Być bardziej papieski od papieża
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What it means
Literally “to be more papal than the Pope.” Describes someone who is more zealous about a cause than the very authority figure who represents it — an overeager follower who outdoes the leader.
Vocabulary
- papieski — papal / of the Pope
- papież — Pope
- bardziej — more
Grammar note
'Od papieża' uses the genitive after 'od' in a comparative construction: 'more X than Y' = 'bardziej X od Y.'
Cultural context
In a deeply Catholic country like Poland, this phrase carries particular weight. It's used to gently mock excessive zeal in any domain, not just religion.
Intermediate
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