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Posts by pawian  

Joined: 30 May 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 19 Mar 2025
Threads: Total: 226 / Live: 154 / Archived: 72
Posts: Total: 27458 / Live: 21375 / Archived: 6083 		From: Poe land
Speaks Polish?: Yes, but I prefer English
Interests: Everything funny

Displayed posts: 21529 / page 657 of 718
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pawian   
3 Mar 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

That striving for something better, or perfection perhaps, might spoil something that is already good enough?

perfect is the enemy of (the) good' where the idea is that trying to improve some things just makes them less effective

You are both right. However, I prefer to make it a bit deeper as far as personal sentiments go. I believe the saying includes the element of inevitability, namely progress can`t be stopped and we constantly get new improvements. But we are so strongly accustomed to old ways that we tend to disregard all these benefits that progress brings. One example - they installed movement-activated lighting in our apartment block. Yes, you don`t need to push the button and energy is also saved. But what about my past habit of walking up the stairs (I don`t use the lift) in complete darkness? I liked that, now it is impossible.

During today`s Sunday walk, I thought of a few more:

equal boy/man/chap/guy
(do sth) till sh.itty death
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
Genealogy / The typical Polish look, or all Eastern Europeans [676]

Yes, but what about other aspects?:
The Thuringian population has a significant sex ratio gap, caused by the emigration of young women, especially in rural areas. Overall, there are 115 to 120 men per 100 women in the 25-40 age group ("family founders") which has negative consequences for the birth ratio.
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

From what I see Poland is growing stronger under it's leadership of today,

Actually, it is quite the opposite. You must have been indoctrinated by the enemy of the nation.

I hope soon the swamp will be cleared.

You watched too many horror movies - e.g.,The Swamp Thing.
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

pawian is a brainwashed result of the PRL,

Oops ,I am sorry for annoying you. :):) But thank you anyway.

Anyway more of us who were truly cursed are returning to Poland. Take a deep breath, Poland will be stronger

Make sure to take your diapers with you. Without them Poland will take no real advantage of returning true cursed soldiers. :):)
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

We tend to frown upon extra-judicial assassinations, you know.

Yes, but cursed soldiers considered Soviets as occupants and their Polish helpers as renegades who should be eliminated so that Poland could be free. Their reasons were the same as Polish AK underground which assassinated German occupants during WW2.
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Can't get the paper hanger thing, I can only think of a female interior decorater, but

Well, I was right, that wall paper hanger is too hard. It means a woman who uses too heavy make up which in slang Polish is called tapeta - wallpaper.

this means sth to do with a weird situation, so it's not about decorating I think......

Not weird but a hopeless situation when you don`t know what to do/say, especially when somebody astonishes you with their silly behaviour.
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

Do you want to debate a law and legalities?

Actually, yes. In other threads you adamantly stick to the rule of law (EU "interference" into Polish affairs) while here you treat it flippantly,. Can you decide what you want at last?
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

Are you sure?

Hey, in the same way we can absolve Soviets who executed Polish officers in Katyn Massacre and Nazi Germans who executed Polish elite and underground members and razed Warsaw to the ground! They all got orders, and Germans even tried to use it as their main defence in Nuremburg trials - It wasn`t my initiative, I received orders from my superior.
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

Those who are talking about controversy are simply leftovers from soviets and should be kicked out back to their country Russia.

So, in your opinion, cursed soldiers were OK even when they killed innocent people, not by accident but deliberately?
pawian   
2 Mar 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

Remembering the Cursed Soldiers who fought the commies

It seems the controvercy is an inseperable part of the subject matter.

300 nationalists marched to honour the cursed soldiers, while a few dozen protesters tried to block them. They shouted "Stop to fascism." among others.

warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,24508434,obywatele-rp-probowali-zatrzymac-marsz-zolnierzy-wykletych.html
pawian   
1 Mar 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

someone (not pawian who obviously knows) what does it mean to call a woman a "paper hanger"?

