News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]


No, it's mostly empty rhetoric by the loathsome current government to keep its under-educated rank and file riled up and angry.

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]


Why should Poland allow a violation of its territorial integrity?

Did you forget the radio station?

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]


Russian toll talking point, please elaborate for those less versed in Putin's rewriting of history...

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]


Possibly related to memory, having a label (even if you're not consciously aware of it) to hang on something makes it more memorable.

Structurally language is all about cross-cutting categorization and so tagging things in various ways makes it easier to keep track of them.

This is especially true in more complex utterances. I sometimes translate academic Polish into English and it's the complex types of structures that come up in those texts that the endings of Polish earn their keep. The longer a sentence goes on in English the bigger the danger it will turn into a confusing mess, sentences can go on and on and on in Polish and still be very clear...

Life / Why oh Why do Poles drive so incredibly poorly [109]

I don't think Polish drivers are the worst... often inconsiderate and reckless, yes, but hardly the worst in Europe (and maybe getting better? I remember when they never looked around while driving but only looked straight ahead - i think it was something they were taught... they seem to show more situational awareness now than in the past)

IME Romanians are no picnic either, though the worst drivers Ive seen are definitely the Maltese, I love Malta but the drivers are purely awful....

I've only been in tourist Greece and the roads were too crowded and so too slow to be that terrible and I haven't been in Sicily (supposedly terrifying).

Language / Translation of the word "małpka" into English [10]

I would not do so.... a nip is a single swallow.... I would be afraid of anyone who could nip a małpka....

(hip) flask might work but that's more about the shape than the amount...

Language / Translation of the word "małpka" into English [10]


No those are those mini 50 mg or less bottles that airlines used to have....

shooters and shots are more kieliszki (in terms of amount).

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]


There are a lot of nouns in any language and it's hard to keep track of them all so most languages find ways to lump them into groups...

Grammatical gender is just one way of doing that, of dividing the large group of nouns into smaller categories (and activity the human brain seems to need).

Technically it's not about gender at all but was originally about phonetic form of the word (with gender being used as a mnemonic).

English has lost the original form of gender but has sort of regained a gender-like distinction between count and non-count nouns. Like any gender system it's party semantically motivated and partly lexical (that is, arbitrary) this is especially clear with 'furniture' which might more logically be thought of as a plural but firmly in the non-count category.

compare

paper, a paper

tv, a tv

coffee, a coffe

some words that are usually or often plural in other european languages are non-count in English (information, advice etc)

textbooks are mostly not very good at explaining the very important distinction between count and non-count nouns in English and even very advanced learners tend to revert to forms like "I gave her some advices" or "I need furnitures for my new flat"....

Language / Translation of the word "małpka" into English [10]

Just found this, but it seems Irish which means that moral, upstanding people don't know it...... (yes, that's Atch bait)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naggin

Language / Translation of the word "małpka" into English [10]

I don't know of any equivalent in US English (but no longer live there and don't know what's going on at ground level).

The term 'shot bottle' somehow came to mind but I think that more applies to the minature bottles (50 ml) they have on some airlines al;so called mini-bottles.

Generally harder alcohol isn't sold in such small bottles (again I might be out of touch). One of the traditional sizes in the US was a fifth.. (about 750 ml)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_(unit)

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]


No, he hasn't. He's demonstrated basic ignorance of universally known bits of PRL reality (like hitchhiking or melina or mortadella) and his attempts at Polish are nothing remotely like a native speaker would come up with (even after 50 years).

I agree with ziem, he's processing childhood trauma... (maybe s3xua1.....)

News / Dodgy PRL-holdover judiciary finally reformed [420]


If that's true you should be able to give recent examples....

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]


Could put this in an FAQ

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


I like a lot of Bulgarian food but Bulgarian versions of dishes shared with Greeks and/or Turks always seem to be... heavier.

Not as heavy as Slovenian (maybe I just didn't know what to order, but while tasty, every Slovenian meal I had was like a cannonball straight in the gut....

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]


At an agonizingly superficial level.... deeper connections require Polish.

