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  What it means

  Literally “to put (someone) on their shoulder blades,” this is a wrestling metaphor that means to defeat someone completely or to overwhelm them. It can refer to a literal sports victory, a successful business move, or even a flu that “lays you low.” If a problem is so hard it makes you give up, it has “put you on your shoulder blades.”

  Vocabulary

  • położyć — to lay / put down
  • łopatki — shoulder blades
  • pokonać — to defeat / overcome

  Grammar note

  'Na łopatki' uses the accusative plural of 'łopatka.' In Polish, many sports metaphors involve the body's reaction to a physical struggle.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common idiom in Poland. It’s vivid and energetic, often used by sports commentators but equally popular in casual conversation to describe any total defeat.

  Intermediate

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