zich uit de voeten maken
Meaning: to flee or scram hastily.
Language: Dutch
Literally: to make oneself away with the feet
Example: “Toen de buurman naar buiten kwam, maakten de kinderen zich snel uit de voeten.” — When the neighbor came out, the children quickly made themselves scarce.
English equivalent: To make oneself scarce
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: Origin uncertain; the phrase pictures using one's feet to escape quickly from a situation.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: mandarse a mudar — literally: to order oneself to move
- English: make oneself scarce
More idioms — Body & Senses
- met de nek aankijken — to regard someone with scorn or disdain; to look down on.
- voor dovemansoren — Said or done in vain; unheeded by those it is meant for.
- iets in je oren knopen — To make someone pay close attention to what you are saying, implying they should remember…
- de nek omdraaien — To kill or destroy someone or something, or to bring an end to a project or endeavor.
- niet op zijn mond gevallen zijn — To be outspoken and forthright; to speak one's mind without hesitation.
- tussen neus en lippen door — To say something in passing or casually, without emphasis or drawing attention to it.
More Dutch idioms
- van de oude stempel — old-fashioned or adhering to outdated styles and ways of thinking.
- er met een jantje-van-leiden van afmaken — to perform a task carelessly, half-heartedly, or in a slipshod manner.
- bij de duivel te biecht gaan — to seek counsel or confide in someone who is untrustworthy, dangerous, or morally corrupt.
- hout snijden — to be convincing or logically sound; to hold up under scrutiny.
- water bij de wijn doen — to compromise or make a concession in a dispute or negotiation.
- de teerling is geworpen — an irrevocable decision has been made; the course of action is now set in motion.