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  What it means

  Literally “to make a pitchfork out of a needle,” this is the Polish version of “making a mountain out of a molehill.” It refers to the act of exaggerating a minor problem or making a huge fuss over something insignificant. You would use this to tell someone to calm down and stop overreacting to a small mistake.

  Vocabulary

  • igła — needle
  • widły — pitchfork
  • przesadzać — to exaggerate
  • problem — problem

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'z' (out of) requires the genitive case ('z igły'), while the result of the transformation is in the accusative plural ('widły').

  Cultural context

  The comparison between the tiny, sharp needle and the massive, multi-pronged pitchfork provides a sharp visual of how much someone is blowing a situation out of proportion.

  Beginner

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