Example: Hij wil altijd het onderste uit de kan willen halen tijdens het eten.
Definition
"Het onderste uit de kan willen" means to want to get the most out of a situation, often by trying to maximize benefits or advantages, sometimes to the point of being greedy or overly demanding, as in wanting to get everything possible during a meal.
Translations
to want every last bit
querer exprimir al máximo
voler treure'n fins l'última gota
vouloir tout obtenir
das Letzte herausholen wollen
voler ottenere il massimo
querer tirar o máximo proveito
Etymology
The phrase "het onderste uit de kan willen" literally translates as wanting the bottom out of the jug, implying someone tries to get every last drop. It originates from the image of someone trying to empty a jug completely, symbolizing a desire to extract the utmost from any opportunity.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Het onderste uit de kan willen" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Dutch as the language you want to learn.
to want every last bit