Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Scheiding

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separation, divorce, parting  Iconspeaker_3
Parting_hair
[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].Divorce
– 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].

Prullenbak

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waste-paper basket, (office) bin Iconspeaker_3 Prullenbak
[noun]

[de prul-len-bak, de prul-len-bak-ken]

A "prullenbak" is a waste-paper basket. A "prullenbak" is not to be confused with its bigger brother: a "vuilnisbak" (waste container). A "prullenbak" is for "prullen" (small pieces of trash, scraps, paper, etc.). A "vuilnisbak" is meant for "vuilnis": general garbage, usually bigger/dirtier than just "prullen"…

You may often see the synonymous "prullenmand". "Mand" literally translate to basket, where "bak" literally translate to "container/cask".

Examples:
– "Kun je het snoeppapiertje in de prullenbak gooien, alsjeblieft?" 
("Can you throw the candy wrapper in the waste-paper basket, please?")

– "Onder mijn bureau staat een mooie roestvrijstalen prullenbak." 
("Under my desk, I have a nice stainless steel office bin." Lit.: Under my desk stands a…")

– "Wie heeft er batterijen in de prullenbak gegooid?! Jij, Marc? – "Ben je betoeterd?! Batterijen breng ik altijd naar de blauwe recycle bak in de supermarkt!" 
("Who has thrown batteries in the waste-paper basket?! You, Marc? – "Have you gone out of your mind?! I always take empty batteries to the blue recycle container in the supermarket!")

Related words:
– Prul: scrap, rag, piece of trash [noun] [de prul, de prullen].
– Mand: basket [noun] [de mand, de manden].

Example:
– "Liefie, waar staat onze picknickmand? Het is zulk mooi weer…"
("Sweetie, where’s our picnic basket? It’s such beautiful weather…")

– Bak: container, cask [noun] [de bak,de bakken].
– Papierversnipperaar: (paper) shredder [noun] [de papierversnipperaar, de papierversnipperaars].
– Vuilnis: garbage [noun] [het/de vuilnis, <no plural>].
– Troep: mess, rubbish, junk [noun] [de troep, <no plural>].

Dat is geen zuivere koffie

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that’s not to be trusted, that’s suspicious Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

You probably all know the Dutch way to order a café latte ("koffie verkeerd"; lit.: "wrong coffee") and that’s not the only Dutch expression in which coffee plays a big role. "Dat is geen zuivere koffie" literally means: "that’s no pure coffee". Its meaning points to a fishy situation or business. "Zuiver" can be translated as "clean" and "pure", used in both literal and figurative meanings. The related weak regular verb "zuiveren" can be used in its literal sense ("to purify") and in a figurative sense, e.g. "to exonerate oneself" ("zich van alle blaam zuiveren").Koffie

Examples:
– "Mijn werkloze buurman heeft gisteren een Maserati gekocht.. Dat is geen zuivere koffie." 
("My unemployed neighbour has bought a Maserati yesterday.. That’s suspicious.")

– "Op marktplaats.nl worden precies dezelfde jassen te koop aangeboden die vorige maand in de PC Hooftstraat zijn gestolen.. Dat is geen zuivere koffie." 
("On marktplaats.nl are exactly the same jackets for sale that were stolen last month in the PC Hooftstraat.. That’s suspicious.")

– "Elke maand zit er weer een andere winkel in dat pand; dat is geen zuivere koffie." 
("Every month another store is located in that building; there’s something fishy about it.")

Expressions:
– "Op de koffie komen": 1. to drop by for coffee (lit.); 2. to be faced with the consequences of one’s actions (fig.).

Example:
– "Het lijkt alsof ze zomaar wegkomt met al haar leugens, maar ze komt nog wel op de koffie."
("It seems like she gets away with all her lies, but she’ll be faced with the consequences.")

– "Dat is andere koffie": that’s something else (Lit.: "that’s other coffee").

Example:
– "De eerste voorstelling viel een beetje tegen maar dit is andere koffie!"
("The first performance was a bit disappointing, but this is something else!")

– "Koffie verkeerd": café latte, coffee with a lot of milk (lit.: "wrong coffee").

Related words:
– Zuiver: 1. clean; 2. pure [adjective/adverb].
– Zuiveren: to purify [verb] [zuiverde, heeft gezuiverd].
– Thee: tea [noun] [de thee, de theeën].

