Remember, young chemist: always pour acid into water. A safety rhyme taught in Polish schools — when diluting acid, always add acid to water, never the other …

God is not quick, but He has a long memory. Divine justice may be slow in coming, but it never forgets — wrongdoers will eventually face consequences.

God is not quick, but He is just. Divine justice may be slow, but it is certain — in the end, fairness will prevail.

Pancras, Servatius and Boniface — bad lads for gardens. The feast days of these three saints (12, 13, 14 May) fall during the Ice Saints period, when late …

Pancras, Servatius, Boniface and Sophie are the cold saints. This variant adds Saint Sophie (15 May) to the Ice Saints, extending the cold spell to four days.

Pancras, Servatius, Boniface — each one treats you to his own cold. Each of the three Ice Saints brings his own cold snap, so expect three separate frosts …

Trying to please two opposing sides at once — God and the devil. Said of someone who hedges their bets morally or politically, playing both sides to avoid …

A variant of the same idea: giving God a proper candle and the devil a candle stub. Someone who tries to keep both good and evil on their side, or who is …

Another common form of the same proverb: lighting a candle for God and a stub for the devil. Describes someone who tries to appease both good and evil, or who …

The master's eye fattens the horse. When the owner personally oversees their property or business, things thrive — direct attention and supervision lead to …

Paper is patient. You can write anything on paper — it won't object or push back. Used to warn that written words, plans, or promises are easy to make but may …

Roasted pigeons don't fly into your mouth on their own. Nothing good comes without effort — you have to work for what you want rather than waiting for it to …

Money doesn't stink. The origin or means by which money was earned doesn't matter — money is money. Often used cynically to justify accepting money from dubious …

The first cats go over the fences. The first attempt at something rarely succeeds — it's a warm-up, a trial run. Used to excuse or explain away an initial …

A drunkard will find another drunkard. Birds of a feather flock together — people with the same vices or habits naturally seek each other out.

A drunkard is like a beast: good for neither work nor prayer. A sharp moral condemnation of drunkenness — the drunk person is reduced to an animal state, …

A fence lasts three years, a cat outlives three fences, a horse outlives three cats. A folk saying about the relative lifespans of things — and a reminder that …

After a good meal, even the water in the pond tastes good. When you are satisfied and content, everything around you seems pleasant. Contentment colours your …

After work, rest is sweet — all the sweeter for those who have their own hearth. Hard work makes rest more enjoyable, and having your own home makes that rest …

After work, it doesn't hurt to enjoy yourself. A gentle endorsement of leisure and celebration after honest labour — all work and no play is not the Polish way …

After Saint Agatha's day, underpants will dry in the sun. A folk weather proverb: after February 5th (St. Agatha's feast day), the sun grows strong enough to …

After Saint Agatha's day, laundry will dry on the fence. A variant of the same seasonal proverb: from February 5th onward, the sun is warm enough to dry washing …

After Saint Agnes's day, the ox will drink from the path. From January 21st onward, the thaw begins — puddles form on paths and the ground softens enough for …

After Saint Dorothy's day, hang your scarves on the fence. From February 6th, the weather is mild enough to dry headscarves and cloths outdoors — another folk …

After Saint Dorothy's day, scarves will dry on the fence. A variant of the same proverb, using the future tense rather than the imperative — predicting that …

After Saint Catherine's day, think about your duvet. From November 25th, winter cold sets in seriously — time to get out the heavy bedding and prepare for the …

Around Saint Lucy's day, the day is shortest. December 13th (St. Lucy's feast day) was traditionally considered the winter solstice in the old Julian calendar — …

After the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), flies grow fat as pigs. A summer observation: by late June the warm weather has made insects plentiful and …

After Saint Thaddeus's day (October 28), you need to wear a hat. A weather proverb warning that late October brings cold enough to require head covering.

For a fat calf people will come to your home, but a skinny one they won't buy even at the market. Quality attracts buyers without effort; poor goods go unsold …

After Saint Urban's day, summer will come. A seasonal proverb marking May 25 (feast of Saint Urban) as the threshold after which summer weather can be expected. …

Starting from Adam, every person lies. Lying is presented as a universal human trait inherited since the very beginning of mankind.

A cadet always makes it in time. Ironic saying about someone who is perpetually late yet always manages to arrive just in the nick of time — or who uses the …

Good weather on Saint Blaise's day is a good omen for spring. If February 3 is fair, an early and pleasant spring can be expected.

