• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “to soap someone’s eyes,” this idiom means to deceive someone by presenting a situation as better than it actually is. It’s like “pulling the wool over someone’s eyes.” The image suggests that by putting soap in someone’s eyes, you make them unable to see the truth clearly, allowing you to mislead them.

  Vocabulary

  • mydlić — to soap / lather
  • mydło — soap
  • oko — eye
  • kłamać — to lie

  Grammar note

  'Oczy' is the accusative plural of 'oko.' The verb 'mydlić' is imperfective, often suggesting a continuous or repeated attempt to mislead.

  Cultural context

  This is a classic Polish idiom used frequently in politics and investigative journalism when someone is trying to hide a scandal with sweet talk or fake promises.

  Intermediate

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