vechten tegen de bierkaai

Dutch

Etymology

From the Bierkaai (literally, “beer quay”) in Amsterdam, part of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal. The inhabitants of the Bierkaai had a reputation as pugnacious brawlers. Literally, “to fight against the beer quay”.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈvɛx.tə(n) ˌteː.ɣə(n) də ˈbiːr.kaːi̯/
Audio: (file)

Verb

vechten tegen de bierkaai

(idiomatic, intransitive) to put in effort in vain, to strive for a lost or impossible cause, to fight a losing battle

Inflection

Conjugation of vechten tegen de bierkaai: see vechten.