The sword does not cut a humble head. Humility protects a person from attack and conflict; those who bow down are not struck down.

A Pole and a Hungarian are two brothers — both for the sabre and for the glass. Celebrates the historic friendship between Poland and Hungary, noting shared …

A Polish bridge, a German fast, an Italian devotion — all of it is foolishness. A sardonic proverb mocking stereotypes: Polish bridges were rickety, German …

The devil swallowed the old woman but couldn't digest her. Said of a stubborn, difficult person who is too tough even for the devil to handle.

Send a stupid donkey to Paris — if he was a donkey here, he won't become a horse there. Travel and education cannot transform a fool; character does not change …

Necessity is the mother of invention. People find creative solutions when they have no other choice; hardship drives ingenuity.

You said A, now say B. Once you have started something or made a commitment, you must follow through to the end.

Work that has been undertaken deserves its pay. A statement that labour should be fairly rewarded — if someone has done a job, they are owed compensation.

Repetition is the mother of knowledge. Reviewing and practising material repeatedly is the surest path to mastering it.

Voluntary work has greater value than forced work. Effort given freely and willingly is worth more than labour extracted under compulsion.

Work perfects virtue. Diligent labour not only produces results but also builds moral character and excellence in the person who does it.

Work and thrift bring plenty. Combining diligent effort with careful, steady habits leads to prosperity and sufficiency.

Every work has its reward; pleasure brings shame and loss. Honest labour is repaid with good, while the pursuit of pleasure leads to disgrace and ruin.

Work shortens the years. Time passes quickly when one is busy and productive; hard work makes life feel shorter and more purposeful.

Work is the greatest wealth. The capacity and willingness to work is more valuable than any material possession.

Work harms no one. Hard work never hurt anybody; there is no shame or damage in honest labour.

Work guards against poverty: whoever does not sow will reap nothing. Diligence protects you from want; if you put in no effort, you can expect no reward.

Work put off is worth little. Procrastination diminishes the value of any task; delayed effort rarely produces good results.

Work gilds. Labour enriches and brings a golden reward; diligence turns effort into something precious.

Work pays for itself. The act of working is its own reward — the skills, satisfaction, and results it produces are payment enough.

Work fattens, poverty teaches. Prosperity from work nourishes the body, while hardship and poverty teach valuable lessons about life.

Constant work overcomes everything. Persistent, unrelenting effort can conquer any obstacle or difficulty.

Work enriches. Diligent labour leads to wealth and prosperity; working hard makes you richer.

Work done with enthusiasm turns straw into gold. Willingness and eagerness transform even the humblest materials or tasks into something valuable.

Work, anger, and drinking are healthiest in moderation. Even beneficial things like work, or natural emotions like anger, become harmful in excess — moderation …

"The truth pokes you in the eyes." Honest words can be uncomfortable or painful to hear. People often react badly to the truth precisely because it hits close …

"True friends are known in hardship." You only discover who your real friends are when times are tough. Fair-weather friends disappear when things go wrong.

"The law is there to be circumvented." A cynical observation that rules and laws exist mainly to be worked around. Often said with irony about bureaucratic or …

"Before St Pancras's day there is no summer; after St Boniface's day the frost flies away." A folk weather proverb: true summer warmth does not arrive before 12 …

"Through lords to the king, and through the saints to God." To reach someone powerful you must go through intermediaries. Influence and access flow through …

"Through the stomach to the heart." The way to win someone's affection — especially a man's — is through good food. Cooking for someone is an act of love.

"The pot was scolding the pan." Used when someone criticises another for a fault they share themselves. A shorter form of the fuller proverb.

"The pot was scolding the pan, yet it blackens itself." The fuller version of the proverb: the one doing the criticising is guilty of the same thing. Hypocrisy …

"Sincere friendship never dies." True, genuine friendship is lasting and endures through time and hardship.

"Proverbs are the wisdom of nations." Proverbs distil the collective experience and insight of entire peoples across generations.

"Proverbs are the wisdom of the nation." A variant of the same idea using the singular 'narodu' (of the nation) rather than the plural 'narodów' (of nations). …

"The reckoning has come for Matyska." Everyone eventually faces the consequences of their actions. The day of reckoning comes for everyone, no matter how long …

"The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on." Critics and detractors make noise, but those with purpose continue undeterred. Don't let naysayers stop you.