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  What it means

  Literally “to chase the cat,” this idiom means to give someone a severe scolding or to drive them away aggressively. It implies asserting dominance over someone who was being annoying or intrusive. A teacher might “chase the cat” for students who are behaving badly, or a boss might do it to an unproductive employee.

  Vocabulary

  • pogonić — to chase away / to hurry (perfective)
  • kot — cat
  • ochrzanić — to scold / to tell off (colloquial)
  • przepędzić — to drive away / to shoo

  Grammar note

  The word 'kota' is in the accusative case (which for animate masculine nouns looks like the genitive). The verb 'pogonić' uses the prefix 'po-' to suggest the start of an energetic or completed action.

  Cultural context

  This is a colloquial expression that isn't particularly "mean" to cats, but rather uses the image of a cat being shooed away to represent discipline. It is common in informal speech and carries a sense of "sending someone packing."

  Intermediate

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