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  What it means

  Literally “to fall from the rain under the gutter,” this describes going from a bad situation to one that is even worse. While rain is unpleasant, the concentrated torrent of water from a roof’s drainpipe is far more intense. Poles use it to express frustration when an attempt to solve one problem accidentally triggers a larger catastrophe.

  Vocabulary

  • wpaść — to fall (into) / to drop in
  • deszcz — rain
  • rynna — gutter / drainpipe

  Grammar note

  This phrase demonstrates two different case requirements: 'z' (from) takes the genitive 'deszczu', while 'pod' (under) takes the accusative 'rynnę' here because it indicates the direction of the fall.

  Cultural context

  This is the Polish version of "out of the frying pan and into the fire." It is one of the most common idiomatic expressions used in daily life to describe bad luck.

  Beginner

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