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  What it means

  Literally “to lick one’s fingers,” this is the go-to Polish phrase for describing food that is absolutely delicious. It is a high compliment for a chef or a host, suggesting that the meal was so good you don’t want to waste a single drop. It is used in casual settings among family and friends during or after a meal.

  Vocabulary

  • palce — fingers
  • lizać — to lick (imperfective)
  • pyszne — delicious

  Grammar note

  The phrase uses the infinitive 'lizać' after the plural noun 'palce'. Interestingly, the order 'palce lizać' is more common than 'lizać palce', emphasizing the "fingers" as the object of the deliciousness.

  Cultural context

  While English has "finger-licking good," the Polish 'palce lizać' is more versatile and can be used to describe anything from a home-cooked dinner to a fancy pastry.

  Beginner

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