Literally "to pour like from a bucket." Describes very heavy rain — the equivalent of "it's raining cats and dogs" or "it's bucketing down."

Literally "to pour honey on the heart." Means to say something soothing, comforting, or pleasing — words that warm the heart. "Music to one's ears," "balm for …

Literally "to pour water." Means to talk a lot without saying anything meaningful — to waffle, ramble, or pad speech with empty words.

Literally "any day now." Means very soon, at any moment — "any day now," "imminently."

Literally "light years." Used both in the astronomical sense and figuratively to describe an enormous gap or difference — "light years ahead," "light years …

Literally "flying saucer." The Polish term for a UFO — an unidentified flying object shaped like a disc. Used both literally and humorously.

Literally "sea lantern." A lighthouse — used both literally and figuratively for a guiding light, a beacon of hope or direction in difficult times.

Literally "lantern of the dead." A medieval stone tower with a light burning at the top, placed in cemeteries to guide the souls of the dead. Used figuratively …

Literally "to fall into rubble." Means to fall to ruins, to collapse completely — used for buildings, plans, relationships, or anything that disintegrates …

Literally "physician, heal thyself." Means someone who gives advice should follow it themselves — don't tell others what to do if you can't do it yourself. From …

Literally "a light figure." Describes someone of loose morals or easy virtue — a person not taken seriously, someone with a questionable reputation. "A …

Literally "with a light hand." Means carelessly, without much thought or effort — spending or giving away freely without hesitation. "With a light touch," …

Literally "it came easily, it went easily." Means easy come, easy go — things gained without effort are lost just as easily.

Literally "better to blow on the cold." Means better safe than sorry — it's wiser to take precautions even when the danger seems to have passed, just in case.

Literally "better not to say." Used when something is so bad, embarrassing, or complicated that it's better left unsaid — "don't even ask," "the less said the …

Literally "better late than never." Means it's better to do something late than not at all — identical to the English proverb.

Literally "sticky hands." Describes someone who steals or takes things that don't belong to them — "sticky fingers," "light-fingered."

Literally "the better is the enemy of the good." Means striving for perfection can ruin something that is already good enough — "perfect is the enemy of good."

Literally "better a saffron milk cap than nothing." Means something is better than nothing — even a modest option beats having nothing at all. "Beggars can't be …

Literally "better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof." The Polish equivalent of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Value what you have …

Literally "better a sparrow in the hand than a black grouse on a branch." Means a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — a small certain gain is better …

Literally "forest grandfather." A figure from Polish folklore — a spirit or old man of the forest who can be helpful or dangerous. Used figuratively for someone …

Literally "salon lion." Describes a charming, socially brilliant man who is the centre of attention at parties and social gatherings — "a social lion," "the …

Literally "to lie fallow." Means to be unused, neglected, or wasted — land not being cultivated, or talent/resources going to waste. "To lie fallow," "to go to …

Literally "to lie at the foundations." Means to be the fundamental basis or root cause of something — "to lie at the heart of," "to underpin," "to be at the …

Literally "to lie at the foundations." Means to lie at the root of something, to be the fundamental basis or underlying cause of something.

Literally "to lie as wasteland." Very similar to 'leżeć odłogiem' — means to be completely unused and neglected. 'Ugór' is uncultivated wasteland, slightly more …

Literally "the devil doesn't sleep." Means trouble is always lurking, bad things can happen at any moment — "the devil never sleeps," "evil never rests." Used …

Literally "the devil knows." Means nobody knows, it's completely unclear — "the devil only knows," "God knows," "who knows."

Literally "the line of least resistance." Means the easiest path, the option requiring the least effort — "the path of least resistance."

Literally "fox hat." A fur hat made from fox pelt — a traditional Polish headwear. Used figuratively for cunning or slyness — putting on the fox hat means …

Literally "pursuit letter." A warrant for arrest — an official document ordering the capture of a fugitive. "A warrant," "a wanted notice."

Literally "the letter of the law." Refers to the strict, literal interpretation of a law — following the exact wording rather than the spirit or intent. "The …

Literally "to lick one's wounds." Means to recover from a defeat or painful experience, to nurse one's injuries in private — "to lick one's wounds."

