Dla towarzystwa dał się Cygan powiesić
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What it means
For the sake of company, the Gypsy let himself be hanged. Said of someone who goes along with others into a foolish or dangerous situation simply to not be left out.
Vocabulary
- towarzystwo — company, companionship
- dać się — to let oneself, to allow oneself
- powiesić — to hang
- Cygan — Gypsy, Roma (historical folk usage)
Grammar note
'Dał się powiesić' — reflexive construction with 'dać się' + infinitive: 'allowed himself to be hanged'.
Cultural context
A darkly humorous proverb warning against blind conformity. The figure of the Cygan (Roma) appears frequently in Polish folk proverbs as a stock character.
Intermediate
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