DutchMet de gebakken peren zitten
Meaning: To be stuck with the unpleasant aftermath.
Literally: To be left with the baked pears
Example: “Mijn huisgenoot is vertrokken en ik zit met de gebakken peren: de hele huur.” — My roommate moved out and left me holding the bag: the whole rent.
English equivalent: To leave someone holding the bag
Origin: Baked or stewed pears were once a well-known treat. Onze Taal traces the phrase to a host who has cooked a lovely dish only for the guests not to turn up, leaving them sitting there with the baked pears. Harrebomée's 19th-century proverb dictionary has daar zit hij nu met zijne gebakken (of: gestoofde) peren. A story about medieval women selling baked pears in the street and being stuck with the leftovers is sometimes told, but it is not supported.
Equivalents in other languages
English: leave someone holding the bag
More Dutch idioms
- De koe bij de horens vatten To tackle a problem head-on.
- 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.
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