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)).

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].

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].