I am afraid it is much too difficult. Other members might reply with: arms/hands are dropping, the phrase I sometimes think of when I read radical enunciations in PF.
pawian   
28 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Well, without googling I remember that Hitler had an ambition to become an artist.... But Poles called him a silly painter in WW2 songs, so it means he didn`t become one of artistic kind, but rather an interior painter. Do you mean wallpaper? And "hanger" isn`t an object but a person? Aaaa.....:):)

In this way I recalled another idiom, this time it is the same in both languages:it dawned on me.
pawian   
28 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

A man who has sex with lots of women and isn't too fussy about what they look like?

:):) That`s great, what made you think so? :):)

that he's irresponsible/lazy/doesn't pull his weight?

yes, a man who behaves in an immature way, I suppose that idiom used to be longer in the past, sth like: such an old horse but so silly.

What does it mean to call a woman a 'paper hanger'?

Opps, I translate it into papierowy wieszak, wieszak na papier but nothing comes to my mind .
pawian   
27 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

I understand this (the word is 'blachara' )

Exactly, once I didn`t know it but students explained it to me. :) We talked about our likes and dislikes and one of them used that word.

Actually, something very similar to that is a Polish idiom:

When you quoted another poster, one idiom came to my mind: to mix sb with mud.
pawian   
26 Feb 2019
Genealogy / What does my Polish name mean? [402]

My true name is Pawian Brzęczyszczykiewicz. Foreigners have always had problems trying to utter it, especially Germans. In English Brzęczyszczykiewicz means sth like Buzzerblandville. It is not so rare in Poland, when you try to google it, you will receive a lot of info.
pawian   
24 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

To go out of one`s skin means to do your best, to strive to do sth. Similar expressions are to stand on your eyelashes/ stand on your head.

To 'jump out of one's skin' is to be scared or surprised by something,

This one is the same in Polish.

Now, nouns. What kind of a husband is slipper man?
pawian   
24 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Is it the equivalent of 'to hit a brick wall?'

Yes! But it involves some active resistance which blocks the progress as well as an element of surprise because the resistance wasn`t expected.

To go out of (one`s) skin (to do sth).
pawian   
24 Feb 2019
Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

something along the lines of find something worthwhile to do? Do something beneficial/constructive with your time?

No, it is an expression of helplessness when you jave no idea whatsoever how to deal with sth.

You should know this one: the scythe hit the rock. (actually, ran into)
pawian   
24 Feb 2019
History / Cursed soldiers controvercy - not all Poles respect them [320]

The so called cursed soldiers were a taboo topic during communism - they were stigmatised as bandits, robbers, murderers. After the system collapsed in 1989, Polish historians were allowed to present a more objective picture of cursed soldiers as patriotic anticommunists and freedom fighters.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursed_soldiers

However, the topic still raises emotions and controvercy today because many people believe some cursed soldiers were indeed bandits, robbers and murderers.

Read an article about two types of attitude to cursed soldiers in Polish media.
uptranslators.wixsite.com/polishmedia/single-post/2016/04/11/Two-sides-of-the-Cursed-Soldiers

Every year when nationalists hold their memory march in Hajnówka to celebrate one of cursed soldiers, Bury, local residents and activists from all over Poland come to protest because they consider him a murderer of innocent civilians.

Read about Bury
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romuald_Rajs

and the pacification of villages
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_pacification_of_villages_by_PAS_NZW

See pics of the march
gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/polish-nationalists-seen-marching-to-commemorate-the-cursed-news-photo/1126958564

The march is also condemned by Belarussian authourities who consider Bury a war criminal.
interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=3&id=888582

And is talked about in Ukrainian media
euromaidanpress.com/2016/07/30/poland-starts-honoring-war-criminals-of-1940s/

Another controvercial cursed soldier was Józef Kuraś, who fought against communists in Podhale region. However, he was also responsiible for the death of innocent people, including local Jews and Slovaks, Today he is praised as a hero.