Baba swoje, czart swoje.
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What it means
“The woman her thing, the devil his thing.” Even when faced with the devil himself, she won’t give in. Used of someone whose stubbornness is truly legendary — they argue on regardless of the opposition.
Vocabulary
- baba — woman (folk/colloquial)
- swoje — one's own thing (accusative of swój)
- czart — devil (archaic/folk form of diabeł)
Grammar note
Same elliptical 'swoje' construction as the related proverbs. 'Czart' is an older, folk-register word for the devil.
Cultural context
The 'czart' variant is the most extreme of the 'baba swoje' family — pitting the woman against the devil himself.
Beginner
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