Kiedy na świętą Łucję mróz, to smaruj wóz
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What it means
“When there’s frost on St. Lucy’s Day, grease your cart.” If it’s frosty on December 13 (St. Lucy’s Day), expect a mild winter — you’ll be using a wheeled cart rather than a sleigh. A folk weather prediction proverb.
Vocabulary
- Łucja — Lucy (St. Lucy's Day, December 13)
- mróz — frost
- smarować — to grease, to lubricate
- wóz — cart, wagon
Grammar note
'Smaruj' is the imperative of 'smarować'. 'Na świętą Łucję' uses the accusative in a temporal expression.
Cultural context
St. Lucy's Day (December 13) is one of many Polish calendar saints used for weather prediction. A greased cart (not a sleigh) implies no snow.
Intermediate
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