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  What it means

  Literally “to knock off the legs,” this idiom means to deeply impress, overwhelm, or physically exhaust someone. It can be used for a stunning view that “takes your breath away” or a long day at work that leaves you completely spent. Poles use it frequently to describe strong emotions or the physical effect of a powerful illness or intense effort.

  Vocabulary

  • zwalać — to knock down / to dump (imperfective)
  • nogi — legs / feet
  • wrażenie — impression

  Grammar note

  The preposition 'z' (from/off) triggers the genitive case, turning 'nogi' (plural) into 'nóg'. The imperfective aspect 'zwalać' suggests that the thing being described has a general tendency to be overwhelming.

  Cultural context

  This is a very versatile idiom that works for both positive "wow" moments and negative "I'm exhausted" situations. It is similar to the English "to sweep someone off their feet" or "to be dead tired."

  Intermediate

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