Dutch talk

It has been a much-used Dutch expression since the 18th century, and is thought to originate from people entering the house without knocking and then saying what it is they want to say right away, without any introduction. Today, it’s still used when a person has something on his mind and wants to express it without further ado. Dutch people will bluntly say: ‘Ik zal maar meteen met de deur in huis vallen‘, which means: ‘I will come straight to the point’. Usually, this is followed by either good or very bad news. For instance, if a teacher has to tell his students they did poorly on a recent exam and that he’s disappointed in them, he can avoid the subject for a while and make chit chat first, or he can simply say: ‘Ik zal maar meteen met de deur in huis vallen: the results of the exam were appalling.’ (CvdB)

(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)

‘Met de deur in huis vallen‘ (literal translation: fall with the door into the house) is the rather quaint Dutch equivalent of the English expression: ‘Coming straight to the point’. It has been a much-used Dutch expression since the 18th century, and is thought to originate from people entering the house without knocking and then saying what it is they want to say right away, without any introduction. Today, it’s still used when a person has something on his mind and wants to express it without further ado. Dutch people will bluntly say: ‘Ik zal maar meteen met de deur in huis vallen‘, which means: ‘I will come straight to the point’. Usually, this is followed by either good or very bad news. For instance, if a teacher has to tell his students they did poorly on a recent exam and that he’s disappointed in them, he can avoid the subject for a while and make chit chat first, or he can simply say: ‘Ik zal maar meteen met de deur in huis vallen: the results of the exam were appalling.’ (CvdB)

(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)