Example: Hij zette de hakken in het zand en weigerde te vertrekken.
Definition
"De hakken in het zand zetten" is a Dutch expression meaning to stubbornly refuse to change one's opinion or position, often in the face of opposition or pressure, as illustrated by the example where someone refuses to leave despite requests.
Translations
to dig in one's heels
plantarse
plantar-se
camper sur ses positions
die Hacken in den Sand setzen
ostinarsi
teimar
Etymology
The phrase "de hakken in het zand zetten" literally translates to "to put the heels in the sand." It likely originates from the image of someone digging their heels into sand to resist being moved forward, symbolizing stubbornness or refusal to budge. Did you know this vivid metaphor captures the physical act of resistance perfectly?
Learn to use this expression actively
"De hakken in het zand zetten" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
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to dig in one's heels