Polish Idioms Explained — U (11)
All Polish idioms starting with the letter U — explanations, vocabulary, grammar notes, and cultural context for learners.
- Literally: "to get away dry." The image is of crossing water without getting wet, escaping a dangerous or awkward situation without consequences. Figuratively, …
- Literally: "to arrange one's life for oneself." This idiom means to settle down, put one's affairs in order, and build a stable, satisfying adult life, usually …
- Literally "at the feet." It can describe a physical place, such as the foot of a mountain, or a state of submission, admiration, or devotion. If the world is "u …
- Literally "to cut a mosquito." This is a very common Polish slang term for taking a short nap. It means a quick sleep, often unexpected or taken during the day …
- Literally "to pretend to be a Greek." This common idiom describes someone who is "playing dumb." When someone "udaje Greka," they pretend to be ignorant, …
- Literally "strike the table, and the scissors will speak up." This proverb is used when someone makes a general comment about a fault or crime and the guilty …
- Literally "to bite one's tongue." Like in English, it means stopping yourself from saying something you may regret. It is the quick decision to keep a secret, …
- Literally "to wash one's hands." It means refusing any further part in a situation or avoiding responsibility for the result. It clearly says, "this is no …
- Literally "to be born in a bonnet." It describes someone who is unusually lucky or seems to have everything go their way in life. It is similar to the "silver …
- Literally "to have fallen off the Christmas tree." This humorous idiom describes someone who is completely out of touch with reality, naive, or unaware of what …
- Literally "to drown someone in a spoonful of water." This describes a person with such strong hostility or spite that they would harm someone at the smallest …