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  What it means

  Literally “to know each other like bald horses,” this idiom describes two people who have been close for a long time and know everything about each other. It suggests deep familiarity and mutual understanding, where little comes as a surprise. Poles use it to stress the strength and length of a friendship, often at reunions or when remembering the past.

  Vocabulary

  • znać się — to know each other (reflexive)
  • łyse — bald / hairless (plural)
  • konie — horses
  • dawno — a long time ago

  Grammar note

  The verb 'znać się' is reflexive, indicating a reciprocal relationship. 'Łyse konie' is in the nominative plural, acting as a comparative subject after the conjunction 'jak' (like).

  Cultural context

  The origin likely refers to horses that lost hair on their foreheads from wearing harnesses for many years, signaling they were old, experienced, and well-known to their owners. It is a very common, informal way to describe old buddies.

  Beginner

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