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Polish slang phrases - most popular.


weejitz
3 Apr 2019   #601
When I was little my dad would often use an energetic expression that he told me was Polish, but he never told me the translation. I don't know how much of the language my dad knew; my grandparents were were fluent but I never heard my father carry on conversations in Polish, just an occasional word here in there in situations. I bring that up because I don't know how much of the expression father used would actually translate into a meaningful Polish expression, if what he said became Americanized gibberish that means nothing at all.

I wouldn't even know where to begin with how it would be spelled but phonetically it sounded like: SHAH-kah-DINTZ neet-SPOHT-teh ... and sometimes he would just say the first word without the second one, as though it carried the same meaning with or without it. Kind of like "what the hell," and "what the..." If you went with the second option people would know what you're saying and the meaning isn't lost.

Anyway, that's kind of the scenario in which he would use the expression; kind of like an exclamation. As I remember, it would fit into scenarios where someone, in English, would say something like: "what the hell" ... "son of a bit**" ... "oh my god!" ... something like that. If a six year old kid spilled paint on a white rug and my dad walked in the room he might say, SHAH-kah-DINTZ !!! or SHAH-kah-DINTZ neet-SPOHT-teh !!! Not that I ever spilled paint on the rug ... but if I did then he definitely would have said it!

Thanks
HollyKainz
5 Mar 2021   #602
An expression, that, loosely translated into English, means, "He walks ahead of his penis"?
pawian  226 | 27458
23 Apr 2021   #603
Łoś - moose - a dimwit
Jeleń - red deer - sucker, gullible person, easily cheated on.
Zwierzak
19 Jun 2021   #604
Chciałbym nadmienić, iż 'Bełt', czy tez 'Jabol', należy do określania taniego wina.
Anna7827
11 Jan 2022   #605
how do u say "pretty baby" (when talking to a girl, not literally baby)

and how do u say "lets get high" as in smoking
mafketis  43 | 11760
11 Jan 2022   #606
not a native but maybe...

pretty baby - ślicznotka (sounds maybe a little dated, but it was the Polish title of the Brooke Shields movie 'Pretty Baby'....

let's get high - zjaramy się
noideaboutpolish
2 Oct 2025   #607
Hello, does anyone know what WMPS means in polish? it should relate to a man woman relationship...
Ironside  53 | 13762
4 Oct 2025   #608
WMPS

No F clue, mate. I know what NPC means, if that is any help to you.
Lenka  6 | 3558
4 Oct 2025   #610
To smoke weed
Ironside  53 | 13762
4 Oct 2025   #611
To smoke weed

The expert hath spoken.
mafketis  43 | 11760
4 Oct 2025   #612
zjaramy sie?

Do you have much contact with modern Poland? It's not new at all (at least the use of jarać meaning 'get high' isn't new).
Ironside  53 | 13762
4 Oct 2025   #613
jarać

correction - it means on fire or/and smoking.jarać sie - to be keen on something, to be excited about something.

zjaramy się - depends on the context, getting high is more obvious, could mean we are going to smoke a lot, or get sunburn.
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
4 Oct 2025   #615
@mafketis
I don't have much contact with the world of drugs and am unfamiliar with street language. To this day, I have no idea what the smell of marijuana is like.

A long time ago, while visiting my daughter's cottage, I noticed an unpleasant odor and assumed it might be a skunk nearby. My daughter just laughed and said, "Yeah, Dad, it's a two-legged skunk frying his brain.
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
4 Oct 2025   #616
@Ironside: it means on fire

It is true I left Poland decades ago, and I am familiar with plomien, pozar, czerwony kur, jezdziec Akopalipsy, but never jarac,are you sure this is not
a regional abnormality? I am certain it is a slang, but I don't suspect it is used, country-wide
Ironside  53 | 13762
5 Oct 2025   #617
It is true I left Poland decades ago

Decades or half a century? Because decades ago, that word was in circulation. I wouldn't say it was used everywhere, it was obviously prison slang that found its way into vocabulary of young people. Nowadays, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't understand its meaning.
mafketis  43 | 11760
5 Oct 2025   #618
What the hell is ;zjaramy sie?

