to be exposed as incompetent/a liar/cheater/fraud/fool, to be seen through
[Dutch phrase of the week]
Literally, "door de mand vallen" translates to "to fall through the basket". It is used in a situation where someone initially denies an accusation, but is then confronted with so many counter-arguments that he/she has to admit that the accusation is rightful. This person is then exposed as a liar, cheater, fraud or fool.
Examples:
– "Dit nieuwe kabinet zal snel door de mand vallen…" – "Wat weet jij nou van politiek?"
("This new cabinet will be exposed as incompetent…" – "Now what do you know of politics?")
– "Met dit akkefietje val je echt door de mand, ik eis een verontschuldiging!"
("With this little incident you really expose yourself as a liar, I demand an apology!")
– "Frank is vorige week behoorlijk door de mand gevallen…zijn vriendin is bij hem weggegaan nadat hij met een ander was vreemdgegaan."
("Frank was quite exposed as an adulterer last week…his girlfriend left him after he cheated on her with another woman.")
Expressions:
– "Nat gaan": to fall through. Lit.: to go wet.
Example:
– "Vorig jaar is hij behoorlijk nat gegaan met zijn bedrijf: echt een miljoenenverlies…"
("Last year, he really fell through with his company: lost really millions…" Lit.: "…a million's loss")
Related words:
– Mand: basket [noun] [de mand, de manden].
– Ontmaskeren: to unmask, to expose [verb] [ontmaskeren, ontmaskerde, h. ontmaskerd].
– Vallen: to fall [verb] [vallen, viel, gevallen].
Example:
– "Pardon meneer, u laat een munt vallen."
("Excuse me sir, you've dropped a coin."
Hi Marc!
“Frank is vorige week behoorlijk door de mand gevallen…zijn vriendin is bij hem weggegaan nadat hij met een ander was vreemdgegaan.”
(“Frank was quite exposed as an adulterer last week…his girlfriend left him after he cheated on her with another woman.”)
In English you are an adulterer when you have extramarital relations, so Frank (the old dog!) would rather be a philanderer, or maybe a womaniser, if it was his girlfriend who caught him.
With “Nat gaan,” I think the English expression might be “fall off” as opposed to “fall through.” I only know “falling through” to refer to plans that ultimately don’t happen, like:
“Frank was going to go on a date behind his girlfriend’s back, but the plans fell through.”
@Chris – perhaps Frank has both a girlfriend and a wife, we haven’t figured that out yet 😉
To borrow my wife’s charming but incorrect English phrase for these circumstances:
“I disgust him!”
🙂