Where is that "something" that makes others think you are really good in language

The word you're looking for is wichajster.

Sorry for being slow on the up take,but is that the Polish version of those words?

Isthatu2,I was wondering myself.We use every variation that you used.

I added *deely* for the StarGate fans :)
Always makes me smile,reminds me of a lost friend, an American guy that was like a surrogate *dad* to me when I was a teen, taught me Baseball and the phrase Deely :)

I think another lesson of the day is;
If only one word is enough for something in every other language on Earth (apart from Innuit) then 12 is the absolute minimum of words for the same thing in English :)

This risks being insulting,but, in English we use *words* like, err, umm, hmmmm, to punctuate sentences and fill in the space when trying to think what to say next. But, in Polish all I notice is,especially in women because of the ear bleeding pitch,that a rising inflection *mweeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh* seems to do the same job, am I right in thinking this?

Isthatu2,lol,agreed.Is the term "knocked up" used in reference to pregnancy over in England?

It is more like "eee" and it's not cool.

hahaha, yes, the *mwee* bit was because it sort of slurs from the last letter of a word into the first letter of another......glad its not just me that notices this...seriously,my dog cowers when Polish women are about :)

You know that movie Windtalkers where the USMC uses Navajo speakers to baffle the japs? The Polish Army should always use female radio ops, any enemy listening in gets busted eardrums and has to throw off their headphones like some anti sonar ,sonic warefare device :)


yes, but Grease was very popular,its hard to say when Knocked up came over here.
In the family way?
She has a bun in the oven?
Those are stateside too yes?

more or less. it comes from German (wie heist er - what's its name) and is used mostly for mechanical parts you can't name otherwise.


you lost me here. what's the *mweeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh*? Poles usually say "yyyyyyyy", "eeeeeeeeee", "mmmmmm" or "aaaaaaaaaaa".

Ishatu2,Yes.How about "three sheets to the wind" for being drunk?

Dont get me started on Nautical terms P3 :)
Sheets are actually *ropes* securing sails ....but with three flapping ropes dancing around in the wind I see the analogy.

" Is it to early for a drink old chap?"
" Oh no,the sun is well over the Yardarm."
ie,the sun has risen above the line of a horizontal beam the mainsails hang from on a sailing ship .
an alternate reply though is,or rather was,as its now said tongue in cheek, " The sun is always over the yardarm somewhere in the Empire old bean " :)

To *copper bottom * something is harking back to the royal navys secret weapon of literally copper platting the underside of its ships to reduce drag and increase spead.

*Pipe Down* , from the Bosuns last whistled command of the working day, like Taps on a Bugle, ie,lights out and shut up.

Basically, you can spot England was a seafaring nation and the US started as a coast hugging nation from the amount of phrases its passed down via both our versions of English.

Saying that though,oddly.
" There isnt room to swing a cat in here ." is NOT a nautical phrase,it has nothing to do with swinging a Cat o Nine tails whip but has been traced back to medieval times as just a rather odd,probably literal phrase,that there really wouldnt be room to swing a feline cat around :)

Ishatu2,I didn't know "sheets" were ropes;I was thinking sails.

haha, you lubber,well, now you know so all is ship shape and Bristol fashion :)
(TBH, I had no idea till a few years ago when I got into the Aubrey and Matuarin novels (Master and Commander) and kind of had to learn phrases to follow what on earth was goin on )


Oh yeah, that one too,either way, kinda reminds me of the old casette tape drive home computers from the 1980s when loading Paper Boy took 15 minutes of screaching and wailing :)

Isthatu2,how about "knocking back grandpa's medicine", for drinking?

Ive not heard it :)
* I'll have a small brandy/sherry/whisky, purely for medicinal purposes you understand...*

Ishthatu2,Here's another one, "have some hair from the dog that bit you" in reference to curing a hangover.

Its just *hair of the dog* over here :) I never knew what that meant but it makes more sense now,sorta :)

"Theres nowt as queer as folk."

ie,people are strange. there is nothing as strange as folk....not helium heeled ;)

" Where there is muck there is brass "
ie, Some of the grubbiest jobs can make good money(brass).

Isthatu2,you ever heard;"I have to see a man about a horse" in reference to urinating?

p3undone, i always thought 'I have to see a man about a horse/dog/ferret' is another way of saying 'mind your own business'.

one of my favourite expressions!

rozumiemnic,I've only ever heard it used in reference to urination.Idioms can have different meanings in different places.

oops maybe, it certainly makes a fun thread anyway.....:0)
strzyga.....thanks for 'wie heisst er' , good one!

