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 offering something useless or worthless. It describes the act of making someone happy with something that ultimately has no value or benefit.
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 as 'to make someone happy with a dead sparrow.' It originates from the idea that a dead sparrow is useless and cannot provide any joy or benefit. The expression humorously captures the feeling of being misled or given a worthless gift.
Learn to use this expression actively
"iemand blij maken met een dooie mus" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to raise false hopes