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  What it means

  Literally “to grease boot tops,” this old expression originally referred to a suitor sitting close to a woman by the fire, softening leather as he courted her. Today it means to court someone, to woo someone romantically, or to flirt persistently with romantic intent. Poles use it in a slightly old-fashioned or ironic register — you might hear it in a humorous comment about someone obviously trying to impress a love interest.

  Vocabulary

  • smalić — to singe, to grease (here: to warm by a fire)
  • cholewki — boot tops, upper parts of boots (plural of cholewka)
  • cholewka — boot shaft, leg of a boot

  Grammar note

  The verb 'smalić' is imperfective, indicating an ongoing action. 'Cholewki' is the accusative plural of 'cholewka' (feminine noun), which takes the -i ending after this verb. The idiom is used with a dative object for the person being courted: 'smalić komuś cholewki' (to court someone).

  Cultural context

  This idiom dates to rural Polish life where young men would sit by the hearth with a woman's family during courtship visits. It now sounds slightly archaic or humorous and is often used tongue-in-cheek. There is no single English equivalent, but 'to court someone' or 'to chase after someone' captures the meaning.

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