Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation - part 2

As I understand it piernik wasn't the original word. It was something a bit less polite.....


Lighting cigarettes?

Yes, it's a 'minced oath' of which there are very many in Polish...

ja pierniczę, ja pierdzielę, holender, kurde, kurcę, kurza twarz, kijowy and many more.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minced_oath

Exactly!!! I heard it in Budka Suflera`s hit Never believe a Woman. :):):)


No, I don`t think it is a derivative of stronger words. I think gingerbread was the most popular cake in old Poland. When it got stale aka dry, it produced negative associations which later passed onto grumpy silly people of age.

We have lots of them in the UK too but I didn't realise there was a name for them! Never before have I heard the term 'minced oath'.

Me either, though it's nice to have a name for it....

I would have though 'euphemism or eggcorn*

but that's what wikipedia has, so.....

*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggcorn

Side note: Anyone know of any eggcorns in Polish?

What about folk etymology (popular theories about word origins that are wrong)? One folk etymology in Polish is the idea that Włochy (Italy) comes from long hair. Actually it's related to the Volcae..

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcae

Wow! I'm genuinely surprised. You're both so literate. I can't believe you've never come across that term before. It's not one I'd use. I don't think I ever have but I've definitely seen and heard it often enough. Do either of you remember Call My Bluff on BBC back in the day? Wonderfully entertaining. Loads of episodes here:

youtube.com/@dreamer459/videos

It's a great term that I'm not likely to forget it in a hurry!


Never heard of this either although it's a fairly recently coined term.


Out of curiosity I ran it past some colleagues of different ages today and not a single one had heard of it either!


I know of it but never watched an episode. I get the feeling that it may well have been Jon's cup of tea.

Not so much the word itself but many Poles think the second word of 'kasza manna' is an adjctive (cause the two n's) but actually it's a noun (manna as in 'from heaven).

So instead of saying 'proszę kaszę manną' it should be 'proszę kaszę mannę'.....

Apart from meaning that those devices are constantly being used I can't think of much else.......

Yes, of course!
Does this sitting idiom sound amusing or silly??? ):):)

It just sounds normal to me. It's frequently used over here especially in regard to mobile phones.

I find this linguistic concurrence absolutely fascinating. :):):)

It hasn`t been played yet! What does it mean?

The outcome of something's not yet known? It ain't over till the fat lady sings?

Sorry, no.

Hint - when you say it, you are seriously surprised.

The outcome of something is known before it should be? A sort of how is that possible scenario?

Sorry, no. The no-play idiom expresses your utter surprise at sth happening. Almost like jaws hitting the ground.

The incident took place a week ago, but the police have now released a recording of the chase. At the intersection of Fordońska and Fabryczna streets in Bydgoszcz, an Opel drove past a police car stopped at a red light. The officers immediately turned on their sirens and went after the driver.

"It hasn`t been played here before", "chasing a green Opel" - you can hear on the recording.

Ok thanks. We would say a 'jaw-dropping' event/display.

It's also frequently used over here. :):):)
To pour out the baby with bath water.

Making a mistake that undoes a positive action?

Yes.

The "Clean Air" program was suspended overnight, it is to return in a "new version", however, according to the Polish Smog Alert, the proposed changes will not solve the problems. - We could have started to clean up this mess much earlier. I am afraid that we will pour the baby out with the bathwater - PAS spokesman Piotr Siergiej tells "Wprost".

In another thread I notified Iron that he was pouring honey on my heart.
????

He was being nice? Kindling warm feelings? Over here we would say 'to warm the cockles of your heart'

Close. However, you are talking too much about the perpetrator aka Iron, while you should more about the recipient of his honey aka me.

lol1 nice guys do not get a girl - looser.

Excuse me, Saire, but us no comprehende deine utterance.

Beware, baboon, of jealousy, it is green - eyed monster which do mock the meat it feeds on.

Your cold heart is defrosting a little? ;)

OK, we can say so. The recipient feels down, even depressed and Iron`s words/actions bring them new hope.

In another thread I mentioned PiS rightist opposition`s trecherous policy and a new idiom came to my mind:

to put a stick between spokes of the wheel.