1. to pick up the pieces, to sort things out, cleaning up the mess
[verb]
[puin-rui-men, ruim-de puin, puin-ge-ruimd]

The literal translation of "puinruimen" is covered in 2. below. So as long as you are not talking to a construction worker, you can stick to this translation 🙂

Note that "puinruimen" usually implies the negative side of "sorting things out".

Examples:
– "Hoe was je eerste dag na de vakantie?" – "Ach je weet wel, e-mail lezen en puinruimen." 
("How was your first day after the holidays?" – "Oh you know, reading e-mails, picking up the pieces…")

– "Na een relatie van 15 jaar waarin zij zichzelf volledig heeft weggecijferd, is het nu een kwestie van puinruimen." 
("After a relationship of 15 years in which she completely effaced herself, it is now a matter of picking up the pieces.")

– "Ik heb het project overgenomen van Frank. Nou, ik denk dat ik de eerste maand voornamelijk aan het puinruimen ben!" 
("I took over a project from Frank. My, I think that the first month I’ll be mostly cleaning up the mess!")

Related words:
– Puin: debris, rubble, mess [noun] [het puin, <no plural>].
– Ruimen: to clear out [verb] [ruimde, geruimd].
– Puinhoop: pile/heap of rubble/debris [noun] [de hoop, de hopen]. This is also used figuratively.
– Puinzooi: a real mess [noun] [de puinzooi, <no plural>]. Note that "zooi" already translates to "mess/rubbish" so "puinzooi" is really bad 🙂

2. clear up the debris/rubble
[verb]
[puin-rui-men, ruim-de puin, puin-ge-ruimd]

This is what construction workers do, or whoever you find willing.

Examples:
– "Je kunt daar niet met de auto langs; ze zijn aan het puinruimen." 
("You can’t pass there with your car; they are clearing debris.")

– "Ruimen ze puin, of zijn ze aan het puinruimen?" – "Huh, is dat niet hetzelfde dan?" 
("Do they clear debris, or are they clearing debris? – "Huh, isn’t that the same?" There is a difference similar to the difference in English. The "aan + het + infinitive" is typically used for an activity that continues for some time. )

balaclava
[noun]

[de bi-vak-muts, de bi-vak-mut-sen]

"Bivakmuts" is composed of "bivak" and "muts". The latter translates to hat, and a "bivak" is a bivouac: a (night) camp for soldiers in the open air.

In the Netherlands, "bivakmutsen" are not only worn by soldiers, but also by (small) children when it’s very cold outside, and robbers of shops, banks and gas stations, to conceal their identity 😉

Examples:
– "Sommige protestanten droegen bivakmutsen. De politie heeft hard tegen ze opgetreden." 
("Some of the protesters wore balaclavas. The police have acted with force against them.")

– "Overvallers dragen bivakmutsen, zodat ze niet kunnen worden opgespoord." 
("Robbers wear balaclavas, so that they cannot be traced.")

– "Vroeger, als het winter was, droeg ik altijd een bivakmuts als ik buiten speelde." 
("Back then, during winter, I always wore a balaclava when I played outside.")

Expressions:
– "Goed gemutst": in a good mood (lit.: well hooded).
– "Slecht gemutst": in a bad mood (lit.: badly hooded).

Example:
– "Frank is ‘s morgens altijd chagrijnig en slecht gemutst."
("In the moring, Frank is always cranky and in a bad mood.")

Related words:
– Muts: hat [noun] [de muts, de mutsen].
– Handschoen: glove [noun] [de handschoen, de handschoenen].

Example:
– "Lieverd, doe je je handschoenen aan als je naar buiten gaat?" – "Mam, je bent veel te bezorgd, ik ben geen kind meer!"
("Sweetie, will you put on your gloves when you go outside?" – "Mum, you worry too much, I’m not a child any more!")

– Sjaal: scarf [noun] [de sjaal, de sjaals].

likely candidate
[noun]
[de kans-heb-ber, de kans-heb-bers]

Literally a "kanshebber" is a "chance haver": someone who has a chance at winning or gaining something. This may vary from money, a prize, a position or job, etc.

In a sentence you use the idiom "kanshebber zijn voor/op": to be a likely candidate for. (Note that the indefinite article "een" can be left out in Dutch.)

If you’re in the running for something, you can use the idiom "kans maken op" (lit.: to make chance at).

Examples:
– "De premier van Nederland was tot het laatste moment kanshebber voor de positie van Europees president." 
("The Dutch prime minister was a likely candidate for the position of European president until the last moment.")

– "De kanshebbers op deze prachtige prijs zijn: Monica, Frank en Daniel!" 
("In the running for this beautiful prize are: Monica, Frank en Daniel!" Lit.: "The likely candidates for this beautiful prize…")

– "De jury heeft de kandidaten beoordeeld, en er zijn nog twee kanshebbers over." 
("The jury has assessed the candidates, and there are still two people in the running.")

Expressions:
– "Nieuwe ronde nieuwe kansen": (lit.: new round new chances) better luck next time.

Related words:
– Kans: chance, opportunity [noun] [de kans, de kansen].
– Kansloos: hopeless, desperate, without chance [adjective].

Example:
– "Frank komt altijd te laat op afspraken, hij is echt kansloos." 
("Frank’s always late for appointments, he’s really hopeless.") 

– Gelegenheid: opportunity [noun] [de gelegenheid, de gelegenheden].

Example:
– "Ik heb nog geen gelegenheid gehad om de fout op te sporen." 
("I haven’t had the opportunity yet to track down the bug.")