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  What it means

  The older someone gets, the more stubborn and set in their ways they become. Old habits and attitudes harden with age.

  English equivalent

  You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

  Vocabulary

  • kot — cat
  • ogon — tail
  • twardy — hard, stiff, stubborn

  Grammar note

  'Im… tym…' is a comparative paired pattern. 'Starszy' and 'twardszy' are comparative adjectives.

  Cultural context

  It uses the image of a cat's tail becoming stiff with age as a picture of human stubbornness.

  Intermediate

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