IdiomDaily Life
Dutch
Dutchgaten schieten in
Meaning: To criticize someone or something harshly by pointing out flaws or contradictions.
Literally: To shoot holes in
Example: “De advocaat schoot gaten in het verhaal van de getuige.” — The lawyer picked holes in the witness's story.
English equivalent: To pick holes in
Equivalents in other languages
Portuguese: botar defeito Literally: To place a defect
French: Chercher la petite bête Literally: To look for the little beast
English: pick holes in
Origin: Shooting holes in an argument is riddling it until it no longer stands, the same picture as English "to shoot holes in." The Dutch phrase is modern and may be a loan from English; no first use is documented.
More Dutch idioms
- niet op zijn mond gevallen zijn To be outspoken and forthright; to speak one's mind without hesitation.
- tussen neus en lippen door To say something in passing or casually, without emphasis or drawing attention to it.
- op eigen benen staan To be independent and self-sufficient; to support oneself without relying on others.
- van lotje getikt To be crazy or eccentric; to be not quite sane.
- in de wind slaan To deliberately ignore or disregard something.
- niet veel soeps Unimpressive or mediocre; not worth much.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
Keep exploring