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  What it means

  “A fish rots from the head.” Corruption, failure, or problems in an organisation start at the top, with its leaders rather than ordinary staff.

  English equivalent

  A fish rots from the head down.

  Vocabulary

  • ryba — fish
  • psuć się — to rot, to go bad
  • głowa — head

  Grammar note

  'Psuje się' is the reflexive third-person singular present of 'psuć się'. 'Od głowy' uses the genitive after the preposition 'od'.

  Cultural context

  Used in political and business contexts to blame poor leadership for wider problems.

  Beginner

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