Na jałowym biegu
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What it means
Literally “in neutral gear / idling.” Means doing nothing productive, spinning one’s wheels — “in neutral,” “idling,” “going nowhere.”
Vocabulary
- jałowy — barren, idle, neutral (gear)
- bieg — gear, run, course
Grammar note
'Na jałowym biegu' uses the locative of 'jałowy bieg' after 'na' — state.
Cultural context
A car engine running in neutral — making noise and burning fuel but going nowhere. A perfect image of unproductive activity.
Intermediate
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