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  What it means

  Literally “like a hen with its claw,” this is the standard Polish way to describe messy, illegible handwriting. It is the equivalent of the English “chicken scratch.” If you can’t read a doctor’s note or a student’s hurried essay, you would say they write “jak kura pazurem.”

  Vocabulary

  • kura — hen / chicken
  • pazur — claw / talon
  • pisać — to write
  • nieczytelny — illegible

  Grammar note

  'Pazurem' is the instrumental singular of 'pazur.' The full phrase is usually "pisać jak kura pazurem."

  Cultural context

  This is a lighthearted but very common criticism. It’s one of those idioms that every Polish child hears from their teacher at least once!

  Beginner

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