Lit. “to smell flowers from underneath” which is an impolite (and, perhaps, funny) way to say that a person is dead. It’s one of an array of similar expressions in Polish as, for instance, “kopnąć w kalendarz“, which you should not use in a conversation with a relative of the deceased, unless they did not have any respect for him/her.
Lit. “as if saying bugger off”. This is what expression a fellow Polish speaker will use when describing a work being delivered in a slapdash fashion, only to have it completed, as opposed to “jak Pan Bóg przykazał“. She or he will use it to refer to a poor homework by a child or a rushed major construction enterprise alike, if not done diligently.
This expression definitely has its roots in the times of the socialism/communism between 1946 and 1989 when work in state-owned companies or institutions was guaranteed for everyone, monopolies ruled almost every sector and, as a consequence, most of what the country produced was of a low quality. Every manager risked to be told to “odwal się” by another employee, if they inquired about the quality of the work they were doing. Hence the saying, used widely even now.
Lit. “as the Lord commanded”, which usually follows a “do it” and forms a request for another person to do something in the correct and thorough way, as opposed to “na odwal się” or hastily and incompletely.
The expression is mostly used ironically and not by very religious people, who, by the way, might find this offensive or even blasphemous. Especially if referring to prosaic or even sinful practices never referenced by the ten commandmends. The irony is sometimes even deeper, if you refer to general or conservative public’s standards you don’t respect yourself.
Lit. “a human is not a camel and needs to (have a) drink”. It’s a polite and humorous way of complying to a suggestion of alcohol consumption. At times it might sound a bit like surrendering to a devil’s voice, even after you’ve done your best to oppose it and stay sober. This sentence usually precedes a serious drinking bout resulting in a really bad hangover and remorse. It’s also quite often used as a wedding party toast.
The perfidious and funny part of the saying is that camels, being reasonable and responsible animals, don’t drink alcohol, just water. However, “wódka” being a diminutive form of “woda” (water) brings them shockingly closer to being an animal patron of alcoholics.
Lit. “to drill a hole in stomach”. Fortunately it’s only a metaphor for someone’s relentless requests or supplications, the best example being children asking their mother of father to buy a new toy and then throwing a crying/screaming fit if they don’t comply. This phrase especially matches situations in which the pressure is exercised regularly over a long period.