I was responding to #605 which had the question: "how do u say "lets get high" as in smoking"

I offered a possible answer which people in Poland recognize and maybe some in Polonia don't.

I wouldn't say jarać się is slang, it's informal colloquial (potoczny) usage. I've heard it on Polish tv (including years ago).

slang tends to be restricted to groups (based on age or other factors) and tends to be very unstable

informal colloquial usage 'potoczny' is just that... how people speak informally and is much more durable and often leads to changes in what is considered correct

tą kobietę isn't slang but rather colloquial usage that is (very) slowly supplanting the official and more formal 'tę kobietę'

Normal language stuff.
jon357  76 | 25200
5 Oct 2025   #619
question: "how do u say "lets get high" as in smoking"

I offered a possible answer which people in Poland recognize and maybe some in Polonia don't.

Zjaramy się is easily understandable.

I wouldn't say jarać się is slang, it's informal colloquial (potoczny) usage

People often confuse 'street language', colloquial speech and 'slang', (a vague term)
Torq  21 | 1858
5 Oct 2025   #620
jarac

'Jarać' is not a regional word - it is an ancient Polish and indeed Slavic lexical item. It originally means 'to burn' or to 'set on fire' but, as Maf and Jon noticed, it can also mean 'to smoke' (cigarettes, weed etc.). It's from proto-Slavic 'jariti' (to make hot, to inflame) and it is connected to Jarilo ('the fiery one') - a Slavic god of fiery life and spring vitality...



... reconnect with your Slavic roots, birdie! :)
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
5 Oct 2025   #621
@mafketis
The correct form is "tę kobietę."

There's nothing mysterious about the proper usage of the term "tę kobietę"; it's used every day in casual conversation among regular people. Every dictionary will confirm this. However, the term "zjaramy się" is definitely slang-a problematic distortion of the beauty of the Polish language.

I don't expect to see "kalectwo" widely used in culturally refined circles or included in the Polish dictionary. Therefore, I proudly reject any attempts to equate the correct form "tę kobietę" with the mutilation of the language. And yes, I left Poland decades ago, but I hold Poland close to my heart, and I am closely connected
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
5 Oct 2025   #622
@jon357; Zjaramy sie is easily understandable

In your circles, the required knowledge.
jon357  76 | 25200
5 Oct 2025   #623
In your circles

It's known in all circles.

The language changes with time, like all languages.

casual

kobietę

zjaramy się

You're insatiable.
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
5 Oct 2025   #624
@jon357; You're insatiable

You on the other hand are over przaezjarany and lok the result
mafketis  43 | 11760
5 Oct 2025   #625
correct form is "tę kobietę."

But many people say 'tą' and that's now considered acceptable in informal speech and maybe in informal writing (by Miodek or Bralczyk IIRC). New forms first enter speech as being 'incorrect' then are okay in casual speech and then eventually are accepted more broadly. That's how languages work.
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
5 Oct 2025   #626
@jon357 the language changes with time

Consult the little Turkey. It is either shrouded in antiquity according to historian Turkey, or a recent abnormality born in the gutter. Take your pick; get off the fence or you risk crushing your jewels.
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
5 Oct 2025   #627
@mafketis

Tę czy tą is not my problem; I accept both, with the preference on tę My argument is you are equating jaramy with tę czy tą
jon357  76 | 25200
2 days ago   #628
It is either shrouded in antiquity according to historian Turkey, or a recent abnormality born in the gutter.

So according to you, everything old is "shrouded in anntiquity" and anything new is "born in the gutter"...
Przelotnyptak1  - | 916
2 days ago   #629
@jon357

When, and where, did I say that? Torq, the historian, draws a connection between pot smoking and the ancient Slavic god. Reflecting on historical tragedies and the devastating actions of our ancient ancestors, I hold Jarilo, the pot-smoking god, and his followers responsible. Instead of leading the nations to success, they stumble around in a pot-induced stupor, much like you, Jon, flooding PF pages with nonsensical responses. They are ancient treasures, priceless and as old as humanity's practices, born from the gutter.


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