stok om de hond te slaan

Dutch

Etymology

Literally, “stick to hit the dog”; that is, something that one actively looks for when wanting to do something.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɔk ɔm də ˈɦɔnt tə ˈslaːn/

Noun

stok om de hond te slaan m (plural stokken om de hond te slaan)

1. (figurative, idiomatic, chiefly in the singular) A pretense to do something that one already wanted to do.