Polish Poland

stara miłość nie rdzewieje

Proverb USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(old love doesn't rust) • Once you fell in love with someone, you'll always be fond of them, even if you haven't seen each other in a long time; It's easy to reignite the love for your past partners and crushes.

"Nie przeszkadza ci, że twoja żona idzie na imprezę, gdzie będzie jej były?" "Niby dlaczego? To stare dzieje." "Wiesz, jak to mówią: stara miłość nie rdzewieje..."

"Doesn't it bother you that your wife goes to the party where her ex will be?" "Why would it bother me? It's ancient history." "You know what they say: old love doesn't rust..."

Polish Poland

czarna magia

Expression USED Frequently BY Older Generations, my parents

(black magic) • It's is impossible / hard to decipher understand. Usually an humble admission that it is difficult for an individual to understand where a selected few may.

"Polityka to dla mnie jak czarna magia!"

"Politics are like black magic to me!"

Polish Poland

jedzie mi tu czołg?

Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People

(do I have a tank running here?) • A phrase used to express disbelief or accuse someone of an obvious lie. In most cases, the expression is combined with a gesture of lowering the eyelid, showing the white of an eye (if not, it's implied).

"Przepraszam za spóźnienie, ale znowu musiałem pomóc sąsiadowi, który zatrzasnął się na balkonie." "Jasne. A jedzie mi tu czołg?"

"Sorry for late arrival, I had to help my neighbor who locked himself on the balcony again." "Right. Do I have a tank running here?"

Polish Poland

z gówna bicza nie ukręcisz

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(you can't turn shit into a whip) • You can't make something out of nothing -or- you can't make miracles happen.

"Skończyłeś siekać cebulę?" "Nie ma opcji, wszystkie noże są tępe." "Trudno, z gówna bicza nie ukręcisz. Będzie bez cebuli."

"Have you finished dicing the onions?" "Not going to happen, all the knives are blunt." "Too bad, you can't turn shit into a whip. No onions then."

Polish Poland

nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(not my circus, not my monkeys) • It’s an expression used to say it’s not my problem so I’m not going to worry about it!

“Och nie, Thomas i Ileana znów się kłócą!” “Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.”

“Oh no, Thomas and Ileana are fighting again!” “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

Polish Poland

robić dobrą minę do złej gry

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to put on a good face for a bad game) • To pretend you're doing well when the situation is actually bad. Similar to the English expressions 'to put on a brave face' or 'to put on a Poker face' (depending on the context).

"Rozstanie bardzo w nią ugodziło, ale robiła dobrą minę do złej gry, udając, że cieszy się swoją nowo odzyskaną wolnością."

"The breakup really struck her, but she put on a good face for the bad game and pretended she was enjoying her newly gained freedom."

Polish Poland

na bank

Idiom USED Very frequently BY Everybody

(for a bank) • Used to express certainty. An idiomatic equivalent to the English "for sure". Can also be used sarcastically.

"Czy będziesz dzisiaj na przyjęciu?" "Na bank!"

"Are you coming to today's party?" "for a bank!"

Polish Poland

strzelać

Slang USED On Occasion BY Students

(to shoot) • A verb describing not knowing the answer in a multi-choice assignment but choosing one anyways.

"Nie uczyłem się na sprawdzian, więc strzelałem."

"I didn't study for the exam, so I was shooting."

Polish Poland

obiecywać komuś gruszki na wierzbie

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everybody can use it

(to promise someone pears on the willow) • When you promise something that is not possible / to make empty promises.

"Prezydent obiecywał gruszki na wierzbie, byleby tylko wygrać wybory."

"The president promised the pears on the willow to win the elections."

Polish Poland

zmienić płytę

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to change the record) • it's used when one's run out of patience and got fed up with hearing the same, usually negative thing, and want the other person to stop saying whatever it is they were saying

"Marcel wczoraj zszedł się z Aurelią, jak nic niedługo znowu zerwą, kto by tam z nim wytrzymał..." "Zmień płytę, dobra? Wiem, że im nie kibicujesz, ale Marcel to mój przyjaciel, więc zachowaj to dla siebie, z łaski swojej!"

