Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation

....maybe because (certain) pupils see fit to cop an attititude, forgetting who in the end remains the ultimate
authority in the classroom:-) The time a teacher, professor, instructor feels they must defer to every trouble
maker who comes down the pike, is clearly the time for that person to pack it in and look for another line
of work!

Just what, pray, do you consider "constructive" criticism vs. simply getting on somebody's case?

Yes, in real life I also meet such students, either as a regular teacher or class tutor. When a trouble maker is caught doing sth wrong in class or even illegal on the school grounds, they immediately deny all allegations. Who? Me? How do you know? Did you see it? Why are you picking on me? You are wrong again!

They are able to twist everything around so shrewdly that some teachers give up and let them off.

Some of our friends here behave in a similar way. That is sad that old mature people act like that. Mature?

Oh yeah, she isn't one to beat around the bush :)
She had a friend who once who described their mutual friend this way
'She had more di*** in her ass than the Chinese have army'..
I was always torn between disgust at the awful language and admiration for the crude poetry.

That friend was a teacher btw :)


Usually when we asked her to do something for us that she judged as cheeky. Like lets say if we are sitting around and we want a sandwich and ask her to make it at an age when we are fully capable of making them ourselves.

You are correct, except that you should have said in your example above pulling their legs, as the use of 'their' refers to more than one person, as Pawian was when he was talking about his students, not one student. Or do you think students have only only one leg between them? Aside from this, the whole thread is about Polish idioms translated into English. Pulling someone's leg was not an idiom for people to guess the meaning of, but you knew that anyway. Another attempt to trash a great thread.

@ Pawian, I answered your last riddle in post #440


Yeah, I guess we all were guilty of trying to wriggle out of doing the boring stuff as kids!

So, now I don`t know what to think about it. Did I make a mistake or not? :):) Could I write pulling their legs or not? Because Johhny said it must always be a leg and he`s an expert in linguistics after all.


Yes! Very good counterpart. Even that slight vulgarity of the phrase has been retained. I must remember it. :)

to let sb go in (their) socks only.

To be honest, I've never heard anyone use that saying in the plural. I've only ever heard ' I'm pulling your leg, she or he is pulling your leg, you're pulling my leg. I've never really used that term, I would be more likely to say ' I'm winding you up, he/she is winding you up ' etc, but many people do still use that idiom. I'm not going to have a grammar discussion as I don't want to see the thread shut; it appears many posts were moved from it yesterday.

I will have to think about the socks idiom, nothing immediately comes to mind.

I have and might use it myself if I'm talking about a group having... their legs pulled.

"I'm just pulling your legs". or "She was just pulling their legs" (referring to a group of people)

jr has yet to contribute anything about poland to these forums it's all interpersonal drahma

True however you would still say pulling their leg. Pulling the classrooms leg, pulling the students leg, etc.
I have an idea.....why not Google "pulling their legs" and see what you come up with just for giggles.
I rest my case.


Because when I do it just gets deleted so I gave up. Why waste my time ?
And it is spelled 'drama' that you just added to your post needlessly to BAIT with Buckwheat, not I.

Is this something to do with humiliation? To leave somebody exposed?

No, humiliation through exposing isn`t the motive here.

then why on earth are you still here? (nb that's a hint that you should leave)

Speaking of pulling teachers' legs, seems Messrs. Bojo and The Donald are past masters at giving
their teachers a hard time, Donny Boy going so far as to punch out one of them out!
Guess the rest of us need that proverbial wooden stump at the ready, just like in the good ol' days, if
any of our charges got out of hand LOL

Same reason you are I guess.
I may have to put my foot down soon if the well goes dry. lol

You do realise it's about Polish idioms or you kust don't care you are trashing another thread?

To deprive someone of everything they own? Take them to the cleaners?


I don't think he'll be happy until it's closed. He hasn't contributed anything to this forum, just tries to ruin it for everybody else.

Yes! Once it was probably used only about gamblers who bet their garment and lost it all except socks. Today it also applies to other situations, e.g., bankruptcy or enforced debt collection.

This one is tricky
to thump/thud with a thick pipe.

Are you sure pipe is the right word here?

Do you prefer tube? :) I was thinking about it but pipe is better.

Absolutely - I just wanted to straighten your buddy out on his mistake.


I'll take your trolling Bait as you have been throwing it out there all week looking for a fight with me.
Actually it is YOU and your cohort that have started all the drama here over nothing.
You two are Nudne jak flaki z olejem.

True... I always connected it mire with military...

Hmm. This one is right out of left field, but in the UK we have a saying, 'subtle as a brick', and I'm wondering if this is similar. To be blunt and straight to the point, speak in a direct manner, take no prisoners etc etc.

Other than that I have no idea!

A very good answer, as usual. :):)

I am watching how the rabbit is racing to and fro my bedroom, she`s crazy but it`s so funny, and a new one is coming to mind:

to move like a fly in tar

Like wading through treacle? Although that seems at odds with a rabbit racing around to be honest.

Yes. As for the congruity of the idiom with rabbit racing, I thought of an opposite meaning. :):) Remember, we already talked about that blue arsed fly.

This month I am reading a book for teen kids to my teen kids. The author- Niziurski, my fav when I was their age and even later on. I see it is a mine of idioms, some probably lost their past popularity, but if sb used them today, he/she should still be understood.

E..g, to have a healthy/good poppy head.

I'm struggling with this one. I can't get the significance of poppies :(

Check what poppy head means in colloquial Polish.

Before I forget - this idiom was used in another thread: to lick one`s wounds.

What about:
sb is liks a flag in the wind?

My guess would be a person without any direction in life.

Good thinking but think more along values.

I can't find anything searching in Polish, only idioms to do with cake and figs. I will have to think some more.


Same as in English? Recovering after a defeat of kinds, time taken to regain back strength?


Someone who constantly changes their mind and opinions, who can adapt to circumstances for personal benefit maybe? A changeable and unpredictable person?