Lariekoek

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nonsense, bollocks Iconspeaker_3 No_bullshit
[noun]
[de la-rie-koek, <no plural>]

"Lariekoek" is synonymous to "onzin", although it is slightly more informal and a bit slang. Even more informal and a bit vulgar is the synonymous "gelul", which translates to "bullsh*t.

Sometimes you may see the short version: "larie": bull.

Examples:
– "Ik snap niet waarom ik weer 5 kilo meer weeg…" – "Lariekoek! Van lucht word je niet dik!"
("I don’t understand why I’ve gained another 10 pounds…" – "Bollocks! Air doesn’t make you fat!")

– "Gisteren weer een debat in de Tweede Kamer over integratie…ik heb nog nooit zo veel larie gehoord." 
("Another debate in the House of Representatives about integration…I’ve never heard so much bull.")

– "Van boos kijken krijg je rimpels." – "Lariekoek."
("Putting on an angry face causes wrinkles." – "Nonsense." Lit.: "From looking angry, you’ll get wrinkles.")

Expressions:
– "Gelul in de ruimte": Loose talk, nonsense.

Related words:
– Koek: cake [noun] [de koek, de koeken].
– Onzin: nonsense [noun] [de onzin, <no plural>].
– Flauwekul: nonsens [noun] [de faluwekul, <no plural>].
– Gelul: bullsh*t [noun] [het gelul, <no plural>].
– Geouwehoer: rubbish, (load of) crap, bullsh*t [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." – "Bullsh*t!")

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

– Kletspraat: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletspraat, <no plural>].
– Kletsen: to chat [verb] [kletsen, kletste, gekletst].

Extra:
Apparently, "lariekoek" is also some kind of cake :-). You can find the recipe (in Dutch) here.

Veer

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1. feather Iconspeaker_3 Veer
[noun]
[de veer, de ve-ren]

Don’t you just love those Dutch homonyms? 😉 Here’s one with (at least) three different meanings: 1. feather, 2. spring and 3. ferry…

Examples:
– "Het kussen is gevuld met ganzenveren." 
("The pillow is filled with goose feathers.")

– "Een pauw heeft prachtige veren." 
("A peacock has beautiful feathers.")

– "De kleur van de veren van een mannetjesvogel verschillen vaak van de vrouwtjesvogel."
("The colour of a male bird’s feathers often differ from the female bird.")

Expressions:
– "Met andermans veren pronken": to adorn oneself with (strut in) borrowed plumes.
– "Iemand een veer in zijn kont steken": to compliment someone with the intention to please.
– "Mijn gevederde vriend": my (fine) feathered friend.

Related words:
– Pluim: plume, feather [noun] [de pluim, de pluimen].

2. spring Iconspeaker_3
[noun]Veer2

[de veer, de ve-ren]

Examples:
– "Wat een slechte matras, ik kan de veren voelen…" 
("What a bad mattress, I can feel the springs…")

– "Toen Frank zelf zijn horloge probeerde te reparen, is hij een veertje kwijtgeraakt." 
("When Frank tried to fix his watch himself, he lost a little spring.")

Related words:
– Veerkrachtig: elastic, resilient [adjective].
– Veren: to be elastic, to spring [verb] [veren, veerde, heeft geveerd].

3. ferry Iconspeaker_3
[noun]Veerboot
[het veer, de ve-ren]

Mark that in this context "veer" has the neuter gender… "Het veer" can refer to the ferry location, the ferry boat or the ferry service.

Examples:
– "Het veer naar Ameland is buiten dienst." 
("The ferry to Ameland is out of service.")

– "Weet jij hoe laat het veer van Hoek van Holland naar Harwich vertrekt?" 
("Do you know when the ferry boat leaves from Hoek van Holland to Harwich?")

Related words:
– Veerboot: ferry boat [noun] [de veerboot, de veerboten].
– Veerdienst: ferry service [noun] [de veerdienst, de veerdiensten].
– Boot: boat [noun] [de boot, de boten].
– Dienst: service [noun] [de dienst, de diensten].
– Pont: ferry [noun] [de pont, de ponten].
– Pontje: little ferry (usually across a river) [noun] [het pontje, de pontjes].
– Veerman: ferryman [noun] [de veerman, de veermannen].