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  What it means

  Literally “to put on a cassock,” this phrase means to enter the priesthood or take holy orders. Beyond its literal sense it is used colloquially when someone suddenly adopts a preachy or moralistic attitude — as if they had just become a priest.

  Vocabulary

  • wkładać — to put on (clothing), to don (imperfective verb)
  • sutanna — cassock (the long robe worn by Catholic priests)

  Grammar note

  Wkładać takes the accusative: wkładać sutannę. The perfective is włożyć sutannę for a completed act of dressing.

  Cultural context

  Given Poland's strong Catholic heritage, the cassock is an instantly recognisable symbol of clerical life. The phrase can be affectionate or mildly satirical depending on context.

  Intermediate

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