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het is allemaal wat

English translation: Well, what do you know...


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:Het is allemaal wat
English translation:Well, what do you know...
Entered by: Frank van Thienen
Options:
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10:31 Jan 13, 2012
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dutch term or phrase: het is allemaal wat
I'm translating some phone conversations in Dutch and the phrase "het is allemaal wat" keeps cropping up. The context doesn't always help greatly as the conversations are fairly rambling, but here are a couple of examples:

A: Ja ben ik onderweg naar London.
B: O ja. Je zit nou in de auto.
A: In mijn auto.
B: In auto ja.
A: Dus het is allemaal wat.
B: Nee ik lag te slapen man.

...

A: Dan motten we dan weer maandag mee verder.
B: Ja.
A: Dus.
B: Het is allemaal wat.

...

A: Ja we hebben wanneer was dat dinsdagavond met hem gegeten.
B: Oh ja.
A: Dus. Ja dat was wel oké.
B: Het is allemaal wat.
A: Ja het is alemaal wat.

Is this an alternative expression for "het is altijd wat" (there's always something) or does it have a different idiomatic meaning?
Adam Dean
Local time: 05:36
Well, what do you know...
Explanation:
As if we need another option... but this is more the kind of "empty filler" phrase that someone may say "in my neck of the woods" as a comment, without contributing to the conversation.
Selected response from:

Frank van Thienen
Canada
Local time: 21:36
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback on this - it certainly helped a lot.

I thought all the answers were good, but this one seemed vague enough to fit most situations in the document.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3What a business it is
Josephine Isaacs
4What a world
Monique van Brandenburg
3 +1it just goes to show
Ide Verhelst
3It's all going onSuzi Griffiths
3Well, what do you know...
Frank van Thienen
3what a story
machteld schrameijer
4 -1c'est toute une histoire
Yves ANTOINE
3What a to-do
Verginia Ophof


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
What a business it is


Explanation:
Zo zou ik het vertalen.

De vertaling voor allemaal is hier: all. Letterlijk vertaald: what a business it all is. Maar dat klinkt mij iets minder goed in de oren.



Josephine Isaacs
Australia
Local time: 14:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  W Schouten
1 hr
  -> Dank je wel

agree  Lianne Van De Ven: To me it means something like "it's all too much" and this seems to come pretty close, although I (in the US) never use it... I might say, with a sigh, something like "oh boy..."
4 hrs
  -> Dank je Lianne

agree  Tina Vonhof: and with Lianne. I would say something like "What can you do" in the sense that there isn't much anyone can do.
5 hrs
  -> Dank je Tina
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
c'est toute une histoire


Explanation:
...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2012-01-13 14:04:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

woooooooooops ;-) - "what a fuzz" then...

Yves ANTOINE
Belgium
Local time: 06:36
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  David Walker: Not exactly English
10 mins
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it just goes to show


Explanation:
It seems to me A and B are talking about an occurrence that took place (somebody who died or stood them up). "Het is allemaal wat" refers to that occurrence, but has no real meaning, it's just something you say when you don't know what else to say. So you can use any old filler phrase.




Ide Verhelst
Local time: 06:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lianne Van De Ven: Ironically, I don't see this...That seems a rather outspoken statement: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/just goes to show
1 hr

agree  Laura Morwood: Totally agree with the analysis so yes, any filler phrase will do.
18 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
what a story


Explanation:
Dit is ook zo'n uitdrukking die duidelijk naar iets verwijst zonder op de inhoud in te gaan.

machteld schrameijer
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
What a to-do


Explanation:
suggestion

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 22:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
What a world


Explanation:
It fits the last two conversations. I am not sure that 'het is allemaal wat' in the first conversation has the same meaning. It seems this is only the beginning of a sentence: intonation would be a clue.


    Reference: http://www.vandale.nl
Monique van Brandenburg
Netherlands
Local time: 06:36
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
It's all going on


Explanation:
Slightly more colloquial expression. May be better suited to the style of the rest of the conversation.

Suzi Griffiths
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 days6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Well, what do you know...


Explanation:
As if we need another option... but this is more the kind of "empty filler" phrase that someone may say "in my neck of the woods" as a comment, without contributing to the conversation.

Frank van Thienen
Canada
Local time: 21:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback on this - it certainly helped a lot.

I thought all the answers were good, but this one seemed vague enough to fit most situations in the document.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




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Changes made by editors
Jan 16 - Changes made by Frank van Thienen:
Created KOG entryKudoZ term => KOG term


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