Example: We moeten de vuile was buiten hangen om te drogen.
Definition
"De vuile was buiten hangen" is a Dutch expression meaning to publicly reveal private or embarrassing information about oneself or others, often leading to gossip or criticism. For example, it can be used when someone exposes personal matters that are better kept private.
Translations
to air dirty laundry
lavar los trapos sucios en público
rentar els draps bruts en públic
laver son linge sale en public
schmutzige Wäsche waschen
stendere il bucato sporco
estender a roupa suja
Etymology
The phrase "de vuile was buiten hangen" literally translates to 'hang the dirty laundry outside.' It originates from the practice of airing out soiled clothes to clean them. Over time, it became a metaphor for exposing personal problems or secrets openly, much like airing dirty laundry in public.
Learn to use this expression actively
"De vuile was buiten hangen" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to air dirty laundry