Lit. “a (big) baton/truncheon” (augmentative) has multiple secondary meanings in Polish. Therefore, this post will be a little bit longer than my dear readers are used to. There will be a set of examples for each of the meanings.
Category: Body
Suchoklates
Meaning:
Something like “drychestates”, the suffix “ates” added to make the word sound as a Greek name (Socrates) or an animal species in Latin. Not sure which one but it makes it more stylish and comical.
Kocie łby
Meaning:
Lit. “cat heads”, usually in plural. This is how Poles refer to cobblestones, especially the round ones shaped by river water.
Cztery litery
Meaning:
Lit. “the four letters”, which in Polish always stands for “dupa” – “the ass”. So the expression is an euphemism employed in order not to use the vulgar word. In a similar fashion “the f-word” is in English.
Trzymać język za zębami
Meaning:
Lit. “to hold one’s tongue behind the teeth” – to keep a secret, to keep one’s lips sealed. Used especially when there is a secret indeed. But can also mean a general quality of a laconic and/or distrustful person.