als de stoplichten buiten werking zijn, moet je goed op de verkeersborden letten."
("When traffic lights are out of order, one has to pay good attention to the traffic signs.")

- "Verkeersbord? Welk verkeersbord??"
("Traffic sign? What traffic sign??")

Related words:
- "Stoplicht": traffic light.
- "Voorrang": right of way.

Extra:
In the Netherlands traffic coming from the right has right of way. This is implicit unless otherwise indicated. The fact that you have to give way can be indicated by the common "upside down triangle" sign or by certain marks on the road. These marks are the same upside down triangles, facing you as you look down on the road. In Dutch these are called "haaientanden" ("shark teeth"). To be on the safe side the Dutch authorities usually include the "haaientanden" in addition to the traffic sign.

128. Zebrapad

zebra/pedestrian crossing [noun] [het <zebra><pad>, de zebrapaden]

"Zebrapad" literally translates to "zebra path", but is often abbreviated to "zebra". This is the place where you are supposed to cross the roads in the Netherlands. However, jaywalking is common practice. Unless you ignore a red light, the police will not bother with you.
Also, drivers are supposed to give way to you when you are waiting at a "zebra" and "have the intention" to cross the road. Nowadays, it is common for pedestrians to wave a thank you at drivers as it is by no means normal anymore that they will stop for pedestrians.

Examples:
- "Voetgangers behoren de weg over te steken bij een zebrapad."
("Pedestrians are required to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing.")

- "Automobilisten moeten voorrang verlenen aan voetgangers als deze de intentie hebben het zebrapad te betreden."
("Drivers have to give way to pedestrians when these intend to set foot onto the zebra crossing." Literally: "... when these have the intention to ...")

Related words:
- "Voetganger": pedestrian.
- "Voetgangersoversteekplaats": crossing(-place), pedestrian crossing (literally: place for pedestrians to cross).

39. Oprotten

to piss/sod/bugger off [verb] [rotte op, opgerot] ['op-ro-tun']

(Literally: "to rot off/away".)

This verb is mainly used in its command form (imperative). In Dutch you create the imperative by removing -en from the verb. However, you can also use the infinitive as a command form, see 'Examples'.

In the case of "oprotten" and similar verbs, one can also use the past participle. Maybe this is to express the wish that the person you address has already buggered off!

"Oprotten" is one of those verbs that you have to break up when conjugating.

Examples:
1. "Rot op!": sod off!
2. <infinitive> "Oprotten!" : sod off!
3. <past participle> "Opgerot!" : sod off!

Expression:
"Dat kan me niks rotten!"
<rude:> "I don't care / I don't give a damn!" (Literally: "That can rot nothing to me!")

Related word:
A less rude way of saying "oprotten" is "opkrassen" ("to scratch off/away").

27. Bestek

cutlery [noun] [het bestek; 'bu-stek']

Examples of "bestek":
1. "Mes": knife.
2. "Vork": fork.
3. "Lepel": spoon.
4. "Theelepel(tje)": tea spoon.
5. "Dessertlepel": dessert spoon.
6. "Bij elke gang hoort nieuw bestek."
("Each course requires new cutlery." Also see 19. Gang.)

"Bestek" is also used to indicate a period of time (with reference):

Examples:
1. "Binnen dit tijdsbestek is het niet mogelijk."
("Within this timeframe it is not possible.")

2. "Binnen het bestek van 3 jaar wordt het project afgerond."
("In the space of 3 years the project will be finished.")

26. Fluitje

little whistle [noun, diminutive] [het fluitje, de fluitjes]

Although the word "fluitje" literally translates to "little whistle", it is also used to denote a certain type of beer glass. The shape of the glass is a slender, slightly curved cylinder with a volume of 0.2 liter. In the south of the Netherlands bars tend to use a "fluitje" as the standard beer glass, but in the "Randstad" (see 'Extra' below) it is more common to serve a bigger type of beer glass, see 'Related words'.

Examples:
1. "Toen de spits werd getackled, blies de scheids onmiddellijk op zijn fluitje."
("When the forward (soccer player) was tackled, the referee immediately blew his (little) whistle.")

