ammehoela

Dutch

Etymology

First attested in c. 1928. An alteration of ammenooitniet, itself a minced oath from aan mijn reet (“(at) my arse”), probably derived from Amanoellah, from Dari [Term?], from Arabic أَمَان الله (ʔamān allāh), referring to the Afghan king Amanullah Khan, who went on a widely reported tour of Europe in 1927-1928 and had to flee Afghanistan following an uprising in 1929. The interjection was initially accompanied by a slap on one's behind; the fact that Amanullah had been ‘booted out’ of his country may possibly have reinforced this association in the popular imagination.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ.məˈɦu.laː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: am‧me‧hoe‧la

Interjection

ammehoela

1. (Netherlands, informal, sarcastic, indicates disbelief) no way!, yeah right!, I don't think so!

   We zijn voor zonne-energie, zeggen de oliemaatschappijen. Ammehoela!

   We're in favor of solar energy, the oil companies say. Yeah right!

2. (Netherlands, informal, sarcastic, indicates refusal) not on your life!, I don't think so!, whatever!

   Ik moet om elf uur thuis zijn, maar mijn lift gaat pas om twaalf uur weg, dus ammehoela!

   I'm supposed to be home at eleven, but my ride doesn't leave until twelve o'clock, so whatever!