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  What it means

  Literally “in a cross,” this idiom means crosswise or in a cross-like pattern. It is used for physical arrangements, like crossing your arms or tying laces in an “X” shape. Colloquially, it can also describe someone lying completely flat and exhausted on their back.

  Vocabulary

  • krzyż — cross / lower back
  • skrzyżować — to cross (e.g., arms)
  • plecy — back

  Grammar note

  'Na krzyż' uses the accusative case of 'krzyż' after 'na' to describe the direction or manner of an arrangement.

  Cultural context

  Interestingly, in Polish 'krzyż' is also the anatomical term for the lower back/sacrum area, which is why "bolą mnie krzyże" means your lower back hurts.

  Beginner

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