“De Veelkoppige Slang” is Dutch for “the many-headed serpent” or “the hydra.” It usually means something that keeps coming back, grows in many forms, or is very hard to defeat because fixing one part does not solve the whole problem.
People use this phrase in a figurative way when talking about big problems, powerful enemies, or complicated issues with many parts. It can describe something that seems to get worse or spread no matter how often it is dealt with.
Meaning & Usage
The phrase comes from the idea of a serpent with many heads, where cutting off one head does not end the threat. In everyday English, it is often used to describe a problem that has many causes or keeps returning in different ways.
Examples
“The corruption in the system was like de veelkoppige slang — hard to stop and always coming back.”
“They thought the issue was solved, but it turned out to be de veelkoppige slang of the company.”
Is it used literally?
No, it is usually used as a metaphor, not to describe a real snake.
What does it suggest?
It suggests something difficult, stubborn, and hard to completely get rid of.
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