Meaning:
Lit: “You’re not (made) of sugar”. That is what a Polish mom says to her child if it is afraid of any contact with water: to walk outside in rain or enter a swimming pool. It is a sort of an encouragement and assurance at the same time.
Category: Sayings
Niejednemu psu Burek
Meaning:
Lit. “Not just one dog is (called) a Rocky”. The expression is used to point that a wide range of things, phenomena, or even people, are addressed with a word another person has just used. “Burek” (“Grizzly”) is historically the most popular dog name in Poland and has a very common sound to it.
Wyjdzie w praniu
Meaning:
Lit. “it will all come out in the wash” is what people in Poland say if they are uncertain about an outcome of a decision to commit to something. They say so in order to confirm that there is no way to find out before and, in a way, calm down the others taking part in the enterprise: just move on and it will all be fine. Or: “we’ll see”.
As you may see, this is a slightly different meaning from what English or American people have in mind when using this.
Piąte koło u wozu
Meaning:
Lit. “a cart’s fifth wheel” which is used to describe a completely unnecessary or even useless thing or concept. It’s pretty much the same meaning the English expression has but in Polish, it’s always used with the cart and just “piąte koło” sounds strange, even though understandable.
Szewc bez butów chodzi
Meaning:
Lit. “a shoemaker walks around barefoot” which refers to situations in which a person proficient (or claiming to be) in some trade does not apply it for her/his own good. This usually sounds a bit comical but might also point at double standards of the target, especially if he or she gives others some precious advice not complying to it.