Nie graj, bawole, czego nie ma na stole
Listen
What it means
“Don’t play, ox, what isn’t on the table.” Don’t pretend to have or offer something you don’t actually possess. A rebuke to braggarts or those who make empty promises.
English equivalent
Don't promise what you can't deliver.
Vocabulary
- grać — to play, to pretend
- bawół — buffalo, ox (used as an insult: blockhead)
- stół — table
Grammar note
'Nie graj' is the negative imperative of 'grać'. 'Na stole' is the locative of 'stół'. 'Czego' is the genitive used in a negative existential clause ('nie ma czego').
Cultural context
'Bawół' used as a form of address is a mild insult implying the person is slow-witted or clumsy.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while …