Example: Hij gaat altijd een scheve schaats rijden tijdens het schaatsen.
Definition
"Een scheve schaats rijden" is a Dutch expression meaning to behave dishonestly or unfairly, often by bending rules or acting in a sneaky way. It literally translates to 'to skate on a crooked skate,' implying doing something improperly or deceitfully.
Translations
to misbehave
portarse mal
comportar-se malament
faire un faux pas
einen Fehltritt begehen
scivolare storto
andar torto de patins
Etymology
The expression "een scheve schaats rijden" originates from ice skating, where skating on a crooked skate causes instability and awkward movement. Over time, this physical imagery was used metaphorically to describe dishonest or improper behavior, much like slipping or faltering on uneven skates.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Een scheve schaats rijden" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to misbehave