News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]

Should abortions be allowed in any country without the father's consent? It is as much his kid as hers!

News / Poland Parliamentary elections 2015 [1060]

All politics is about winning elections and staying at the trough as long as possible. People rarely have an ideal candidate to vote for adn only a fraction of campaign promises ever come true. Romney is hardly ideal but there is no other choice for those who fear an anti-Christian crypto-socialist. Same in Poland. PiS is not ideal until one thinks of the Amber Gold alternative -- PO. Of course, things could be even worse if the alternative were SLD or Palikot! Then one might actually have to vote for PO, if PiS were not in the running.

Language / Name in Polish (woman's name Jean) [10]

Jean can be Janina or Jania in Polish (a feminine form of Jan/John).

Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

The largest Polish concentration in Ohio is of course Cleveland and such nearby communities as Parma and Garfield Heigths. Polonians are also found in Toledo, Akron, Dayton and other localities.

Life / Bishops defend Polish family [105]

Rydzyk is an astute entrepreneur, and that should warm the heart of all you economic liberals aka captialists. He set up a media empire, academic institutions and is developing a hydrotherrmal project.

I also am suspicion of anyone (cleric or layman) who feels he has to impress epopel by surrounding himself with all the fancy and pricey sheet metal of a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Infiniti, Volvo, etc. But not all of you believe in 'less is better' and 'good enough' lifestyles, so why pick on someone who fancies a Maybach or Bentley?

Life / Polish vs British vs American - Clash of cultures [390]

What about kippers for breakfast, or is that a Scots thing only?
Which English writer was it (Bacon maybe?) who wrote in his lexicon as a defintion for oats that it was something fed horses in England but eaten by people in Scotland.

Life / Bishops defend Polish family [105]

But you don't like priests in the first place and despise Chrsitianity so to you anything should be better than that.
Isn't ironic, ludicrous and downright absurd when an inveterate Church-basher dons the mantle of a Defensor Ecclesiae!

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]

Terms such as equality, justice, fairness or balance are just empty words in any country where abortions can be performed without the express written consent of the father. It's his unborn baby just as much as it is the mother's!

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]

Too many women have peanut-butter legs. Easy to spread! And then they go cry-babying and whining about their horrible fate.

Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

Boletus - you are by far the most knowledgeable re things linguisitc.
How would you label or categorise such terms widely used in Polonia. as dziadzia (also spelt jaja), busia, babci, baci, cioci? How about 'kara na kornerze stryty' and 'klinować flory w ofisie'?

Émigré dialect, subdialect, ethnic jargon, argot or something else?
When Afros in the US say axe instead of ask, what would that be? Or 'I goes', 'he like' (inverting the 1st and 3rd person singular present tense endings)?

What about Anglo-American-influenced Franglais in Canada?

Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

I think Harry effectively has admitted somewhere down the line, a bit between the lines but in a clearly legible manner, that he is only having fun on PF, hence his provocative digressions and tendency to evade the issue. He knows that tactic drives some people up the wall, and that's precisely what he's after. He is not interested in any thoughtful discussion or exchange of ideas.

News / Papal Day in Poland JP2 [26]

Profuse apols! The typo-creating software kicked in again...
I think it was supposed to be fealty or maybe fidelity, when the phone rand, and afterwards I didn't go over the text. Minor typos are usually deciphrable but this one admittedy was a doozy!

BTW is there a spell-check mechnaism somewhered on PF? Copy-pasting into Word and then re-pasting into PF is quite time consuming.

Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

Busia not onyl means granny in the American Polonia, it has been elevated to the rtankl of a symbol of the good old days of one's Polonian childhood, the simpler, gentler times of comfort foods and the quaintl Old World ambience of which babcia was usually the heart and soul. This notice is an example of that secondary, symoblic meaning of busia:

MADONNA UNIVERSITY HOLDS POLISH NIGHT
LIVONIA: There was festive Polish music and the family style Polish dinner brought forth fond memories of traditions imprinted from Busia. The decorations, entertainment and extra little touches such as featuring Tyskie Polish piwa had everyone enjoying the festivities at Madonna University’s “Be Polish for a Night.”

Nearly always when two languages or cultures come into contact, all kinds of hybrids may emerge. A case in point is Franglais just north of the border. Here is a typical exchange:

Gina: Ah mon amie, veux-tu un beer?
Moi: Non merci, je suis le stuffed. As-tu regardé le episode de Newport Beach hier?!
Gina: Mais bien sûr! Ben McKenzie est un hunk hein?
Moi: Je pense que obviously.

Why Gina did not say bière is beyond me. Maybe just trying to be cute?
Other than imbedding English words as above, it is even more common to Gallicise English roots as in:
crasser (instead of traverser) la rue (cross the road). That formation is similar to the Polonian drajwować karę, pejntowsć giejtę, klinować szusy, etc.

History / Battle of Vienna - history movie about Poland / Commemoration [36]

Haven't seen it yet, but I gather from soem reviews that it is obivous the film was not directed by a Pole or based on a Polish script.. Poles would have focused on Sobieski and his triumphant victoria, while this version shows things through to eyes of an Italian monk. Too bad Poland can't afford to make more of its own historical blockbusters. Even if tecnically and budgetwise they're not on par with Spielberg stuff, at least they project a Polish viewpoint.

Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

Never heard of retro? The popcommecialists every so often also ressurrect dances, concerts, happenings, etc. based on the roaring 20s, 30s, 50s, 70s, even 90s.

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]


When there's a medical problem during childbirth and only one or the other can be saved, the so-called 'modern' secularist view is to save the woman. Catholic teaching holds that newborn should be saved. Why?

Because the woman has already experienced life for better or worse. She has had stories read to her, cuddled a teddy bear, watched butterflies and puppy dogs, seen Father Christmas, got her first doll, started school, learnt to ride a bike, been taken on holiday and obviously gone on her first date...

All those things still await the newborn.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Somehow this enquirer got overlooked; since nobody saw fit to answer him, here goes:

SZCZĘŚNIAK/SZCZEŚNIAK: - patronymic from (first name) Szczęsny (Felix) , hence Felix's son.
KRAJNIK: – root-word kraj which can mean country or end; possibly an alternative form of krajan (countryman, someone hailing from the same region)
MITKE: possible roots – mitki (archaic dialectal for soft, modern Polish = miękki); or from Mitek, Mitka, Mitko – hypocoristic forms of Dymitr; Mitke spelling suggests Germanised/de-Slavicised version of Mitka.

SZEMBORSKI: alternative spelling of Szymborski, topoynymic tag from Szmybory.
TYBURSKI: looks like a patronymic nick from the old first name Tyburcy (originally Roman Tibertius); could have come to Poland via Hungary where the name Tibor is used.

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]

That's a really tough question. Probably the automatic human reflex would be to save that which is known and loved. However, I merely indicated what the official Magisterium is. I hope I am never faced with that dilemma!

Under Polish law, abortions are legal in the following cases:
1. rape
2. incest
3. seriously damaged foetus
4. Threat to woman's life.

The recent Sejm vote has sent to committee a draft to eliminate point 3. It is unlikely ever to become law. Even good Catholics support the current compromise abortion law.

Education and stiffer penalties might decrease rape - such as mandatory castration after one rape conviction. Also a ban on free Internet prn would help. If everything has to be paid for, púrn consumption would decrease considerably. Don't say it's technically infeasible -- where there's a will there' s way.

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]

That's why it takes courage and determination to be a Catholic consistenty defending the Magisterium of the Church.
Conventional garden-variety wisdom, supported by today's PC ideology, takes a purely biological view of man, hence panders to his baser instncts, egoism, pursuit of comfort, convenience and pleasure here and now. And the majority of go-with-the-flow types eagerly swallow all that is nice, easy, pleasurable and fun - hook, line and sinker. It is far more difficult to win people over to higher values such as a sense of sacrifice, altruism and the common good.

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2971]


i would even beef up that statement to read 'nearly all go-with-the-flow-types'... Beacuse a go-wtih-the-flow type is the opposite of a thinking, conscious human being. He will go along with most everything that is trendy, cutting edge or which most other people think, buy or do.

Since most everything in life is possible, it is not impossible for someone outside the Judaeo-Christian or Buddhist fold to do good for its own sake, but it's a hell of a lot harder and far less common.

Life / All Saints' Day in Poland - Commemoration or Carnival? [44]

Poland can't hold a candle (no pun intended!) to Mexico's Dias de Muertos (Days of the Dead). There they sell cakes in the shape of skulls and various plastic toys, souvenirs and gadgets in the shape of coffins and skeletons. The religious celebrations take place amid a fiesta atmosphere, since life and death coexist side by side. Co kraj to obyczaj!

ehow.com/how_2064992_celebrate-all-saints-day-mexico.html

News / Przemysław Gintrowski died.... [8]

Has an English translation of 'Mury' ever been recorded?
'Rip the bars right off the wall, break the whip, throw your shackles down, and the walls will all start crumbling, tumbling right down to the ground.'

News / Przemysław Gintrowski died.... [8]

Thanks for the link. Kaczmarski sang much better than I could, but I regard my translation of the refrain as superior to the unsingable subtitles which completely ingore the rhythm of the melody.

Food / Any królik (rabbit) fanciers on PF? [76]

Merged: Any rabbit fanciers on PF?

Anybody fancy rabbit? If so, how do you like it prepared? Rabbit meat is nutritious, mild-flavoured, tasty, very lean (no cholesterol!) and highly digestible. But one sees fewer rabbit hutches in Poland than one once did.

History / What do Poles owe to Hungarians? [231]

There's another Hungarian food shop in Gen. Zajączka street near Carrefour.

Food / Any królik (rabbit) fanciers on PF? [76]

Sometimes you can get fresh dressed rabbit (tuszka królika) at Leclerc and other supermarkets. Since the meat can be quite dry, it is best larded wtih słonina (pork fatback lardoons).

News / More punch-UPS ON 11th NOV in Poland? [56]

Lefties itching for punch-up

Radical lefties, who went on the rampage last Nov. 11th, again plan to disrupt Warsaw's Independence Day march. It is attended by entire families, young marrieds pushing prams or piggy-backing their youngsters, the middle aged, OAPs and many others wishing to celebrate their country's 23-year-old independence. The young wild-eyed thugs of the rabid left not only do not want to celebrate but plan to spoil it for everyone else. They should have cages for such leftist scum...and throw the key away!