Op deze pagina kun je ruim 3000 Engelse uitdrukkingen, spreekwoorden en gezegden opzoeken, met een verklaring in het Nederlands. Het zijn de uitdrukkingen die worden gebruikt door Engelse en Amerikaanse jongeren. Zoekopdrachten die geen resultaat opleveren worden opgeslagen, zodat we ons bestand kunnen aanvullen.
Pas overigens op met het gebruik van spreekwoorden. Het is goed om ze te kennen, maar als je ze te veel gebruikt klink je net als je oma. Ook trendy uitdrukkingen kunnen link zijn: wat vandaag ziek is, is morgen sneu.
velvet glove
fluwelen handschoen
a person who appears gentle, but is determined and inflexible underneath
vent your spleen
jezelf uiten
if someone vents their spleen, they release all their anger about something
vicious circle
vicieuze cirkel
a vicious circle is a sequence of events that make each other worse
virgin territory
onontgonnen gebied
if something is virgin territory, it hasn't been explored before
vote down
wegstemmen
the new government bill was voted down in parliament
vote for
stemmen op
vote for clever dick as our new prime minister!
vote into
iemand ergens in stemmen
she was voted into the local council for the second time running
vote out of
iemand wegstemmen
he was voted out of the local council after the sex scandal
wait for
wachten op (uk)
he's waiting for a friend
wait on
wachten op (usa)
he's waiting on a friend
wait on
bedienen
they have two waiters waiting on each table
wait up
opblijven
don't wait up, I'll be home late tonight
waiting in the wings
in de coulissen klaar staan
be in the background, but nearby, ready to act on short notice
wake up and smell the coffee
wakker worden
when someone doesn't realise what is really happening, you tell them to wake up and smell the coffee
walk a fine line
op je tenen lopen
if you have to walk a fine line, you have to be very careful not to anger people
walk a mile in my shoes
in andermans schoenen staan
you should try to understand someone before criticizing them
walk a tightrope
op je tenen lopen
you have to be very careful not to anger people who could become enemies
walk in the park
een eitje
an undertaking that is easy is a walk in the park the opposite is also true - 'no walk in the park'
walk on eggshells
op eieren lopen
you have to be very careful because they get angry or offended very easily
walk the green mile
op het onvermijdelijke afstevenen
someone or something that is walking the green mile is heading towards the inevitable
walk the plank
zijn ondergang tegemoet
if someone walks the plank, they are going toward their own destruction or downfall
walking on air
met je hoofd in de wolken lopen
if you are walking on air, you are so happy that you feel as if you could float
wallflower
excuustruus
a woman given an unimportant position so that government can pretend it takes women seriously
war chest
oorlogskas
a war chest is a fund that can be used to finance a campaign
war of words
woordenstrijd
a war of words is a bitter argument between people or organisations
warm the cockles of your heart
je hart goed doen
if something warms the cockles of your heart, it makes you feel happy
warpath
oorlogspad
be very angry about something and do anything to get things sorted
warts and all
met alle fouten van iemand
if you like someone warts and all, you like them with all their faults
wash away
wegspoelen
the stall on the beach was washed away in the storm last night
wash down
wegspoelen
I washed the antibiotics down with a glass of water