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  What it means

  “The devil stokes the fire in an old stove.” Older people can still have strong passions, desires, or bad habits. Age does not always put out that inner fire, for good or bad.

  English equivalent

  There's no fool like an old fool.

  Vocabulary

  • piec — stove, furnace
  • diabeł — devil
  • palić — to burn, to stoke (a fire)
  • stary — old

  Grammar note

  'W starym piecu' uses the locative of 'piec' after 'w'. 'Diabeł pali' has 'diabeł' in the nominative as its subject.

  Cultural context

  Often said of older people who still pursue romantic or other passionate interests.

  Intermediate

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