News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

One can do wonders with statistics. They can be used to prove or disprove most any point. But the bottom line is NOBODY LEAVES THEIR HOME OR CAR UNLOCKED ANYMORE! Ans, despite all the monitoring cameras, shoplifting is at an all-time high. Maybe too many people have lost their ethical compass?! The only ones cashing in on all this are the producers and sellers of alarm systems and anti-theft devices.

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

In Poland there was less crime in previous decades maybe because people feared the almighty MO and communist prosecutors more than their present-day equivalents. Believe it or not in the 1950s and '60s in America people did not lock the front doors of their homes, cars were parked on the streets unlocked and in fair weather even with windows down. And a bike left on the front porch overnight was still there the next day. There still weren't that many Muslims in America so there must have been other reasons for the growing crime rates. Whaddya think?

Life / The name "Mitchell" in Polish [13]

Mitchell in the US Polonia is what might be called the customary (but not lingusitically acccurate) equivalent of Mieczysław. The children of the late 19th and early 20th-century immigrants were brainwashed by the WASP establishment into feeling ashamed of their quaint ethnic ways and encouraged to aspire to modern, trendy and dynamic WASPdom, and many let themselves be bamboozled. Mieczysław sounded so foreign, unfashionable, un-WASPy and downright un-American, they were told and picked some usually close-sounding Anglo-equivalent.

For Stanisław it was Stanley
Władysław became Walter
Bolesław was Bill
Czesław turned into Chester
Jadwiga became Harriet (not Hedwig for some reason)
Bronisława was redubbed Bernice
Władysława became Lottie
Grażyna turned into Grace
Pelagia passed herslef off as Pearl
Stanisława became Stella or Estelle, etc., etc.

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Genealogy / Maluchnik family (Margaret, Stanley, Anthony ) [4]

MALUCHNIK: This looks to be a name of patronymic origin indicating an offspring of someone called Maluchny. Maluchny was derived from the adjective mały (small. little, tiny, negligible) and like maluśki means very small, teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy and the like.

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

They say "coś za coś", possibly translatable as "everything has its downside (and upside)". In this case, perhaps Poland's relative poverty is a blessing in disguise. All the rich countries attracting waves of Third World, especially Muslim immigrants have had to pay dearly for multi-culti. Many of the unassimilable newcomers set up hermetic ethnic neighbourhoods, try to impose their values on the host society and take over...or else!

Genealogy / Zawadynski - herb. Rawicz / Rawa and herb. Dolega [26]

Biuro Heraldyki i Genealogii SARMATA
+48 48 674 23 51 or cell: +48 603 633 905
Director: Andrzej Zygmunt Rola-Stężycki

Good luck!

Genealogy / In search of information regarding surname URYGA [3]

URYGA: Probably derived from the Latin word auriga which meant charioteer. Since there weren't any Roman chariots in Old Poland, it probably became the occupational tag for a coachman or carter. The Tarta Mt area is definitely this surname's main stronghold.

Food / Pascha for Easter? [5]

to clabber = zsiąść się, zgęstnieć z powodu fermentacji

Food / Pascha for Easter? [5]

The Mrs says you have to make your own cheese by letting whole milk with sour cream added clabber. I'll let you know how it turned out after Easter.

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

If some shady type or types were to approach one on the street, is one better off saying something in English or some other foreign tongue (not Russian of course!)? In terms of Polish psychology, would that be a detrrent or an encouragement to potential attackers? Has anything changed in this respect since the commie era? My imrpession is that back then accosting a foreign visitor would be viewed and dealt with more seriously by the law.

Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]

What about English verbs to which the -ować ending is stuck on?
I'n the USA one hears łaciować television, klinować flory, pejntować stepsy, fiksować karę (mend the car), etc. Do similar things occur in the Isles?

Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]

Merged: UK/Eire Polglish?

Can anyone provide some insight into the "half-na-pół" language that has emerged in the UK and Ireland since the major Polish migration began over a decade ago. I am most familiar with the American version, stuff like "bojsy się fajtują na sajdłoku", "oni heńgują na kornerze przy groserni", "po robocie nasza ticzerka klinuje flory w ofisie" and "łaciuj jak będziesz krosował strytę, żeby jakiś trok cię nie hytnął". Is it the same in the British Isles Polonia or has a separate Isles-specific émigré jargon emerged?

History / Your favourite Polish Patriotic films [49]

My favourite was "Hubal", esp. that I saw it in communist Poland. The scene of Hubal and his freedom-fighters marching up to the altar amid the singing of "Boże coś Polskę" choked up many a Pole.

Genealogy / Borysewicz (Borysiewicz?) family in Derewna, Osadnik? [6]

BORYSEWICZ/BORYSIEWICZ: This is a surname of clear-cut patronymic origin which originally meant "Boris' son".

