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  3. Government / Politics

at melde hus forbi

English translation: To wash your hands of the matter

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Danish term or phrase:at melde hus forbi
English translation:To wash your hands of the matter
Entered by: Matthew Roy, Ph.D.

18:41 Dec 1, 2004
Danish to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics
Danish term or phrase: at melde hus forbi
This seems to be a very common phrase, but I am having some difficulty determining its meaning. It appears in the following passage:

Senest har en FN-komité ladet høre fra sig, og også i dette tilfælde har integrationsminister Bertel Haarder meldt hus forbi under henvisning til, at det hjemlige Institut for Menneskerettigheder bekræfter ministerens opfattelse.

Thanks for any suggestions!
Matthew Roy, Ph.D.
Local time: 09:08
To wash your hands of the matter
Explanation:
This is an idiom. You could replace it by an equivalent English idiom such as the above or you could also translate it as "dismiss the whole matter".

I have checked my answer with "Talemåder i dansk" which confirms what I say.
Selected response from:

Eliza-Anna
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:08
Grading comment
Thanks for your help! This was very useful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2To wash your hands of the matter
Eliza-Anna
5disclaim responsibility
lone (X)
4passing the buck
Jørgen Madsen


  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
To wash your hands of the matter


Explanation:
This is an idiom. You could replace it by an equivalent English idiom such as the above or you could also translate it as "dismiss the whole matter".

I have checked my answer with "Talemåder i dansk" which confirms what I say.

Eliza-Anna
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 11
Grading comment
Thanks for your help! This was very useful.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sven Petersson
32 mins
neutral  Terence Ajbro: for me this has very negative connotations (Pilate washing his hands before sentencing Jesus to be crucified), but is that the intention and meaning of the Danish?
12 hrs
agree  Christine Andersen: 'at melde hus forbi' is often very negative and unhelpful - 'it's not my business' or 'nothing to do with me' are direct ways of expressing it.
12 hrs
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
disclaim responsibility


Explanation:
another meaning: barking up the wrong tree

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Note added at 2004-12-01 19:12:34 (GMT)
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Forklaring i Gyldendals Idiom ordbog :

at melde hus forbi = \"at afvise noget for sit vedkommende\"

A: Jeg undrer mig over, hvor min nye plade er. Jeg må have lånt den ud.

B: Ja, jeg kan i hvert fald melde hus forbi!

= Ja, det er i hvert fald ikke mig, der har lånt den.


    Vinterberg og Bodelsen
lone (X)
Canada
Local time: 12:08
Native speaker of: Danish
PRO pts in category: 12
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
passing the buck


Explanation:
another suggestion

Jørgen Madsen
Local time: 18:08
Native speaker of: Native in DanishDanish
PRO pts in category: 4
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