Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation

:):) to do sth surprising, even magical.


Czubek is a nut, freak, mental. But connected with the iceberg, it means a small part of sth, usually of a problem.

Yes, quite often as an unexpected solution to a problem.


Yes, the idiom is the tip of the iceberg. It usually relates to something that is only a small part of a much larger situation or problem.

An easy one:

Igła w stogu siana.

A needle in a haystack is sth very difficult to find. Almost impossible. You need to call a Jedi to find it for you.

To make a pitchfork out of the needle.

Sounds very much like the equivalent of 'to make a mountain out of a molehill'.

Yes!
what is mole`s work?

And when do you use: behind mountains, behind forests.....

Snitching?


As the opening to a fairy tale/story. Like 'once upon a time'.

Not exactly snitching. Try to recall what moles do our gardens.

Yes, fairy tales opening.

In t he meantime: what does this exclamation mean: for China! or for People`s China!

Well I did think of digging but thought it was a bit too obvious.


No idea! Something to do with communism?

Of course, it is digging. So, that is also the meaning of the idiom. What exactly?


Not exactly, apart from the fact it originated in communist times, indeed. We used it in kindergarten and later on.

Two new ones I just heard:
watch your nose.

to lose ground under one`s feet.

shouldn't that be 'watch your own nose'?

mind your own beeswax! (informal version of 'mind your own business')

Nope, it shouldn`t. My version is very correct. :):) You want to add "own" from the English equivalent but there is no need for it. Remember, we use direct translations here, without embellishment.

Yes!

It's an interesting question for translation (and since I do some translation of academic texts I'm always more interested in equivalence rather than literalness...).

English has no equivalent of the common Polish practice of omitting possessives when the context is clear enough... it's very hard to translate a simple phrases like

"A co na to mąż?"

"Z bratem rozmawialiśmy"

because in English you really have to have possessives (we'll leave aside occaional use of 'the' instead of a possessive "I spoke with the brother" which is highly... restricted).

So when a possessives do occur in Polish they seem more... salient....

how would you distinguish

pilnuj nosa

and pilnuj sw(oj)ego nosa ?

Yes, of course, you are right, and I can tell you I was thinking about adding own but I decided not to in order to make it harder to guess. When I know I deal with intelligent people, I prefer not to make it too easy for them.

Now, an idiom which has come to my mind after you had made certain thread disappear for cleaning:

What black pudding!!!

I'd say it is non uncommon to hear "A co na to twój mąż?".


Me thniks it is always "Pilnuj swojego nosa".

Tunnels?


No idea.


To be out of your depth, lose your grip? Be on shaky ground?

Maybe I mean jej mąż..

Yes, of course, but the idiom focuses on further effects. What happens as a result of digging tunnels in your garden?


That ia an equivalent to : Never! For example: I won`t give up riddles for People`s China!


Yes, but that1`s too literal. How do you feel when it happens?


No, you mean the Husband of His Wife - a popular comedy.

The ground will be unstable and prone to collapse?


Aha! We would say ' for all the tea in China'.


Anxious? I'm not sure if it means the same thing exactly, but we have an idiom ' to have the rug/carpet pulled out from under somebody's feet'. It means to suddenly have help and support removed, thereby creating problems and uncertainty.

Yes, and the idiom applies to people, not gardens. In what way?

Tea in China? We also have for no treasure in the world.


Nope, insecure coz when the ground collapses under your feet, you lose balance.

Mental instability, breakdown?

Nope, it means a furtive activity by your enemies which is supposed to undermine your position. A mole is such an enemy and its tunnels will collape one day, causing the deformation of the previously smooth surface.

So, there is still one idiom pending in post 1185.

I see. Thanks for that.
Unless it means that the black pudding has disappeared, I have no other ideas about the idiom.

That exclamation (ale) kaszana!is used to comment negatively on a bad situation or state of sth.

Shyt. Tomorrow is Monday black pudding.

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What does pee in sb/sth with warm urine mean?

Ok, got it. The negative connotation only serves to reinforce my view that black pudding is disgusting!


Does it mean to very easily defeat somebody in an argument?

No, although it sounded like that in another thread. hahaha
It means to ignore sb/sth.

A new one: go into the sand.

And : to hang dogs on sb

I wouldn't have got that one...


I can only think of 'to bury one's head in the sand' or 'to draw a line in the sand', but both of those meanings don't really fit. Is it something along the lines of hiding away and isolating oneself from people?


To blacken someone's character or reputation.

You couldn't isolate yourself any better...

Yay!

A new one:

Być łaskotanym na różowo.