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  What it means

  Literally “worth a stroke” or “worth a blow,” this phrase draws on the archaic noun szlak (also spelled szlag), meaning a blow or stroke and used as a mild expletive. It almost always appears in its negative form: nie wart szlaka — not worth a damn, utterly worthless. It expresses contemptuous dismissal of something as having no value whatsoever. Poles apply it to people, objects, plans, or arguments they consider completely beneath consideration. The positive form szlaka wart occasionally appears for ironic effect.

  Vocabulary

  • szlak / szlag — blow, stroke; expletive particle (archaic, from German Schlag)
  • szlaka — genitive singular of szlak
  • wart — worth (predicate adjective, masculine nominative)
  • nie wart szlaka — not worth a damn, utterly worthless

  Grammar note

  Wart (worth) is a predicate adjective that governs the genitive case for the thing being measured: wart szlaka (worth a damn), wart zachodu (worth the effort), wart grzechu (worth the sin). This genitive-of-value construction is standard with wart, warty, and similar adjectives of evaluation. The feminine form is warta, neuter warte.

  Cultural context

  The word szlak (szlag) entered Polish from German Schlag (blow, stroke) and became an expletive particle used in expressions like szlag go trafił (he had a fit of rage). Nie wart szlaka is colloquial to mildly vulgar and suits informal speech. It has a slightly old-fashioned flavour but remains widely understood. A close English equivalent is 'not worth a damn' or 'not worth tuppence.'

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