Example: Als je niet oplet, kan de vlam in de pan slaan.
Definition
"De vlam in de pan laten slaan" is a Dutch expression meaning to let a situation suddenly get out of control or escalate quickly, often leading to unexpected problems or conflicts. For example, it describes when a minor issue unexpectedly turns into a major one.
Translations
to let things escalate
hacer estallar el conflicto
fer esclatar el conflicte
mettre le feu aux poudres
die Situation eskalieren lassen
far divampare il fuoco
deixar a situação fugir do controle
Etymology
The phrase "de vlam in de pan laten slaan" literally translates to 'let the flame catch in the pan.' It originates from cooking, where a small flame can suddenly flare up and cause a fire if not controlled. This vivid imagery was adopted metaphorically in Dutch to describe situations that unexpectedly spiral out of control.
Learn to use this expression actively
"De vlam in de pan laten slaan" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
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to let things escalate