met de hakken over de sloot
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niet verder springen dan je stok lang is
In Dutch we have the expression ‘Met de hakken over de sloot’ (literal: with your heels over the ditch) meaning to jump over a ditch and by the narrowest of margins land on the other side.
There is another saying in Dutch about jumping over ditches that criss cross its flat and muddy countryside: ‘niet verder springen dan je stok lang is’ (jump no further than the length of your stick). With an electorate of 51,9 % (or a tiny bit less or more in the final totals) and a turnout of almost 80% (as far as I can find out now) it has not been a ‘landslide victory’ for Hollande. If one thing is sure, the length of his stick will be limited.
