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  What it means

  Literally means “to climb into someone’s backside.” This vulgar expression means to shamelessly flatter or suck up to someone — especially a superior — in order to gain favor, advantages, or career advancement. It is the Polish equivalent of “brown-nosing” or “ass-kissing.” The implication is that the person is so eager to please that they would metaphorically disappear inside the other person.

  Vocabulary

  • włazić — to climb in, to crawl into; imperfective verb
  • komuś — to someone; dative of ktoś (someone), indicating the person being flattered
  • dupa — butt, ass; vulgar but extremely common colloquial term
  • dupę — accusative singular of dupa, required after w (direction)

  Grammar note

  Włazić is an imperfective verb, emphasizing the habitual, ongoing nature of the sycophantic behavior rather than a single act. Komuś is the dative of ktoś, identifying the indirect object — the person being sucked up to. In practice, komuś is replaced by a specific dative noun: włazić szefowi w dupę (to suck up to the boss). W dupę uses the accusative, indicating direction.

  Cultural context

  Despite being vulgar, this expression is extremely common in informal Polish and used with contempt to describe workplace or social sycophancy: On ciągle włazi szefowi w dupę (He is constantly kissing the boss's ass). It is not considered especially taboo in casual speech among friends. A milder, politer synonym is podlizywać się (to toady, to lick up to someone), which can be used in more restrained contexts.

  Intermediate

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