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  What it means

  Literally “to lay the coffee on the bench,” this idiom means “to spell something out plainly,” “to put all the cards on the table,” or “to explain something directly and without ambiguity.” It describes the act of making something completely clear, leaving nothing hidden or implied. Poles use it when someone stops hinting and states exactly what they mean, or when all the facts are laid out for everyone to see.

  Vocabulary

  • wykładać — to lay out, to set out (imperfective)
  • kawa — coffee (here in accusative: kawę)
  • ława — bench, low table (here in accusative: ławę)

  Grammar note

  The verb 'wykładać' (imperfective) takes 'kawę' as its direct object in the accusative. 'Na ławę' is 'na' + accusative, indicating direction or placement onto a surface. The imperfective aspect suggests a habitual or ongoing action of explaining openly. The perfective 'wyłożyć kawę na ławę' would imply a single, definitive laying-out of the facts.

  Cultural context

  The origin of this phrase is debated; one theory links it to old market stalls where goods were literally placed on benches for inspection. Today the expression is neutral and widely used in journalism, politics, and everyday speech. It is often heard when someone is frustrated with vagueness and demands straight talk. The English equivalent is 'to lay it all out' or 'to put one's cards on the table.'

  Intermediate

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