During the French Revolution, Compte Francois Savette de Lyon was found to be in possession of certain valuable information concerning the reigning monarchy, whom of course, he, as Count de Lyon, represented. One day, the opposing side caught sight of him coming out from his royal residence and decided to kidnap him and wrest the information from him, very possibly meaning victory for the underclasses! Compte de Lyon is caught and blindfolded, but not gagged, since the kidnappers want to learn his secrets. He adamantly refuses to talk, maintaining, as a military man, he'd never given in like a mere weakling, to "a little torture". Then, the kidnappers threaten him with the guillotine. This though proves too much for our friend the Count, who starts to wince, whimper and beg for mercy! But it's too late, the kidnappers take him to a homemade gibet and behead him, not however before he's about to reveal the vital information. Now, it's too late.

Motto of this shaggy dog story? "NEVER HATCHET YOUR COUNT BEFORE HE CHICKENS!"

(If a non-native English speaker gets this pun, they're really good:-))

rozumiemnic,Although,I can see how it can be applied in the manner with which you use it.Lyzko,lol.

A big deal!
(1) Never hatchet your count before he chickens =>
(2) Never count your chicken(s) before they're hatched =>
(3) Nie dziel skóry na niedżwiedziu (póki żywy) =>
(4) Do not share the skin of a bear (while alive)

[Sorry for reposting the expression (3), but (3) is an idiomatic translation of (2)]

And provide protection against attack by shipworm and various marine weeds, which had the adverse effect both on speed and on structural integrity of ships.

On the other hand:


indigenousboats.blogspot.ca/2012_04_01_archive.html

• 
  Applying antifouling
  

"Big deal" is not A big deal however, sorry:-)

Guess I did understand you, thoughLOL

Or what about "I thank you in advance." vs. "Dziękuję z góry." (Lit. "I thank from mountain")

"Rome wasn't built in a day." vs. (In Polish, the city analogy's logically going to be Kraków..)
The early bird catches the worm vs. "Kto rano wstaje, temu pan Bóg daje." (Lit. Who rises early, to him God bestows)

etc.... I could go on practically forever.....

Lyzko,Then there's "no skin off my back" and "you catch more flies with honey".

Oh, that was so tough for you to understand what I said! Wounded pride again because I spoiled your thesis? :-)


Oh really? "Samochwała w kącie stała" (see the bottom of this message)

There are hundreds of webpages that list hundreds of Polish proverbs, so this is very easy to pretend familiarity with them. But one simply cannot outtalk a Pole in usage of Polish proverbs - and vice versa. So what is your point of quoting several better known Polish proverbs? There was even a thread about it here, Idiomatic Polish .

There are some exceptions though. Although many Polish proverbs are original, others are translations of Latin or German proverbs, while many others came from the Bible. So here we share the same heritage.

Sine labore non erit panis in ore => Bez pracy nie ma kołaczy. => English translation: Without work there won't be any bread in your mouth.

Homo homini lupus est. => Człowiek człowiekowi wilkiem => English translation: Man is man's wolf.

Nec Hercules contra plures. => I Herkules dupa kiedy wrogów kupa. => English translation: Even Hercules is useless in face of many enemies.

Bis dat, qui cito dat. => Kto szybko daje, dwa razy daje. => English translation: He who gives quickly gives twice.

Manus manum lavat. => Rączka rączke myje. => English translation : One hand washes the other.
etc.

fact-index.com/l/li/list_of_polish_proverbs.html
=============

"Samochwała w kącie stała" by Jan Brzechwa

Samochwała w kącie stała
I wciąż tak opowiadała:

"Zdolna jestem niesłychanie,
Najpiękniejsze mam ubranie,
Moja buzia tryska zdrowiem,
Jak coś powiem, to już powiem,
Jak odpowiem, to roztropnie,
W szkole mam najlepsze stopnie,
Śpiewam lepiej niż w operze,
Świetnie jeżdżę na rowerze,
Znakomicie muchy łapię,
Wiem, gdzie Wisła jest na mapie,
Jestem mądra, jestem zgrabna,
Wiotka, słodka i powabna,
A w dodatku, daję słowo,
Mam rodzinę wyjątkową:
Tato mój do pieca sięga,
Moja mama - taka tęga
Moja siostra - taka mała,
A ja jestem - samochwała!"

You can also say "no skin off my teeth";don't ask me why lol.

No "wounded pride" here, Boletus.

Sorry to 'burst your bubble' (..yet ANOTHER idiom)

:-))))

Lyzko,hey,don't "rain on his parade" lol