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  What it means

  Literally “without a blink of an eye,” this idiom describes doing something without hesitation, without flinching, or without showing any outward emotion. It implies a remarkable composure — either admirable coolness under pressure or unsettling indifference. Poles use it to describe someone who tells a lie calmly, performs a dangerous task fearlessly, or reacts to shocking news without visible emotion. It often carries a slight note of surprise that the person showed no reaction at all.

  Vocabulary

  • bez — without (preposition, takes genitive)
  • mrugnięcie — a blink (noun from mrugać — to blink/wink)
  • oko — eye (oko → okiem in instrumental)
  • mrugnąć — to blink/wink (perfective)

  Grammar note

  "Bez mrugnięcia" uses the genitive case after "bez" (without). "Okiem" is the instrumental case of "oko" — functioning like an instrument or companion to the action. The full phrase literally parses as "without a blinking of an eye," with the genitive noun phrase expressing the absence of an action.

  Cultural context

  This is a neutral to slightly formal expression used across all registers — press, literature, and casual conversation alike. It is a direct parallel to the English idiom "without batting an eye" or "without blinking." It can be used admiringly ("he walked into the fire bez mrugnięcia okiem") or critically (describing callousness).

  Intermediate

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