| Idioom : SY KRUIT IS NAT [boodskap #11135] |
Do., 30 Oktober 1997 00:00  |
G.B.
Boodskappe: 2157
Geregistreer: Mei 1997
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Senior Lid |
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Idioom: SY KRUIT IS NAT.
"Hy sal nie teveel regkry nie. Sy kruit
is nat."
Iemand kan nie sy doel bereik nie.
Somebody cannot reach his goal. The idiom has
a slightly pejorative meaning, as if the inability to
reach his goal is due to his own shortcomings.
Literally it means "his (gun)powder is wet." I guess
the implication is that, through circumstances or
through his own negligence, he is unable to do what
he would like to do, in this case shoot.
One assumes that this idiom was born way back
in the days when people used gunpowder.They used
to carry it in a "kruithoring" (powder-horn.)
There are quite a number of idioms in Afrikaans
around the core word "kruit":
Om sonder kruit 'n bok te skiet: Om 'n flater te begaan.
blunder.
Hou jou kruit droog: Sorg dat jy goed vir die stryd
voorberei is. See that you are well prepared
for the fight.
Hy het nog nie kruit geruik nie: Hy het nog nooit aan
'n geveg deelgeneem nie. He has not yet
participated in a battle.
Hy is nie 'n skoot kruit werd nie: Hy is baie min werd.
He is worth very little. He is not important.
Om jou kruit te verspil: Om jou kragte te mors. To
waste your efforts.
Om soos kruit en vuur te wees: Om kwaaivriende te
wees. To be bad friends.
Hy het al sy kruit weggeskiet: Hy het al sy argumente
gebruik. He has exhausted all his arguments.
One assumes that most of these idioms were born on
South African soil during the days of the pioneers and
trekkers. It would be interesting to know whether some
of them exist also in Dutch.
Gloudina Bouwer
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