News / Dodgy PRL-holdover judiciary finally reformed [420]


a fairytale told to unhappy people who were unable to thrive after the PRL and desperately want a scapegoat or class of scapegoats? yes, that's it.


And alienating key allies and increased trial time (over 20%!) and subverting legal authority to the party in power does improve things?

When PiS does lose will you support another political party doing the same things?

News / Dodgy PRL-holdover judiciary finally reformed [420]

Stupid PiS phrasemaking gives the game away.... "post-communist" (ie that which came after communism) which means that their agenda is essentially to go back to PRL structures - which is what they do up and down the line without exception.

PiS = neo-PRL, rule of law is subjugated to the will of the ruling party and the most powerful person has no formal position beyond that of party leader

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


Not that I can think of, 45 years of communism, including ration cards tends to make people not want to waste food...

News / European funds - why Poland should refuse to receive them. [36]


No... the south was an economic basket case before the war, one of the reasons the north didn't want to let it go was that southern states owed northern banks massive amounts of money and if they left the banks would never be paid.

apart from being inherently evil and awful, slavery is terrible economics...

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


There are some ways of preparing it that are fine, I know someone that does herring in sour cream infused with garlic paste or horseradish... and the simple version of rinse and dry it, chop it up with raw onion salt and pepper in a jar with oil for a few days is very nice.

On the other hand I could happily live the rest of my life with nary another rolmops and die happily....


No real equivalent, the closest equivalent to fruitcake is keks (which is pretty different) and it isn't especially disliked...

My personal nominee for "unwanted holiday 'delicacy'" might by kutia... the times I've had it... it seems more like festive dish created for a horse than for people...

News / European funds - why Poland should refuse to receive them. [36]


Except the parts that tried to build an economy on slavery lagged (and still lag) behind the rest, so .... not really.


A u was Murzynów biją!

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]

Subtle not bland... well made Polish dishes are full of flavor just not spiciness...

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


Much better, much, much better.

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


I think it may have been available on some farms (though the formerly large goat population mostly disappeared in the 20th century I've known a few people (back in the 1990s) who'd had goat and had liked it.

It can be found in Poland but not easily and it's even more expensive than lamb (I like goat meat a lot which is tough because I also like goats...)

On the other hand rabbit meat seems to have become more common in recent years (along with goose the tastiest of all poultry).

I used to sometimes buy nutria which is delicious (a bit like beef but more subtle and very tender) but the place that sold it close by closed.... and the building was torn down to put up a new apartment building....

kuchnia.wp.pl/kozina-czy-warto-po-nia-siegnac-6383344188860545a


That's weird for food in Poland but szałwia tea has been around forever...

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


Well in communist times when food was not easily obtained (no one starved but shopping took a lot of time and effort) had a long lasting effect.

If you spend a couple of hours to buy ingredients (some of which are rationed) you're not going to be inclined to experiment....

That said I do think most Polish people have fairly conservative tastes (looking at people's carts).

Study / School Uniforms in Poland - not required? [15]


AFAICT that was very spotty... one friend mentioned all the (male) students at his elementary school (1970s) wore a kind of identical smock but after that.... nuthin'

I do think that the idea of school uniforms has communist like connotations which is why there's resistance....

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


There is no problem with Polish tastes.... why does every effin' group in the world have to have the same taste?

And Poles are not 1950s Brits... different history different paths. That's a _good_ thing.


I have a friend who liked the taste of curry but was inevitably left in abdominal agony afterward and won't go near the stuff now.

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


Some young people like them but a lot of older people think of lobster and shrimp as 'robaki' (bugs).

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]


It's sometimes available in places like biedronka and lidl and I know a couple of Poles who even like it but don't buy it often because of the price...


Do you mean cząber? It's always been available or do you mean szałwia?

Licorice is a hard sell in Poland, especially the salty licorice beloved by scandinavians... ech

Study / School Uniforms in Poland - not required? [15]


One of the few times I could understand and almost agree with them.... uniforms in school can have a social leveling function but nouveaux riche bristle at the thought of not being able to show off....