met de hakken over de sloot

Dutch

Etymology

Literally, “with the heels over the ditch”, said to refer to jumping over ditches as a game (see slootjespringen and fierljeppen), which often leaves little margin for error.

Prepositional phrase

met de hakken over de sloot

  1. (idiomatic, informal) just barely, by the skin of one's teeth
    Hij heeft met de hakken over de sloot zijn diploma gehaald. ― He just barely earned his diploma.
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