balen als een stekker

== Dutch == === Etymology === Literally, “to be annoyed (etc.) like a (power) plug”. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌbaː.lə(n) ɑls ən ˈstɛ.kər/ === Verb === balen als een stekker (intransitive, simile, chiefly Netherlands) to be extremely annoyed, frustrated or fed up [with van ‘with’] ==== Usage notes ==== Compared to bare balen, use of prepositional phrases introduced by van is considerably less common for the simile balen als een stekker, although this usage is not uncommon either. In the Netherlands, the term may be used freely in all contexts, though it may be considered a little informal. In Belgium, unmarked usage is limited to sports, in particular football. ==== Conjugation ====