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  What it means

  Literally “to have a knife at one’s throat,” this idiom describes being in an extremely desperate situation or under intense pressure. It suggests that a person has no room for error and must make a difficult decision immediately. It is the Polish equivalent of “to be pushed against the wall” or “to have a gun to one’s head.”

  Vocabulary

  • nóż — knife
  • gardło — throat
  • presja — pressure

  Grammar note

  'Na gardle' is the locative form of 'gardło.' The preposition 'na' (on/at) triggers the locative case when referring to a fixed position.

  Cultural context

  This is a very evocative and common idiom. While it sounds violent, it is most often used in non-violent contexts, like a business nearing bankruptcy or a student facing a final deadline.

  Intermediate

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