all the time, again and again
[Dutch phrase of the week] 

"Te pas en te onpas" is used to describe an event that occurs time and time again. It often reflects a certain degree of annoyance as well.

"Pas" literally translates to "step", but in ancient Dutch "pas" also referred to a "convenient moment in time. "On" translates literally to "un-"/"in", hence "onpas" would refer to an "inconvenient moment in time".

Examples:
- "Ik vind te pas en te onpas remsporen in de toiletpot, bah!" 
("I find skid marks in the toilet bowl all the time, yuck!")

- "Frank leent te pas en te onpas geld van me, maar hij betaalt me nooit terug…" 
("Frank borrows money from me all the time, but he never pays me back…")

- "Ik zeg je te pas en te onpas dat je aan de lijn moet doen, maar je luistert nooit!" – "Ik ben toch niet dik??" 
("I'm telling you again and again to go on a diet, but you never listen!" – "I'm not fat, am I??.")

Expressions:
- "Om de haverklap": (at) every moment, continuously, at the merest trifle.
- "Van pas komen": to come in handy.

Example:
- "Ik heb een lekkage in de badkamer…" – "<ironisch> Dan komt een dweil wel van pas, denk je niet?"
("I have a leakage in the bathroom…" – "<ironically> Well, a mop would come in handy, don't you think?")

Related words:
- Frequent: frequent [adjective].
- Tig: (so) many, a lot of [indefinite numeral].
- Vaak: often, many times [adverb].

Example:
- "Hoe vaak moet ik het zeggen? Ik heb geen seksuele knipperlichtrelatie met deze dame gehad."
("How many times do I need to say this? I did not have a sexual on-and-off relationship with this lady..")