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  What it means

  “He who doesn’t draw trumps walks without shoes.” In card games, failing to use your trump cards leads to losing everything, even your shoes. Use your advantages when you have them.

  English equivalent

  Strike while the iron is hot.

  Vocabulary

  • ściągać — to draw, to pull out
  • atut — trump card
  • chodzić — to walk, to go
  • buty — shoes

  Grammar note

  'Atutów' is the genitive plural of 'atut', used as the object of negated 'nie ściąga'. 'Bez butów' uses the genitive after 'bez'.

  Cultural context

  Originates from card-playing culture; losing one's shoes was a folk metaphor for total loss.

  Intermediate

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