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  What it means

  Literally “the navel of the world.” This is a pejorative term used to describe someone who is extremely self-centered or arrogant. If you tell someone they are not the “pępek świata,” you are reminding them that the universe does not revolve around them.

  Vocabulary

  • pępek — navel / belly button
  • świat — world
  • egoista — egoist

  Grammar note

  A simple noun + genitive construction. 'Świata' is the genitive form of 'świat'.

  Cultural context

  This idiom has ancient roots (referring to the Omphalos of Delphi), but in modern Polish, it is most commonly used by parents to scold spoiled children or by colleagues to describe a narcissistic boss.

  Beginner

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