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like a Dutch pancake (paraphrasing)

English translation: meagre / a big disappointment

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:like a Dutch pancake (paraphrasing)
Selected answer:meagre / a big disappointment
Entered by: Max Nuijens

20:49 May 18, 2009
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Journalism
English term or phrase: like a Dutch pancake (paraphrasing)
There were unparalleled increases in HDL levels along with decreases in LDL, but no benefit on the progression of atherosclerosis -- plaque buildup in the arteries. One measure even indicated a progression of the disease, the research found.

"The results were like a Dutch pancake," Kastelein deadpanned.

I don't understand this expression. Could you paraphrase it. many thanks in advance.

article: http://www.lifeclinic.com/fullpage.aspx?prid=603110&type=1
Lakasa Stnorden
Local time: 07:46
meagre / a big disappointment
Explanation:
Dr. Kastelein practices a form of humour that is perhaps difficult to understand. He makes a joke about the results of the study, which was eagerly anticipated and of which much was expected, but turned out to be a big disappointment.
Dutch pancakes tend to look nice, but turn out to be thin. That is why they disappoint. The same goes for the results of the study. One can say that the results of a study are "meagre", at least I am sure a native Dutch speaker would say this when speaking English (Dutch: "meagre"= "mager" - Kastelein is native Dutch).
Another possibility could be that Dr. Kastelein was trying to say that the results were "flat" as a pancake, as in unchanged levels of artherosclerosis. Perhaps a combination of the two.
In any case, it was a disappointment.
Selected response from:

Max Nuijens
Netherlands
Local time: 12:46
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +6meagre / a big disappointment
Max Nuijens
4 +1soaked with fats, cholesterol-laden
Isabel Severing


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
like a dutch pancake (paraphrasing)
meagre / a big disappointment


Explanation:
Dr. Kastelein practices a form of humour that is perhaps difficult to understand. He makes a joke about the results of the study, which was eagerly anticipated and of which much was expected, but turned out to be a big disappointment.
Dutch pancakes tend to look nice, but turn out to be thin. That is why they disappoint. The same goes for the results of the study. One can say that the results of a study are "meagre", at least I am sure a native Dutch speaker would say this when speaking English (Dutch: "meagre"= "mager" - Kastelein is native Dutch).
Another possibility could be that Dr. Kastelein was trying to say that the results were "flat" as a pancake, as in unchanged levels of artherosclerosis. Perhaps a combination of the two.
In any case, it was a disappointment.

Max Nuijens
Netherlands
Local time: 12:46
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Richard McDorman: I think that you are right. Based on the overall context (I read the entire source passage, from a report on the clinical trials of a cholesterol-lowering drug), your answer makes the most sense.
1 hr
  -> Thank you
agree  Mirra_: yes, too small and thin. And even disappointing if you were dreaming about US counterparts. Also, I guess, an example of some kind of "fat-focused nutritionists humour"... ;)
1 hr
  -> Thank you
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Flat as pancake but why he calls it a 'Dutch pancake' is unclear because in reality Dutch pancakes are thick and rich and a meal in themselves.
3 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  vixen: With Tina
8 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  BdiL: Perhaps this link http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-729376540641207639 may help (listen on, please) if we give for granted that Poffertjes (Dutch pancakes) must be LITTLE (that's where the diminutive -tje applies)--> "little pancake" = "little
16 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  linguatecdirect: It's "flat as a pancake" with "dutch" to enhance "flat." I don't agree that "dutch pancakes" themselves would mean disappointing directly. It's a funny way of saying really really flat. Not "we wanted pancakes, but only got these nasty little
1 day 14 hrs
  -> Yes, so you agree with me, or not?
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
like a dutch pancake (paraphrasing)
soaked with fats, cholesterol-laden


Explanation:
i.e. the results showed no reduction of cholesterol level - as the texts states, there was even an indication that things got worse. Yes, what got worse was the build-up of plaque, so I can understand why you have difficulties relating that to a Dutch pancake. But the speaker just compares the cholesterol levels / fats to a pancake with lots of butter.

Hope this helps.

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Note added at 8 hrs (2009-05-19 05:42:11 GMT)
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I find it hard to believe that an English speaker would have used the expression with the meaning Max entered - but fair enough, it's a Dutch person being quoted after all, so maybe in Dutch this would actually make sense. Tina Vonhof's comment is exactly what had me exclude Max's choice - they're meant to be thick, rather than flat.

I'm starting to wonder did some American add the 'Dutch' into the quote, simply as pancakes in the US are not 'flat' either???

I won't be able to respond to anything here, as I'll be offline for the next few days!

Isabel Severing
Local time: 12:46
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Max Nuijens: But results did show a decrease of the level of the bad cholesterol LDL, as becomes clear from the article. The results were anything but soaked with fats or cholesterol.
29 mins
neutral  Mirra_: well, just considering the two cholesterol ratio, the results showed an improvement ...
1 hr
neutral  Richard McDorman: At first, this is what I thought too (I even posted a similar answer, which received one vote, but then I removed the answer, because in context it did not make sense). The problem here is context (read the whole passage; you can find it on Google).
3 hrs
agree  Gary D: To me your answer is correct as I have had a Dutch pancake and it is full of all the nasty things which would fill my artries for 10 years, unlike an American pancake which is flat and uninteresting. And he does say "they were like" not "they are like"
11 hrs
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