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    What it means

    Literally “one devil.” Means it’s all the same, it makes no difference — one option is just as bad or just as good as another. The Polish equivalent of “six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

    Vocabulary

    • jeden — one
    • czort — devil / demon (archaic/folk word)

    Grammar note

    A fixed phrase used as a predicate. 'Czort' is an older, folk word for the devil, giving the phrase a rustic flavour.

    Cultural context

    'Czort' is the Slavic folk devil, distinct from the Christian 'diabeł'. Using 'czort' rather than 'diabeł' gives the phrase an earthy, old-Polish character.

    Intermediate

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