een mouw passen aan

== Dutch == === Alternative forms === een mouw zetten aan een mouw naaien aan === Etymology === Literally, “to fit a sleeve to”. It refers to the practise of choosing the sleeves separately and having them attached to a garment by a tailor. First attested in the 16th century. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ən ˈmɑu̯ ˌpɑsə(n) ˌaːn/ === Verb === een mouw passen aan (idiomatic, transitive) to find a solution to (a problem) ==== Usage notes ==== Often used with verbs expressing a potential meaning like kunnen, weten, vallen, or zijn as the main verb. Frequently used with negative polarity or in questions. ==== Conjugation ==== === References === === Further reading === Matthias de Vries; Lambert Allard te Winkel (1864), “mouwI”, in Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, published 2001