Bicz boży
Listen
What it means
Literally “the scourge of God.” Refers to a person or force that brings devastating punishment — historically applied to Attila the Hun, and now used for anyone who wreaks havoc or is a terror to others.
Vocabulary
- bicz — whip / scourge
- boży — God's / divine
Grammar note
'Boży' is a possessive adjective meaning 'of God', agreeing with 'bicz' (masculine). In use: 'jest biczem bożym dla swoich pracowników' — he's a terror to his employees.
Cultural context
The phrase 'flagellum Dei' (scourge of God) was a Latin epithet for Attila. It entered Polish through religious and historical tradition and is now used both seriously and hyperbolically.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish idioms
- Literally "one's whole life flew past before the eyes," this phrase describes the vivid, involuntary …
- Literally "for an example," na przykład is the standard Polish phrase for "for example" or "for …
- Literally "in the last/recent times," ostatnimi czasy is a common temporal phrase meaning "lately," …
- Literally "in the manner of Judas," this adverb describes acting in a treacherous, backstabbing way …