- Most importantly and most frequently: Worst things happen at sea. (Literal. Refers to the time we were stuck in a storm on a ferry in the North Sea for hours throwing up and wanting to die)
- J, Niet doen! (J, cut it out!)
- Niet op de kouwe grond/muur zitten. (Literal. Don't sit on the cold floor/wall. Implication: you'll get a bladder infection.)
- Och gut wat kan een mens toch moe zijn. (Rhetorical. Roughly: how is it possible to be so tired?)
- Tja, ja. Hoop doet leven, kind. (Very roughly: Well, Keep hoping for the best, child.)
- Nee heb je, ja kun je krijgen. (Very roughly: It can't hurt to ask.)
- Stel je niet aan, je bent al gek genoeg. (Classic Dutch philosophy. Very roughly: Don't be a drama queen/don't make a scene, you're funny enough as it is!)
- Eigen schuld, dikke bult. (Not translatable).
- Ik kan niet wachten om je weer in mijn armen te sluiten. (Roughly: I cannot wait to give you a hug/embrace.)
I'll be adding to this list over the next few days. Do you have any good mum and grandma sayings?
p.s. I wouldn't be surprised if my ma emails me to correct my spelling or translations! Ha!
4 comments:
Ooo, according to my grandmother, I wasn't supposed to sit on a cold floor (or damp ground) because I might get piles. Never venture forth without your mackintosh squares.
My grandmother, and now mother, always said "What's for you won't go by you." A kind of fatalist attitude to life but it sometimes is a balm for regret.
So cute, I love it. I love hearing your speak in Dutchy to your mum! You guys are beautiful! When are you leaving for Ukay?
yes, lovely j. inderdaad: Worst things happen at sea = worse things happen at sea -;)
Loving these. Especially the non-translatable one.
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