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"om de hete brij heen draaien"

English translation: Pussyfoot around the hot potato

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:"om de hete brij heen draaien"
English translation:Pussyfoot around the hot potato
Entered by: L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen

17:41 Apr 7, 2008
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / saying
Dutch term or phrase: "om de hete brij heen draaien"
A sensitive question has been raised at a meeting. The chairman then avoids the issue thus: "Wij mogen er niets over zeggen. Het ligt heel gevoelig bij onze leden." En daarmee draait deze bijeenkomst, ondanks de goede voornemens, ---> om de hete brij heen -
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
South Africa
Local time: 05:53
Pussyfoot around the hot potato
Explanation:
Van Dale. "hete brij" refers to a difficult subject, "draait om de hete brij" means to avoid a difficult subject. This contraction of two idioms comes close.
Selected response from:

drboer
Local time: 05:53
Grading comment
Dag,

Bedankt. Ik heb dit eigenlijk als volgt vertaald :"Avoids the burning issue. Toch geef ik de punten want om de 2 samen te voegen is niet gemakkellijk. Prettige dag verder.

Wessel
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1beat about (US: around) the bush
Kitty Brussaard
4Not go there
Kathleen Mathues
4Pussyfoot around the hot potato
drboer


  

Answers


40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Not go there


Explanation:
not to go into that area of conversation, not to touch on that subject

Example sentence(s):
  • I heard something about him the other day, but I'd rather not go there.
Kathleen Mathues
France
Local time: 05:53
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Dag, Bedankt. Ik heb dit eigenlijk als volgt vertaald :"Avoids the burning issue. Makkellijk om de 2 samen te voegen is niet gemakkellijk. Prettige dag verder. Wessel

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43 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
\"om de hete brij heen draaien\"
Pussyfoot around the hot potato


Explanation:
Van Dale. "hete brij" refers to a difficult subject, "draait om de hete brij" means to avoid a difficult subject. This contraction of two idioms comes close.

drboer
Local time: 05:53
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Dag,

Bedankt. Ik heb dit eigenlijk als volgt vertaald :"Avoids the burning issue. Toch geef ik de punten want om de 2 samen te voegen is niet gemakkellijk. Prettige dag verder.

Wessel

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tina Vonhof (X): I don't think the contraction works well, would prefer just 'pussyfoot around' as Kitty suggests.
2 hrs
  -> Unfort., it doesn't mean the same. To "Pussyfoot around" means approach/circle around something very carefully. "Beating around the bush" backtranslates into "ergens omheen draaien" in Van Dale, the "hete brij" is lost in both these translations.
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55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
beat about (US: around) the bush


Explanation:
Van Dale N-E geeft deze vertaling, of evt. "pussyfoot around" zonder verdere toevoeging

Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 05:53
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 44
Notes to answerer
Asker: Dag, Bedankt. Ik heb dit eigenlijk als volgt vertaald :"Avoids the burning issue. Makkellijk om de 2 samen te voegen is niet gemakkellijk. Prettige dag verder. Wessel


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  drboer: Hi Kitty, Van Dale does give these two translations, but for me, the "hete brij" doesn't come out well. Pussyfoot around can be followed by something (eg pussyfoot around the real issue). I thought "hot potatoe" would cover "hete brij" best.
18 mins
  -> In that case I would prefer "pussyfoot around the (real) issue"!
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Tina!
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