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

Thanks, That's another contributing cause: underreporting. I'm sure there is no one cause in the case of any of these countries.

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

I should have added: poor law enforcement and poor crime recording as possible contributing factors to a low crime rate.

News / Poland: A Successful case of low criminality in Europe? [97]

Your post inspired me to look up intentional crime statistics in general: numbeo.

The data shows Poland to be ranked at 32.99% which is relatively low. For the sake of comparison the most crime-prone countries are:

South Sudan 85.32
Venezuela 84.07
Guatemala 79.34
South Africa 78.44
The safest are:
South Korea 17.99
Turkmenistan 17.86
Singapore 17.59
Isle Of Man 15.10
According to these data, Poland is a more crime-free place to live than such countries as Russia (51.33), USA (50.01), Ireland (49.07), Sweden (42.09), UK (42.16), Canada (37.46) and Spain (33.85).

To what do you ascribe the Poland's comparatively low-crime status? Lack of Thrid World minorities? Strong religious faith? Sense of shame? A combination of these, something else or what?

Language / Wesołego Alleluja or Wesołych Świąt? [30]

That is the blandest collection of so-called Easter cards I have ever seen. Even the sole religious image incongruously shows not Christ Resurrected by Christ the Good Shepherd. Where is the Easter Lamb with banner? How about some Polish pisanki? What about a tall, tapered babka, pussy willows, śmigus-dyngus and food blessing on Holy Saturday? Poland is losing its cultural identity by wallowing in such commercial crap, and that pertains not only to Easter. Try to find some genuinely Polish-themed clipart online.

Food / WHAT DID YOU EAT FOR POLISH EASTER TODAY? [45]

Merged: Easter spread -- Polish and British?

What types of delicacies would most likely be found on the typical Easter table in Poland and Britain?

I believe roast lamb is a widely served Easter delicacy in Western Europe, but not in Poland. I wonder if the expats in Poland have a Polish, own-country or mixed Easter table? Anybody know?

Po polsku / Dlaczego DZIAŁKA? [6]

A jak byś powiedziała po angielsku "Każdy weekend spędzamy na działce?"

Po polsku / Tragedia jezykowa, czyli "stay on topic" LOL. [95]

Merged: Gomułkizmy coraz popularniejsze?

Niegdyś nabijano się ze sposobu mówienia poczciwego tow. Wiesława, który notorycznie źle akcentował takie wyrazy jak m.in. poliTYka, ruBRYka, onomasTYka, fiZYka, anglisTYka, faBUła, faBRYka, okoLIca, byLIŚmy itp. Obecnie jednak daje się zauważyć rozplenienie się tej ludowo-plebejskiej wymowy także w telewizorni. Czy to jedynie potwierdza tezę, że człowiek może wyjść z wiochy, ale wiocha z człowieka nigdy? Czy wielu członkom opiniontwórczej elity słoma z butów nie wyłazi?

"You look like a misfortune and a half!" Nie słyszałem, by ktoś tak po angielsku powiedział, ale jak na moje najtyw-spikerskie ucho to wcale źle nie brzmi!

USA, Canada / Differences in How Polish People Raise a Child and How Americans Raise a Child [149]

I have encountered people like you and your mother-in-law both in the USA and Poland. Some Poles and Americans are close to their siblings, others are not. Some treat their children even handedly, whilst others have favourites. It's not an ethnic thing but a question of individual personality.

Food / Is black tea disappearing from supermarkets in Poland? [29]

The difference if that black tea is essentially a natural product. The synthetically flavoured teas are lab produced by men in white coats. To each his own.

Food / Borscht - Zurek / Bialy barszcz recipe [153]

Merged: żurek or biały barzscz?

In your family or (if you are non-Polish) amongst your Polish friends is żurek or biały barszcz served at Święcone (Easter breakfast/brunch/lunch)?

These tart soups are rather similar and both contain hard-cooked eggs and rounds of kiełbasa. In my family we also provide cubed pot cheese (twaróg), cubed stale rye bread and horseraidsh for guests to help themelves.

Genealogy / Szybkowski / Szypkowski family information [8]

SZYBKOWSKI: root-word szybki (swift, fast) or szybka (little pane of glass). Like nearly all -owski ending surnames this probably originated as a toponmyic tag. There is one place in Poland called Szybkowice which might have generated it but two even more ideal sources are found in Russia (Siberia and St Petersburg area) -- Шибкoвo (Polish Szybkowo). Some 200 people in Poland sign themselves Szybkowski.

Genealogy / How to legally change your name in Poland? [15]

Probably one needs to visit the Urząd Stanu Cywilnego (registrar's office). If that's not the place, they should be able to direct the prospective name-changer to the right one.

Genealogy / How would my surname Sharon be spelt in Polish? [7]

The surnames Szaroń as well as Gordoń exist in Poland, although they are both used in other languages without the palatalising acute accent over the letter "ń".