trimmen - Dutch to English slang

[neil]

A colleague is attempting a translation of an abstract/concrete/surreal
poem, and has solicited my help for slang equivalents of the word 'trimmen'.

Not having any Dutch, I wondered if anyone on ADSL is in a position to make
any suggestions.

Here is her query:

I'm doing the part of the poem (Bezette Stad, by Paul van Ostaijen, 1921)
where the Prussian army is advancing towards Antwerp and the Flemish army is
about to retreat and the city be evacuated; lots of bombs and chaos. Within
asterisks are my attempts, but I'd like a word or phrase that could cover
both if possible. I am wondering whether it might even be best left as
'trimming' actually -- that way you keep a sartorial pun in the first one
(although I don't think it's there in the original). In modern official
Dutch, 'trim' appears to mean nothing but 'fit'.

1. (in a brothel scene)
Gaby-Recamier heeft geen poen te vluchten
tailleur to ouderwets trimmen uitgesloten
=
Gaby-Recamier has no dosh to flee
get-up too oldfashioned[,] impossible *to put out*

2. de hoeren vergeten te trimmen
zij vluchten enkel
alsof men niet beide kan vluchten en trimmen
=
the whores forget to *solicit*
they just flee
as if one can't both flee and *solicit*


-- Neil Crawford

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