balen als een stekker
Dutch
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally, “to be annoyed (etc.) like a (power) plug”. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]- (intransitive, simile, chiefly Netherlands) to be extremely annoyed, frustrated or fed up [with van ‘with’]
Usage notes
[edit]- Compared to bare balen, use of prepositional phrases introduced by van is considerably less common for the simile balen als een stekker, although this usage is not uncommon either.
- In the Netherlands, the term may be used freely in all contexts, though it may be considered a little informal. In Belgium, unmarked usage is limited to sports, in particular football.
Conjugation
[edit]Conjugation of balen als een stekker: see balen.