Meaning:
Lit. “a monopoly (store)”. This does not have anything to do with a monopoly in the current socioeconomic situation in Poland. But it had some 40 or 50 years ago.
Category: Alcohol
Herbata z prądem
Meaning:
Lit. “a tea with electricity, an electric tea”. This might sound cryptic or dangerous but it is safe or even beneficial. The expression comes from the Tatra mountains and has been used by local sheepherders (and hotel owners), the górale, to describe a warming mix of tea and vodka (or vodka and tea).
Nie wylewać za kołnierz
Meaning:
Lit. “to not pour in the collar” which is a metaphor for a heavy drinker. You use this for people who enjoy more than one beer once a week but reserve some heavier terms like “pijak”, “ochlejtus” or “chlor” for those who clearly are alcoholics.
Flakon
Meaning:
Lit. “a flacon/bottle”, a glass or ceramic container in which flowers or perfumes are stored. And -this is why the slang meaning of the word – a bottle of vodka – sounds so funny in Polish. For instance if I ever hear this expression, I imagine people pouring a drink after having removed a tulip or two from the bottle.
Być zrobiony
Meaning:
Lit. “to be done” but this does not mean someone has completed a task or has had enough. Instead, in Polish this expression is used to point at a person being (completely) drunk. It is far from official language, rather a colloquialism mostly used by people below 30. It is sometimes used by victims themselves – “ale się zrobiłem” meaning “I’ve really had too much to drink and was intoxicated”.