Nou breekt mijn klomp

Dutchclogs

Wooden cloggs: Everyone in Holland knows what wooden cloggs (klompen) are and what they look like. Nowadays wooden cloggs are worn less than in the past. In those days almost every Dutchman had a pair of wooden cloggs and walked on them every day. It is no surprise that we can find some ‘klompen’ in our language, too:

Nou breekt mijn klomp!
nou breekt mijn klomp

(lit: now my clogg breaks!)
I am flabbergasted!

 

Dat kun je op je klompen aanvoelen

(Lit: You can feel it coming with your cloggs on)
It is only logical to expect this kind of thing

 

In the old days  there were many wooden shoe-makers, who all made their own models with their own variety of colours and decorations. This large diversity in wooden shoes from the past and also those from today, is a valuable part of the cultural heritage of the Dutch.
Museum “Gebr. Wietzes” in Eelde
, which was founded in 1990, presents a wonderful survey of this heritage.

Addertje onder het gras

Een addertje onder het gras

Heb je het contract gelezen? Er schuilt vast een addertje onder het gras
er zit een addertje onder het gras

Did you read the contract? There is probably a catch
(Lit.: There is probably a viper hiding in the grass)

This expression refers to:   Anguis in herba latet – The adder lurks in the grass
(Vergilius – Vergil’s Eclogues)

Also heard: er zit een addertje onder het gras

Dat heb ik nog nooit meegemaakt

meemaken!

Meemaken = beleven
To experience, to participate, to live through 

Dat heb ik nog nooit meegemaakt!
dat heb ik nog nooit meegemaakt

I have never experienced this before!

Nog iets beleefd vandaag?
iets beleefd

(Lit) Did anything interesting happen to you today?
(meaning:) How was your day?

Ik heb de oorlog niet meegemaakt.

I was born after WW II

Ze heeft veel meegemaakt in haar leven.

She has suffered a lot in her life