"Marcel got together with Aurelia yesterday, I bet they're going to break up again soon tho, I mean, who would put up with him..." "Change the record, will ya? I know you're not rooting for them, but Marcel is my friend, so be so kind and keep it to yourself!"

Polish Poland

pogoda pod psem

Standard Phrase USED Frequently BY Everyone

(the weather under the dog) • Very bad weather

"I stayed at home yesterday, the weather was under the dog."

"Zostałam wczoraj w domu, pogoda była pod psem."

Polish Poland

wihajster

Word USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

Used to refer to an object - usually a small one - which name one has forgotten, does not know or when the name is not important at the moment of speaking. Similar to "thingy".

"Co jest z tym radiem?" "A, taki wihajster się ułamał i nie działa."

"What's with this radio?" "Ah, a wihajster broke off and it doesn't work."

Polish Poland

zrobić coś na kolanie

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to do something on a knee) • To do something the very last minute, without much care, messily.

"Jak zwykle robisz pracę domową na kolanie!"

"As always, you’re doing your homework on a knee!"

Polish Poland

bułka z masłem

Expression USED Very frequently BY Most People

(bread roll with butter ) • Used to describe something that can be or should be done effortlessly and with ease .

"Twoim zadaniem jest zrobienie plakatu". "Bułka z masłem".

"Your task is to make a poster". "Bread roll with butter".

Polish Poland

orka na ugorze

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(ploughing a fallow field) • An extremely tedious and unsatisfying task.

"Uczenie tego dziecka dobrych manier to orka na ugorze."

"Teaching this kid good manners is like ploughing a fallow field."

Polish Poland

⚡

Emoji USED Very frequently BY Young People

This emoji is used instead of the red lightning that is Women's Strike logo. It was originally created in 2016 by graphic designer Ola Jasionowska, who says that it symbolizes a warning. “It says: watch out, beware, we won’t accept that women are being deprived of their basic rights,” Jasionowska explained.

#ToJestWojna⚡

#ThisIsWar⚡

Polish Poland

***** ***

Slang USED Frequently BY Young People

(Fuck Law and Justice) • 8 stars stand for "Jebać PiS" which means "Fuck Law and Justice". The phrase has gained popularity when included into Taco Hemingway's "Polskie Tango" music video. Now it can be seen everywhere thanks to last protests in Poland (Women's Strike) eight stars are used on banners, posters etc.

"Nie mogę się doczekać, aż ten kraj znów będzie normalny ***** ***"

"I can't wait for this country to be normal again ***** ***"

Polish Poland

walić konia

Slang USED On Occasion BY Mostly people not older than 25 years

(to bang the horse) • Slang for masturbating, the equivalent of the English "to jerk off"

"Najchętniej to byś tylko grał w gry i konia walił."

"You would like to do nothing, but to play games and to jerk off."

Polish Poland

szatan

Word USED On Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (satan) • A very strong black coffee.

"Chcesz kawę?" "Tak, zrób mi szatana."

"Do you want some coffee?" "Yes, make me a satan."

Polish Poland

foliarz

Reference USED Frequently BY People Over 20

(n.) • (a foilman) • A conspiracy theorist who believes that 5G is designed to possess our minds, that chips are injected into our bodies by the means of vaccines, who won’t wear a mask because “pandemic is a hoax” etc. The term stems from the people who decided to wear caps made of aluminum foil, believing they resist electromagnetic radiation that possesses human minds (5G)

"Nie zaszczepi się na Covid ani nie nosi maseczki, on uważa, że ten wirus to ściema." "Nie wiedziałem, że jest foliarzem."

"He won't vaccinate against Covid and he doesn't wear a face mask, he thinks this virus is a hoax." "I didn't know he is a foilman."