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  What it means

  Literally “to run off like water off a duck.” Means that criticism, insults, or problems have no effect on someone — they simply don’t care or are unaffected. The Polish equivalent of “like water off a duck’s back.”

  Vocabulary

  • spływać — to flow off / to run off (imperfective)
  • kaczka — duck
  • po kaczce — off a duck / from a duck (locative)

  Grammar note

  'Po kaczce' uses the locative case after 'po'. The subject of 'spływać' is whatever is rolling off — criticism, words, problems.

  Cultural context

  Duck feathers are naturally waterproof, so water beads and rolls off instantly. The image is universal across many European languages.

  Beginner

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