Photo: Hilde Peeters en Luc Buelens. Meaning: living beyond one’s means, living lavishly. Origin: A saying coming from France that says oversized shoes meant particularly high prestige.
To stand on a good foot with someone.
Photo: pietersgilde.nl. Meaning: friendly intercourse, being able to get a lot done from someone.
To kill two flies with one swat.
Image: Peter van Geest – AI. Meaning: achieve two things at once with one action.
To sail under a false flag.
Photo: nostalgicamerica. Meaning: pretending to be different from what one is, conducting untrue identity.
To adorn oneself with other people’s feathers.
Image: Peter van Geest – AI . Meaning: To gain honour from the work of another. Origin: Reportedly, particularly brave Indians were allowed to wear a feather headdress made especially for them.
To laugh into one’s little fist.
Image: Peter van Geest – AI . Meaning: malicious gloating. Origin: The hand held figuratively in front of the face is meant to hide overt mockery.
Red thread.
Photo: M W. Meaning: A trace, a path or even a guideline. A red thread can also be a recurring motif. Something runs through something like a red thread. Origin: The phrase was adopted into everyday language from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Elective Affinities”: “We hear of a special arrangement in the English navy. All the ropes of the royal fleet, from the strongest to the weakest, are spun in such a way that a red thread runs through the whole thing, which cannot be unwound without unravelling everything, and by which even the smallest pieces can be recognized as belonging to the crown.” (Part 2, Chapter 2) “Similarly, a thread of affection and attachment runs through Ottilie’s diary, connecting everything and describing the whole.” (Part 2, Chapter 4) The continuous red thread in the ropes is compared here with the recurring motif in Ottilie’s diary.
To lose the thread.
Photo: Peter van Geest – AI. Meaning: Getting confused while speaking or trying to explain something. Origin: This saying probably has its origins in Greek mythology. With the help of the thread Ariadne gave him, Theseus found his way out of the labyrinth of Daedalus, where he had just defeated the Minotaur. If Theseus had lost the thread, he would not have known what to do next. However, it is more likely to come from the language of weavers, where a lost thread meant, among other things, loss of time until the thread could be picked up again.
To create a donkey bridge for oneself.
Photo: gezondergenieten. Meaning: A tool for memorising or memorising something easily. Translation of Latin pons asinorum. Origin: Donkeys are very afraid of water and stubbornly refuse to wade through even the smallest watercourses, even if they could easily handle it physically (“stubborn donkey”), because a donkey cannot see how deep the stream is because of the reflective water surface. Therefore, small bridges were built for them at ford sites, known as “donkey bridges”. Analogously, a proverbial donkey bridge is a diversion or special effort that nevertheless leads faster – if at all – to the destination. Moreover, donkeys will not cross every bridge because they only put their hooves on ground that seems perfectly safe to them. They only cross bridges that offer them safety. So the “donkey bridge” also stands for safety.
Until the bitter end.
Photo: michitogo. Meaning: Persevering with something, even at the risk of failing.
Luring someone out of their tent.
Photo: Liza Johnson. Meaning: getting someone to speak their mind, provoke.
Eating with long teeth.
Photo: taal-nl. Meaning: eating reluctantly.
Walking on eggs.
Image: Peter van Geest – AI. Meaning: overly cautious action in a delicate situation, vulnerability.
Crows and pigeons never fly together.
Photo by unknown. Meaning: Like seeks like.
He will still dream of the bear.
Photo by John F.Meaning: He will sometimes think back on his actions and then regret it.
Other people are people too.
Photo by Gerd Altmann
He will dream of the goat.
Photo by Maxime Agnelli. Meaning: He will get a proper reprimand.
To get something in the wrong throat.
Photo by Luz Fuertes. Meaning: To misunderstand something in a negative way resulting in unjustified anger against someone else
Where there is sunshine, the doctor starves.
Photo by isnca.org
It is a bread-eating prophet.
Photo by Kate Remmer. Meaning: Someone who makes worthless predictions. Taken from Amaziah’s snideness to the prophet Amos. “After that Amaziah said to Amos: ‘Visionary, get out and go to the land of Judah. Earn your living ( eat your bread ) there and go prophesy there.” (Amos 7:12)
To not be able to take a hint.
Photo by Chien Nguyen Minh. Meaning: To not be able to take a hint. ( Literally Having a plate in front of the head )
Dreams don’t come true.
Photo by Yohann LC
The man of your dreams.
Photo by Alexander Hipp. Meaning: The ideal husband.
Door Peter
Mensenmens, zoon, echtgenoot, vader, opa.
Spiritueel, echter niet religieus.
Ik hou van golf, wandelen, lezen en de natuur in veel opzichten.
Onderzoeker, nieuwsgierig, geen fan van de mainstream media (MSM).
