With windmills as one of the main icons of Holland, sayings about this main source of energy couldn’t be left out. Below some of the most famous sayings that all have to do with wind, with their literal translation and with what it really means. Laughing is allowed!
Dat legt geen windeieren: That doesn’t lay wind eggs
Meaning: a business that is not lucrative
Goede raad de wind inslaan: Slap advice in the wind
Meaning: Ignore good advice
De wind uit de zeilen nemen: Take the wind out of one sail’s.
Meaning: To have the defense ready before the attack has started
Hoge bomen vangen veel wind: High trees catch lot of wind
Meaning: Important people get a lot of criticism
De wind eronder hebben: To have the wind below it
Meaning: To have control
De wind waait uit een heel andere hoek: The wind blows from another corner
Meaning: The situation changed
Ik kan niet van de wind leven: I can’t live off the wind
Meaning: I can’t work for free
Tegen de wind inplassen: Pie in the wrong wind direction
Meaning: Doing work that does harm or doesn’t make sense
De wind in de rug hebben: To have the wind in the back
Meaning: When things are going great
De wind van voren krijgen: To get the wind upfront
Meaning: To tell someone firmly the truth
Door weer en wind gaan: going through weather and wind
Meaning: Proud battle through tough weather
2 Comments
I did indeed laugh, and your translation of these Dutch “gezegdes” is amazing. Mijn complimenten. You know so well how to explain them to English. I learned from it
Yes, very great interpretations. Don’t overdo it, though – a pie in the wind is not nearly the same as to pee against the wind. In another language, to pee against the wind means to go against the opinions of the majority. Has it got anything like that in Dutch?