Literally "lion's claw." Means a mark of genius or mastery — a detail that reveals the hand of a great talent. "The mark of a master," "the hallmark of genius." …

Literally "the lion's share." Means the largest portion — taking most of something for oneself. "The lion's share."

Literally "salon lioness." The female counterpart of 'lew salonowy' — a glamorous, socially dominant woman who commands attention at social gatherings. "A …

Literally "swan song." A final, often magnificent performance or work before death or retirement — "a swan song." From the ancient belief that swans sing …

Literally "swan neck." Describes a long, graceful, elegant neck — a classic image of feminine beauty. Also used in architecture and design for a curved S-shaped …

Literally "nice little flowers." Said ironically when something bad or scandalous has been discovered — "well, well, well," "nice going," "what a fine mess." …

Literally "a nice few years." Means quite a few years — a significant amount of time, more than just a couple. "A good few years," "quite some years."

Literally "gentle as a little lamb." Describes someone who is meek, mild, and completely harmless — "gentle as a lamb," "meek as a lamb."

Literally "breaking news." The Polish term for breaking news — a news story that is developing right now. Direct equivalent of the English "breaking news."

Literally "dream catcher." The Native American dreamcatcher — a hoop with a woven web that is said to catch bad dreams. Widely used in Polish as a decorative …

Literally "to catch the bacillus/bug." Means to catch a bug — either literally (get sick) or figuratively (become enthusiastic about something, catch the bug …

Literally "to catch a rubber/tyre." Means to get a flat tyre — "to get a puncture," "to blow a tyre."

Literally "to catch an opportunity." Means to seize a chance, to take advantage of a good opportunity — "to grab an opportunity," "to jump at a chance."

Literally "to grab God by the legs." Means to be incredibly lucky, to have extraordinary good fortune — as if you managed to grab hold of God himself. "To be …

Literally "to grab oneself by the head." Means to be horrified, to react with dismay or disbelief — "to hold one's head in one's hands," "to be aghast."

Literally "to catch wind in the sails." Means to gain momentum, to get a boost of energy or opportunity — "to catch the wind in one's sails," "to get the wind …

Literally "to catch someone by their little words." Means to nitpick, to catch someone out on minor verbal slips — "to pick holes in what someone says," "to …

Literally "grab-grab." Describes a chaotic, disorganised scramble — everyone grabbing what they can in a rush. "A free-for-all," "a mad scramble," …

Literally "a lord's favour rides on a dappled horse." Means that the goodwill of the powerful is unreliable and unpredictable — here today, gone tomorrow. "The …

Literally "it came easily, it went easily." Means easy come, easy go — things gained without effort are lost just as easily.

Literally "together with / including." A very common phrase meaning "including," "together with," "along with."

Literally "to connect the dots." Means to piece together clues or information to understand the full picture — "to connect the dots," "to join the dots."

Literally "to combine the pleasant with the useful." Means to do something enjoyable that is also productive — "to mix business with pleasure," "to kill two …

Literally "a head like a shop." Means someone has a vast amount of knowledge stored in their head — "a head full of knowledge," "a walking encyclopaedia."

Literally "head to head." Means neck and neck — two competitors so close together that neither has a clear lead. "Neck and neck," "head to head."

Literally "to lie as if hired to do it." Means to lie through one's teeth, to lie shamelessly and constantly — as if you were being paid specifically to tell …

Literally "to lie like a dog." Means to lie shamelessly and constantly — "to lie through one's teeth," "to lie like a rug."

Literally "tennis elbow." The Polish term for lateral epicondylitis — a painful condition of the elbow caused by repetitive arm movements, not only from tennis. …

Literally "the bosom of nature." Means being in a natural, peaceful environment — "the great outdoors," "nature."

Literally "head hunter." Means a recruiter searching for top talent — "headhunter."

Literally "an ounce of luck." Means a small but crucial amount of luck — "a bit of luck," "a touch of luck."

Literally "to swallow like a pelican." Means to believe everything gullibly — "to swallow something whole," "to be very gullible."

Literally "bald as a knee." Means completely bald.

Literally "a spoon for shoes." The Polish word for a shoehorn — the tool used to slip your foot into a shoe without bending the heel.

Literally "a spoonful of tar." Means a small negative element that spoils something — "a fly in the ointment."

Literally "a spoon of tar in a barrel of honey." Means a small flaw that ruins something otherwise very good.