Lit. “what a cat cried out”. What is meant here is the amount/volume of tears delivered in this sad activity. In Polish this metaphor means: very little, next to nothing. It is used often, mostly in everyday conversations, and is widely understood.
Lit. “cat heads”, usually in plural. This is how Poles refer to cobblestones, especially the round ones shaped by river water.
Lit. “to hang dogs on someone” which means to slander, vilify, depreciate someone, to accuse this person of deplorable deeds. This expression can be applied to people as well as institutions, in various contexts, and will be understood by most Polish people.
Lit. “a parrot” which used to mean “a (defense) lawyer” in Polish prison/criminal slang only. The knowledge of the expression has spread and is now used by people from various trades, not just criminals.
Lit. “a little monkey” is a Polish idiom for a small (0.1-0.2 litre) bottle of strong alcohol (mostly 30-40% vol.) – either a pure or flavoured vodka. You can buy them in most “monopolowy” shops and also in some supermarkets.