2. <in a bar> "Vier fluitjes alsjeblieft!"
("Four fluitjes please!")

3. "Hoe ging je wiskunde examen? Man, het was een fluitje van een cent!"
("How did your math exam go? Man, it was a piece of cake!"
Literally: it was a cent's little whistle!" Also see "DWOTD (22): Ei" for an equivalent expression.)

Related words:
1. "Vaasje": literally "little vase", but more commonly used to denote another type of beer glass, larger than a "fluitje". Also known as "een randje" (a little edge, because it usually has a thin golden line on the top edge), or "een Amsterdammertje" ("a little man from Amsterdam").

Warning: there is a bit of a vendetta between Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Hence, never order an "Amsterdammertje" in Rotterdam, but always order a "vaasje".

2. "Pul": tankard, mug.

Extra:
1. Randstad: the agglomeration in the west of the Netherlands at the 'edge' ('rand') of the country. It consists of the four largest cities, and the surrounding areas.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randstad.

2. About the head of foam with which beer in The Netherlands is always served:
The head of foam should be two fingers high. The consumption time of one glass is determined by an adequate balance between the shrinkage of the foam and the remaining fluid.

When the foam has disappeared completely before the glass is empty, and the beer is already getting luke, it is said that the beer is "doodgeslagen" (deadbeat). The risk of a deadbeat beer is higher when the volume of the beer glass increases. For this reason beer connaisseurs often consider drinking from "fluitjes" more tasteful than drinking from "vaasjes". One who is only preoccupied with the mere consumption of volume, obviously goes for the "vaasje".

23. IJsbeer

polar bear [noun] [de ijsbeer, de ijsberen]

Literally this word translates to 'ice bear' and that's why you might hear a Dutch person use this word mistakenly.

The word 'ijs' is also used for 'ice cream'. An ice lolly (popsicle), or a single cone of ice cream, is called an 'ijsje' (diminutive).

It is common in the Dutch language to create a verb from a noun by adding 'en'. In this case, the verb is 'ijsberen'. 'Ijsberen' is the activity of pacing up and down the room, aimlessly and lost in thought. This verb is derived from the behaviour of polar bears in captivity.

Examples:
1. "De professor ijsbeerde door de kamer."
("The professor paced up and down the room.")

2. "Ik hou van walnootijs."
("I like walnut ice cream.)

3. <At McDonald's> "Een sundae-ijsje alstublieft!"
("One sundae ice cream please!")

20. Dubbeltje

10 (guilder) cents coin [noun, diminutive] [het dubbeltje, de dubbeltjes]

In Dutch 'dubbel' means 'double'. The diminutive 'dubbeltje' translates to something like 'small double' which of course does not make a whole lot of sense.

The word 'dubbeltje' was the name of the small 10 cents coin that we had during the era of the Dutch guilder (an era deeply missed by many of us ;-) ).
It is 'dubbel' the 5 cents coin, and it is a tiny coin. Hence: dubbeltje.

After the introduction of the euro, some Dutch people have started to call the 10 Euro cents coin a 'dubbeltje'. But this is obviously wrong and a sad attempt to make up for lost times.

A few sayings with 'dubbeltje':
1. "Zo zie je maar weer hoe een dubbeltje rollen kan."

Translates to something like: "Once more you see/realize how a dubbeltje can roll."

This saying is to describe the role of fate/chance in events.

2. "Voor een dubbeltje op de eerste rij willen zitten."
("To want to be in the first row (of a theatre) for a 'dubbeltje' ".)

This means that you want to get the best without spending money, or putting any effort in it.

Example: "Hij wil voor een dubbeltje op de eerste rij zitten."

Did you know:

The CD was invented by a Dutchman at the Philips research labs here in the Netherlands. As part of the final design he had to decide on the diameter of the hole in the middle of the CD. Since he didn't know what to choose, he took a dubbeltje out of his wallet and decided it would be a perfect choice. If you ever find a dubbeltje: it is funny to see how it is a 'perfect fit'.
Read Kees Imminks story on the Compact Disc:
www.exp-math.uni-essen.de/~immink/pdf/cdstory.pdf