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  What it means

  Literally “neither from here, nor from there.” This is a popular way to describe something that happens completely unexpectedly and without any warning or logical reason. It’s the Polish equivalent of something happening “out of the blue.”

  Vocabulary

  • stąd — from here
  • zowąd — from somewhere / from there (archaic)
  • nagle — suddenly

  Grammar note

  This is a fixed adverbial phrase. 'Zowąd' is an archaic word that is almost never used outside of this specific idiom.

  Cultural context

  This phrase is frequently used when telling stories to emphasize a sudden plot twist or an unexpected change in someone's behavior.

  Intermediate

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