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  What it means

  Literally “to squint an eye.” This means to intentionally ignore a mistake, a minor rule-breaking, or a flaw. It implies a conscious decision to be lenient or to pretend not to see something that technically should be corrected or punished.

  Vocabulary

  • przymknąć — to close slightly / to squint
  • oko — eye
  • błąd — mistake / error

  Grammar note

  'Oko' is the accusative singular object. 'Przymknąć' is the perfective verb; the imperfective version is 'przymykać oko'.

  Cultural context

  This is often used in situations involving bureaucracy or school, where a person in authority decides to be kind rather than strict.

  Beginner

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