Nu komt de aap uit de mouw
Meaning: The truth is finally revealed.
Language: Dutch
Literally: Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve
Category: Animals
Origin: Two explanations compete, one literal and one figurative. The literal version traces to 17th-century street and market performers, who reportedly kept a small trained monkey or hand puppet concealed in a wide sleeve, ready to be suddenly produced at just the right dramatic moment to surprise and delight onlookers — the trick's big reveal giving the phrase its modern sense of a hidden truth suddenly coming to light. The Dutch linguist F.A. Stoett proposed a different, more figurative reading instead: "aap" here standing not for a literal monkey but for a person's own mischievous or unreliable character ("apen-aard"), with "houden in de mouw" meaning to conceal that true nature — so the phrase would describe someone's real, often less flattering character finally coming out into the open, monkeys, sleeves, and street performers aside.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Découvrir le pot aux roses — literally: To discover the pot of roses
- Hungarian: Kibújik a szög a zsákból — literally: The nail pokes out of the sack
More idioms — Animals
- Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy — Not my problem; I'm not getting involved.
- Gdzie raki zimują — To be in serious trouble; to learn a harsh lesson.
- ऊँट के मुँह में जीरा (Ūṅṭ ke muṅh meṅ jīrā) — A laughably tiny amount for something that needs much more.
- बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (bandar kya jaane adrak ka svaad) — An ignorant person can't appreciate something refined.
- The last straw that broke the camel's back — The final small burden that causes a total collapse.
- To have a frog in your throat — To have difficulty speaking due to hoarseness.
More Dutch idioms
- Met de deur in huis vallen — To get straight to the point without any preamble.
- Iets voor een appel en een ei kopen — To get something for next to nothing.
- De hond in de pot vinden — To arrive too late — the food, or the opportunity, is gone.
- Een appeltje met iemand te schillen hebben — To have a bone to pick with someone.
- Iets onder de knie hebben — To have mastered a skill.
- Met de neus in de boter vallen — To arrive at exactly the right, lucky moment.