Meaning:
Lit. “like a trumpet out of a goat’s ass” which to Poles means someone or something inadequate, unable to fulfil the purpose, not as advertised, unprofessional.
This expression is often used to chastise a person – either if they don’t behave as a pro at work or selected something or someone completely unsuitable for a task. It is a pretty strong term and anyone with a bit of professional pride will feel offended upon hearing it. At the same time, it is humorous, which only adds insult to injury.
If the target is a person you don’t know or even don’t like then hearing them defined as “jak z koziej dupy trąba” may actually sound very funny.
Examples:
Taki z niego przedsiębiorca jak z koziej dupy trąba. W przeszłości prowadził dwie firmy. Obie splajtowały.
No, prawnik z Ciebie, jak z koziej dupy trąba. Od kiedy alkohol jest okolicznością łagodzącą? Chyba Ciebie dopadła ta pomroczność jasna..
Odpuść sobie. Z TV taki komputer jak z koziej dupy trąba. Szkoda na to czasu. Kupuj TV bez Smarta i podłącz do niego komp po HDMI.
Thank you for this insightful post! I really enjoyed learning about the origins and meaning of this unique idiom. My own favorite Polish expression is “(siedzieć cicho) jak mysz pod miotłą,” which means “to sit very quietly, to behave calmly so as not to draw attention to oneself.” I appreciate how Polish idioms often paint such vivid pictures, making the language so rich and colorful! Keep up the great work with these posts—they’re both educational and entertaining!
Thanks for the kind words, Paul. And for inspiration. The one about mouse has been missing and I added it here: https://www.polishidioms.com/jak-mysz-pod-miotla/
I hope idioms I publish here are powerful enough to survive. Times change and such expressions often lose reference to real world. But them being vivid, as you say, might be enough for people to keep using them.