the cookies have been eaten?...

[karinontour]

In Dutch we have a saying which translated freely says "the cookies have been eaten". It means that one no longer has the energy to deal with something. All reserves are used and one is tired to continue doing this particular thing.
Is there an English equivalent for this?
Thanks

 

[BobK]

In Dutch we have a saying which translated freely says "the cookies have been eaten". It means that one no longer has the energy to deal with something. All reserves are used and one is tired to continue doing this particular thing.
Is there an English equivalent for this?
Thanks

I think the nearest we get is 'the cupboard is bare' - which I think may have derived from the nursery rhyme Old Mother Hubbard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (but with the tense of the verb changed); this supposed etymology is just my guess, though ;-) Besides, this idiom can be used to refer to any resource, not just energy. Certainly we don't - as far as I know - use "the cookies have been eaten" (although we did borrow the word 'cookie' from you). That is, our cousins did, through Dutch immigrants to the USA, in the UK we more often use 'biscuit'.

b

 

[digitS']

The word "fatigue" has been combined with many other words. The most common is probably "compassion fatigue" -- tired with repeated calls for help.

One may lose patience for situations, tasks or with individuals. Perhaps you can no longer endure something or someone, without complaint. You should feel free to choose your own combination.

spoiled celebrity fatigue
team logo fatigue
commuting fatigue
homeowner fatigue
job fatigue, even
ABF (Accumulated Boss Fatigue)

Steve

 

[BobK]

:up: And the one that probably started it all (another guess on my part) - metal-fatigue.

b

 

[karinontour]

Bobk,
I like 'the cupboard is bare'. Lovely rhyme by the way, never read it before.

Steve,
As to all the adjectives to 'fatigue', they are all too specific – well, that is in relation to the term I'm looking for.;-)
When 'our cookies have been eaten' it's more an overall tiredness of everything and everybody that has mounted up over a longer period of time.

Thanks
Karin