DutchDe koe bij de horens vatten
Meaning: To tackle a problem head-on.
Literally: To take the cow by the horns
Example: “Ze vatte de koe bij de horens en belde de verhuurder zelf.” — She took the bull by the horns and called the landlord herself.
English equivalent: To take the bull by the horns
Origin: From catching a cow that is leaping about wildly, as Stoett explains: the only way to get it under control is to seize it firmly by the horns. The same phrase exists in many languages, often with the bull: French prendre le taureau par les cornes, German den Stier bei den Hörnern fassen, English "take the bull by the horns." Stoett notes that it seems to appear in Dutch only in the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: tomar el toro por los cuernos Literally: To take the bull by the horns
English: take the bull by the horns
French: Prendre le taureau par les cornes Literally: To take the bull by the horns
More Dutch idioms
- Een appeltje voor de dorst Savings put by for hard times.
- Met de mond vol tanden staan To be tongue-tied and lost for words.
- De dans ontspringen To narrowly escape trouble.
- hoe de vork in de steel zit to understand the real situation or hidden mechanics of something.
- over de brug komen to hand over money or pay what is owed.
- in het water vallen for a plan or undertaking to fail or fall through.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Twaalf ambachten, dertien ongelukken Someone who tries many trades succeeds at none.
- Haastige spoed is zelden goed Doing things in a hurry rarely turns out well.
- Zo gewonnen, zo geronnen What comes easily goes just as easily.
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