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  What it means

  Literally “to the breaking of the neck,” this idiom means “at breakneck speed” or “recklessly fast.” It describes doing something so quickly or recklessly that it risks injury or disaster. In everyday speech it is used to describe someone driving too fast, working frantically, or rushing through a task without care. It always implies a dangerous or at least careless pace.

  Vocabulary

  • złamanie — breaking, fracture (verbal noun from złamać)
  • kark — neck, nape of the neck
  • na — to, at (governing accusative in this expression)

  Grammar note

  The phrase uses 'na' + accusative ('złamanie karku') to express purpose or result — 'to the point of breaking one's neck.' 'Złamanie' is a verbal noun (gerund) in the accusative, and 'karku' is a genitive form of 'kark,' showing possession within the noun phrase.

  Cultural context

  This is a vivid, informal expression found in everyday conversation and journalism. It parallels the English 'at breakneck speed' almost exactly. It is neutral in register — not vulgar — and can be used in both spoken and written Polish to add colour when describing reckless haste.

  Intermediate

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