IdiomBody & Senses
Dutch
Dutchop eigen benen staan
Meaning: To be independent and self-sufficient; to support oneself without relying on others.
Literally: To stand on one’s own legs
Example: “Na de studie wilde ze snel op eigen benen staan.” — After college she wanted to stand on her own two feet quickly.
English equivalent: To stand on one's own two feet
Equivalents in other languages
English: stand on one's own two feet
Origin: Standing on one's own legs, without leaning on anyone, is being independent. The phrase is ordinary Dutch, like English "to stand on one's own two feet" and German auf eigenen Beinen stehen, and has no particular story behind it.
More Dutch idioms
- een tandje bijsteken To intensify one's effort or increase the pace of activity; to move up a gear.
- van lotje getikt To be crazy or eccentric; to be not quite sane.
- buiten de boot vallen To be left out or excluded from a group or activity.
- ga toch fietsen A rude dismissal telling someone to go away.
- in de wind slaan To deliberately ignore or disregard something.
- niet veel soeps Unimpressive or mediocre; not worth much.
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