de Russen zijn in het land
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Literally, “the Russians are in the country”, i.e. the Soviets have invaded (the phrase dates to the second half of the 20th century). The reference is to the red color common to both menstrual blood and to socialism/communism; thus the association with Soviet Russians (the "reds").
Phrase[edit]
- (idiomatic, humorous, euphemistic) Said to indicate that a woman is menstruating.
- Synonym: de rode vlag hangt uit
- Trek je niets aan van haar humeur, de Russen zijn weer eens in het land. ― Don't mind her bad mood, she's menstruating again.
Usage notes[edit]
- The verb zijn may inflect based on tense, and word order may vary based on usage in a main or subordinate clause; e.g.: Hij zei dat de Russen in het land waren.