IdiomDaily Life
Dutch
Dutchhout snijden
Meaning: to be convincing or logically sound; to hold up under scrutiny.
Literally: To cut wood
Example: “Zijn excuus snijdt geen hout: de trein reed gewoon.” — His excuse doesn't hold water: the train was running.
English equivalent: To hold water
Equivalents in other languages
English: hold water
Origin: Said first of a saw, as Stoett explains: a good saw bites into the wood, a bad one does not. A 16th-century proverb collection already calls a feeble argument een saeghe die ghien holdt en snidt (a saw that cuts no wood). Today the phrase is mostly used in the negative: dat snijdt geen hout, that doesn't hold up.
More Dutch idioms
- water bij de wijn doen to compromise or make a concession in a dispute or negotiation.
- alleen de rozijnen uitpikken to select only the best or most desirable items while ignoring the rest.
- roet in het eten gooien to spoil or ruin a plan, event, or situation by introducing an unwelcome disruption.
- voor dovemansoren Said or done in vain; unheeded by those it is meant for.
- knollen voor citroenen verkopen To swindle or defraud someone by passing off something worthless as valuable.
- ergens brood in zien To view something as a viable or profitable business opportunity.
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