De kat krabt de krullen van de trap.

Meaning: A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.

Literally: The cat scratches the curls off the stairs.

Origin: One of the Netherlands' most-quoted tongue twisters.

More Dutch tongue twisters

Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets. Turns on the gap between the Dutch 'oe' and 'o', with a run of 'ts' and 'p' stops layered…
Wij smachten naar achtentachtig prachtige nachten. Five words carrying the Dutch guttural 'cht', the sound foreigners find hardest to produc…
Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.

Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.

Als het kalf verdronken is, dempt men de put People take precautions only after the disaster.
Het zijn niet allen koks die lange messen dragen Looking the part doesn't make you an expert.
Gedane zaken nemen geen keer What is done cannot be undone.

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