# Beide handjes kussen - Engels.



## eno2

Hallo, 

Vertaling gewenst, zo mogelijk, van <Beide handjes kussen> - Engels. 
En ook, zo mogelijk, met een Engels idioom. 

Veel gevraagd natuurlijk, sorry. 

I would be grateful. 

De zin: <Ik kus mijn twee handjes dat Europese liberalen ("liberals") in weinig  lijken op de Amerikaanse conservatieven en republikeinen>  


Dank bij voorbaat.


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## P2Grafn0l

*Wat vind je hiervan:* _ You're in luck that the European liberals seem but little like the American conservatives and republicans. _*?

*


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## eno2

I'm in luck... yes but not so strong. 
For lack of something idiomatic I have already used: < I'm extremely grateful that the European liberal family (liberalen) shares very few characteristics with the American conservatives and republicans.>


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## P2Grafn0l

I think your English sentence is more precise, namely for this: 



eno2 said:


> shares very few characteristics with



I am out of suggestions, I think. 

Have a good day, Eno2.


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## P2Grafn0l

Here's another idiom: _I have the devil's own luck _= To have extremely good luck.


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## dwanawijaya

How about these:
<It's very gratifying to learn that the European liberal family (liberalen) shares very few characteristics with the American conservatives and republicans.>
<What a stroke of luck to learn that ...>

From thefreedictionary:
*a stroke of luck*
_Fig._ a bit of luck; a lucky happening.


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## eno2

<*It's very gratifying*> is surely  conveying the meaning also. However:  Introducing ' to learn'  gives the impression I didn't know it (before), but I did.

That's why 'What a stroke of luck to learn...' doesn't work.

Perhaps: <*It's intensely gratifying* to me that the European liberal family (liberalen) shares very few characteristics with the American conservatives and republicans.>

I forgot giving the literal meaning:

Ik kus mijn beide handjes = I'm kissing both my hands

It's related to 'enormous luck' indeed and perhaps only in second place to the ensuing feeling of 'gratitude'

I see now the idiom detected and contributed by P2:


P2Grafn0l said:


> Here's another idiom: _I have the devil's own luck _= To have extremely good luck.



Zijn beide handjes kussen' means indeed having 'extremely good luck'

But difficult to introduce it in my sentence:

<It's the devil's own luck...>
or <I consider it the devil's own luck that the European liberal family (liberalen) shares very few characteristics with the American conservatives and republicans> I don't know if that sounds good.

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So finally, @dwana:
'It's an enormous stroke of luck' or 'I consider it an enormous stroke of luck' would be very near. But without 'learning'.
Or perhaps use 'the devil's luck'. I don't know.
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Another thing is that I don't know if 'zijn beide handjes kussen' is algemeen Nederlands/Dutch, Belgisch Nederlands/Belgian Dutch, or Vlaams/Flemish.

The Flemish expression is: Zijn beide* pollen* kussen. Ik kan of mag mijn beide pollen kussen. Ik kus mijn beide pollen. I (may or can) kiss both my hands.


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## P2Grafn0l

Ik heb nog een suggestie: 
_
The devil's own luck is mine, for truth be told, the European liberal family (liberalen) shares very few characteristics with the American conservatives and republicans._


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## Syzygy

Ik kende deze uitdrukking nog niet; maar als het op "_van geluk mogen spreken_" lijkt, passen misschien de uitdrukkingen "_I consider myself fortunate that ..._" of "_I thank my lucky stars that ..."._ Ik zou die over het algemeen eerder gebruiken als het over iets gaat dat mij is overkomen dan in het geval van een al lang bestaand feit dat nu toevallig invloed op mij heeft, maar het hangt natuurlijk altijd van de context af.


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