Example: Hij probeerde iemand blij maken met een dooie mus te voorkomen.
Definition
"Iemand blij maken met een dooie mus" is a Dutch expression meaning to give someone false hope or to disappoint someone by promising something valuable but delivering something worthless or insignificant instead.
Translations
to raise false hopes
hacer ilusiones en vano
fer il·lusions en va
donner de faux espoirs
jemandem falsche Hoffnungen machen
far felice qualcuno con una promessa vana
fazer alguém feliz com uma promessa vazia
Etymology
The phrase "iemand blij maken met een dooie mus" literally translates to 'making someone happy with a dead sparrow.' It originates from the idea that a dead sparrow is a worthless gift, symbolizing disappointment or deception. Did you know this expression vividly captures the feeling of being let down by empty promises?
Learn to use this expression actively
"Iemand blij maken met een dooie mus" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
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to raise false hopes