veel noten op zijn zang hebben

Meaning: To be demanding or to offer many critical comments.

Language: Dutch

Literally: to have many notes on one's song

Category: Daily Life

Origin: The phrase pictures a musical performance heavy with commentary or critique, as if someone keeps annotating a melody with objections.

More idioms — Daily Life

stoom afblazen — (Already vivid in English).
het heft in eigen handen nemen — To take control of a situation or seize the initiative.
achter slot en grendel — imprisoned or confined.
in de clinch liggen — To be in conflict or at odds with someone.
ge järnet — Exert maximum effort; give one's all.
sätta till alla klutar — To make a maximum effort or remove all restraints in pursuit of something.

voet bij stuk houden — To stand firm and refuse to give in to pressure or threats.
bittere pil — something unpleasant or difficult that one must accept.
op zijn bord krijgen — to be assigned a task or burden.
met de kippen op stok gaan — to go to bed very early, at sunset.
vuur met vuur bestrijden — to counter a harmful action using the same method or intensity.
uit de hand lopen — to become uncontrolled or chaotic.

Loading the full interactive collection…