jam tomorrow

For term searches and specialty glossaries, please try the new GBK glossaries

15:59 Mar 2, 2020

English to Dutch translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Additional field(s): General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters, Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

English term or phrase: jam tomorrow

Definition from Macmillan Dictionary:
Something good that is promised but never happens. The phrase "jam tomorrow" was coined by Lewis Carroll in his children's story "Through the Looking Glass". The White Queen tells Alice, "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day."

Example sentence(s):

An innovation pessimist could dismiss [current innovations being fueled by cheap processing power] as "jam tomorrow". But the idea that technology-led growth must either continue unabated or steadily decline, rather than ebbing and flowing, is at odds with history. The Economist
Even though work on the eastern bypass will start very shortly, I am not sure I will truly believe it until I see cars driving up and down it, so talk of a southern link going to Winsford will seem even more like more jam tomorrow. Winsford and Middlewich Guardian
In the coming year, many other high-profile tech unicorns will face similar challenges. They’ll will do well to focus on being smaller, profitable companies than larger ones promising jam tomorrow. Wired

Glossary-building KudoZ

This question was created by:

Glossary-building KudoZ

This question will remain open until an answer receives the required level of agreement from peers. Submission is still possible.

Summary of translations provided

5 +1

De belofte van morgen, de belofte van gisteren, maar nooit de belofte van vandaag.

Machiel van Veen (X)

Translations offered

1 day 21 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

De belofte van morgen, de belofte van gisteren, maar nooit de belofte van vandaag.

Definition from own experience or research:
De belofte van morgen, de belofte van gisteren, maar nooit de belofte van vandaag.

Example sentence(s):

Hoewel het werk aan de oostelijke omleiding op korte termijn zal beginnen, betwijfel ik of ik het echt wil geloven totdat ik er auto's overheen zie rijden, dus gepraat over de zuidelijke omleiding naar Winsford zal lijken op de belofte van morgen, de belofte van gisteren, maar nooit op de belofte van vandaag. - Machiel van Veen

Explanation:
Hoewel het werk aan de oostelijke omleiding op korte termijn zal beginnen, betwijfel ik of ik het echt wil geloven totdat ik er auto's overheen zie rijden, dus gepraat over de zuidelijke omleiding naar Winsford zal lijken op de belofte van morgen, de belofte van gisteren, maar nooit op de belofte van vandaag.

Machiel van Veen (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 22:31
Native speaker of:

Dutch
PRO pts in category: 2

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

jam tomorrow

Translations offered

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

jam tomorrow

Translations offered

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language