to wake/get up on the wrong side of the bed
[Dutch phrase of the week]
The English expression differs slightly in Dutch: it literally translates to "to get out of bed with the wrong leg". It is used when a person is feeling grumpy, irritable or when someone gets easily annoyed.
Examples:
– "Is Frank met het verkeerde been uit bed gestapt?" – "Nee, hij is altijd zo chagrijnig…"
("Did Frank wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" – "No, he’s always grumpy like that…")
– "Ik ben vanochtend met het verkeerde been uit bed gestapt, denk ik." – "Zeg dat wel, je loopt de hele dag te mopperen."
("I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, I think." – "You can say that again, you’ve grumbled all day long.")
– "Zijn gedrag maakt me boos!" – "Kom op, je bent gewoon met het verkeerde been uit bed gestapt."
("His behaviour makes me angry!" – "Come on, you just got up on the wrong side of the bed.")
Expressions:
– "Een kort lontje hebben": to be short-tempered.
Example:
– "De mensen hebben tegenwoordig zo’n kort lontje…ongelofelijk."
("People are so short-tempered nowadays…incredible.")
Related words:
– Been: leg [noun] [been, benen/beenderen].
– Verkeerd: wrong [adjective/adverb].
Example:
– "Als je medelijden zoekt, ben je bij mij aan het verkeerde adres."
("If you’re looking for compassion, you’re at the wrong address.")
– Bed: bed [noun] [het bed, de bedden].
– Stappen: to step [verb] [stappen, stapte, h. gestapt].
The English version that I have always known is “to get out of the wrong side of the bed”, subtly different.
By the way, ‘een kort lontje hebben’ also translates directly into English as ‘to have a short fuse’, meaning exactly the same. Naturally I assume that the English version comes from the Dutch here, as per usual…
More great work from you fellows. Keep it up, you’re appreciated!