Literal Translation
In… stoemelings?
Actual Meaning
In secret
Etymology
🇧🇪 A proper Belgian little phrase this one! Stoemeling comes from the Brabant “stoem”: silly, naïve, stupid; it can also be found in the regional and old Dutch “stommelings”: without speaking, without words, and in “stom”: mute.
Despite this origin, the phrase is in fashion both in the North and the South of the country. There is even a micro-brewery in Brussels called “En stoemelings” which produces a beer of the same name. King Philippe paid a visit recently, but he didn’t do it en stoemelings because the press had been called in to cover the event!