vechten tegen de bierkaai

Dutch

Etymology

From the Bierkaai (literally, “beer quay”) in Amsterdam, part of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal. The inhabitants of the Bierkaai had a reputation as pugnacious brawlers. Literally, “to fight against the beer quay”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɛx.tə(n) ˌteː.ɣə(n) də ˈbiːr.kaːi̯/

• Audio

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Verb

vechten tegen de bierkaai

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) to put in effort in vain, to strive for a lost or impossible cause, to fight a losing battle

Inflection

Conjugation of vechten tegen de bierkaai: see vechten.