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  What it means

  Literally “to skim the cream.” Means to take the best part of something while leaving the rest to others — to cherry-pick the most profitable or enjoyable bits without doing the hard work.

  Vocabulary

  • spijać — to skim / to sip off (imperfective)
  • śmietanka — cream (also: the cream of society, the elite)

  Grammar note

  'Spijać' is imperfective, suggesting a habitual or ongoing action. The accusative 'śmietankę' is the direct object.

  Cultural context

  The image comes from dairy farming — cream rises to the top of fresh milk and was the most prized part. The phrase is used critically of someone who exploits a situation without contributing.

  Intermediate

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