Language / (part 2) Polish Language Pronunciation - Sample Words and Phrases [311]

I need to know these things so I can sound as good as possible. I even practice when I'm on my own sometimes!
The only problem is that when I try to say it out loud in front of people, it all comes out wrong...
except in a nice simple word like 'cześć' or in a load of mindless swearing - practice eventually makes perfect!

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


It kills when you burn your fingers on the cigarette end. OUCH!

Language / (part 2) Polish Language Pronunciation - Sample Words and Phrases [311]

cześć

It helps when you start to know that there are two different sounds that English-speakers' ears hear as 'ch' - neither of them spelt 'ch'! So, although it sounds a bit like 'cheshch', it isn't. Confused? You will be!

cz - like 'ch' in 'chicken', with the tongue in a similar position to the English 'r' but maybe not quite so far back.

ć - the tongue makes a completely different shape for this one - the tip of the tongue just behind and above the front teeth, the middle of the tongue raised upwards (kind of thing)

ś is made in the same kind of way as the ć
e is like the e in the word 'shed'.

Was that helpful, Adam.
Anyone else: was that a good description from someone who is rubbish at Polish?

History / Poland Betrayed in WW2 [243]


Is that kin nations or 'kin nations. Spot the difference, abbreviation fans?
I don't consider myself as 'a Germanic' and I'm English.

News / Leader Of Poland? [18]


Perhaps it is I.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


That now smell of food - that is bad when you can smell vinegar on chips or soup or roast that's just come out of a microwave. Or worse - they smell of sweat and farts.


Just narrowly dodged a falling meteorite. That was a close one, but is that bus heading straight for me?

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]

Happy birthday, PinkJewel.
I used to see that a lot of old women had names like Pearl or Ruby, but I thought that generation was now gone.
Pink Jewel fits that perfectly.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


We all knew it wasn't you - you're 96 aren't you? Smoking since 13, if I'm not mistaken.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


As if no-one ever got lung cancer without there being cigarette smoke to blame.


Have a cigarette - that'll sort you out.

News / Leader Of Poland? [18]

So, if I landed my spaceship in Poland and said in a metallic tone of voice 'Take me to your leader', to whom would I be taken?

'Here is the duck pond.'

History / Poland Betrayed in WW2 [243]

Fiats don't have knives on their wheels.

History / Poland Betrayed in WW2 [243]

At the start of the 5th century AD, the Romans betrayed Britain. How dare they?
So I urge everyone here not to buy Italian cars.

Love / Valentines messages ideas - English guys with Polish girls [55]

Violets are blue,
Roses are red,
and pretty soon,
I'll have you in bed,
or perhaps just up against a wall or over a table.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


No, but without a cigarette, I'd probably still be able to do it with a teaspoon.

Feedback / Edit not working [11]


So I can edit now?
Yes I can. Fantastic.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


I have an in-built horticulture-detection device.


I got thrown out of my geology course before going into the world of plants, so I prefer my Crataegus to the Cretaceous.


That must explain why my spag bol always includes aubergine.


Even before I started smoking, I liked the smell of smoke. Strange. I think that if I tried to give up, I'd have to learn to hate it. I've always found ex-smokers to be much more anti-smoking than people who have never smoked.


Long enough for a mass-murder.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]


I have used it professionally. It is a killer. The most reliable one I know.


Actually, deadly nightshade is in the same genus as potato, tomato and aubergine.
Aubergines contain some nicotine as well - more than in any other foodstuff.
Tobacco is in the genus Nicotiana. The flowers smell fantastic, especially in the evenings.

I still don't know why I smoke, and I'm smoking right now.

Language / Who wants a Linguaphone Polish Course...? [30]

What's so special about Linguaphone?

Feedback / Edit not working [11]

I wanted to amend my last entry on Polish Word Assoc.

I wanted to put the the in brackets (nothing to do with an '80s pop group)
I also, more importantly, wanted to award myself with a star, partly for knowing the words without using a book, but mostly for not using the nominative case.

Genealogy / how many know their own family histories? [139]


I always assumed that would be hot rather than cold.
I like cold weather, so perhaps I ought to misbehave more.

Food / Polish Ham - How to? [45]

Now it's back on the subject of food it's making me hungry.
I'm supposed to be sleeping, not making sandwiches.

Genealogy / Polish surname meanings and origins [25]


Is it specifically blacksmith?
I know a Hungarian with the etymologically related name Kovacs, meaning Smith.
I do get away with calling him Mr. Smith.


I don't know - he might have liked it.
There's been a New Forest in England for not far off 1000 years. It's still new!

A mate of mine changed his English surname to his wife's German one when they married.
It looks cooler than it was before. Think Manjor Burns (M*A*S*H) or Montgomery Burns (The Simpsons) and you might understand why.
But then again, it is sort-of still Burns night up in Scotland - an evening dedicated to the great Rabbie Burns. I ate no haggis.

Note how there are no Scots on the forum tonight.
Tomorrow they'll be recovering.

Travel / Poland at Easter. [12]


Nearly, but not quite a Land's End - John O'Groats kind of thing.

Life / Cigarette Smoking in Poland [146]

My dentist told me to stop smoking.

My dentist!!!

I said 'Who are you to tell me how I live my life? If I want to destroy my health, that's my concern.'

He said 'Can't you just stop smoking while I do this filling?'

The edft here was a speeeeling correction

Food / Polish Ham - How to? [45]

Food was one of the things that drew me in in the first place. Especially the cold meats.
How can anyone not like it?


Well, you are what you eat.

I'll be doing the next stage of my smoker-construction project tomorrow.
I'll be hassling people for recipes by the summer, then all round to mine for quality meat products.
No, jesteśjedyny, not that kind of meat product. Tsk tsk!

Language / What language do you like better, Polish or English? [71]


The Cockney thing lures people in.


I've heard plenty of Turkish people talking like Cockneys. Strangely enough, it seems to suit quite a lot of them.

Life / popularity of sperm bank in Poland :) [15]

Enfield is in NORF LAAANDON. That's NORF LAAAANDON-ish for North London, just in case you weren't sure. I work with someone who lives there (when he's not hiding in a sleepy Hertfordshire hamlet). He tells stories about the place that don't make it sound very appealing. Unless you like violence, alcohol and scary-looking lesbians.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Life / POSITIVES ABOUT POLAND AND POLISH PEOPLE.... [119]

A payrise and a longer holiday.

Life / popularity of sperm bank in Poland :) [15]


This was in Enfield, right?

Everyone in Enfield looks scary.