IdiomDaily Life
Dutch
Dutchbuiten de boot vallen
Meaning: To be left out or excluded from a group or activity.
Literally: To fall outside the boat
Example: “Door de nieuwe regels vallen zzp'ers buiten de boot.” — The new rules leave freelancers out in the cold.
English equivalent: To leave someone out in the cold
Equivalents in other languages
English: leave someone out in the cold
Origin: Falling out of the boat is being left behind in the water while the others sail on: missing out, or being left out. The phrase is modern Dutch, and no particular story or first use is documented.
More Dutch idioms
- in de wind slaan To deliberately ignore or disregard something.
- niet veel soeps Unimpressive or mediocre; not worth much.
- in de kiem smoren To nip something in the bud; to stop a problem before it grows.
- voet bij stuk houden To stand firm and refuse to give in to pressure or threats.
- een bittere pil something unpleasant or difficult that one must accept.
- op zijn bord krijgen to be assigned a task or burden.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Espèce de patate You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.
- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.
- Peau de vache A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.
Keep exploring