How You Say?

Zmieszać kogoś z błotem.

English Phonemes: “ZMYEH-[sz]ahch KOH-gohsh z BWOH-tehm”

Literal Translation: To mix someone with mud.

Elegant Translation: To coat/cover someone in mud.

English Equivalent: To sling mud. 

A Pole won’t take you apart – he’ll mix you with mud or hang dogs on you (next week’s episode). 

This week, instead of guessing at scenarios, I wanted to teach you the most generic way to say this so you could repeat it in any number of scenarios where someone is slinging mud at someone else. For the lack of specificity, you’re gaining flexibility. I trust your judgement!

Zmieszać = to mix [infinitive]
Kogoś = someone [noun, masc. s. obj. form]
Z = with [preposition]
Błotem = mud [noun, neut. s. obj. form]

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Jeśli nie potrafisz nie pchaj się na afisz.

English Phonemes: “YEHSH-lee nyeh poh-TRAH-fee[sz] nyeh phahj shyeh nah AH-fee[sz]”

Literal Translation: If not you are able, not shove self onto poster.

Elegant Translation: If you’re not able, don’t push yourself onto the poster.

English Equivalent: Have you got the skills to pay the bills?

This is a hilarious phrase. You’re basically saying, if you haven’t got what it takes, don’t get on the stage. The “poster” in the phrase specifically refers to an advertisement for a show (or film, in the modern sense). 

Other equivalent phrases include:
“If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

The voice and tone of this phrase is 100% informal, definitely don’t use this with someone you have a more distant or professional relationship with. Even if you frame it as “well, you know what they say…” and then use that phrase, unless you know the person, you might accidentally insult them.

For friends/family, however, this is hilarious. And deployed skillfully, it could even be a bit of wisdom as well as a playful jab.

Jeśli = if
Nie = not, no [negates what comes next]
Potrafisz = you are able [verb, 2nd p. s. present tense]
Pchaj = shove, push [verb, 2nd p. s. present tense - also the imperative instructive form]
Się = self [reflective helper word]
Na = on, onto [preposition]
Afisz = poster [noun, masc. s. obj. form]

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Gruszki na wierzbie!

English Phonemes: “GROO[SZ]-kee nah VYE[Ż]-byeh”

Literal Translation: Pears on willow.

Elegant Translation: Pears on a willow tree.

English Equivalent: To promise the moon.

In Polish, we don’t promise the moon or the world, we promise to deliver pears on a willow tree. You can use this phrase the same way as the English counterparts :-)

Enjoy!

Gruszki = pears [noun, f. pl. subj. form]
Na = on/onto [preposition]
Wierzbie = willow tree [noun, f. s. obj. form]

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Chcesz pozjadać wszystkie rozumy?

English Phonemes: “htseh[sz] poh-ZYAH-dahch F[SZ]IHS-tkyeh roh-ZOO-mih”

Literal Translation: You want to eat all brains?

Elegant Translation: You want to eat up all the brains?

English Equivalent: To be smarter than the average bear.

This is just a funny way of asking someone if they aim to surpass every brain out there. The phrasing implies part ambition, part inflated ego. There’s nothing wrong with ambition, but too much ego leads to trouble! You you can use this phrase with a friend (it’s informal!) as a friendly supportive ribbing. 

Chcesz = You want/do you want [verb, 2nd p. s., present tense]
Pozjadać = Eat [verb, infinitive]
Wszystkie = All [adj. m. pl. obj. form]
Rozumy = brains [noun, m. pl. obj. form]

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Pada deszczyk pada
Pada sobie równo
Raz wpadnie na kwiatek
Raz wpadnie na... bratek!

Literal Translation:

It falls, little rain, it falls
It falls itself evenly
Once it will fall onto flower
Once it will fall onto ... Pansy

Elegant Translation:

The little rain falls, it falls
It falls [everywhere] evenly
Once falling on a flower
Once falling on a ... pansy

I thought I’d celebrate episode 150 and also close out the year with a song! This is a bit naughty, also, as it subverts expectations. At the end of the song, when you pause before delivering the word “bratek”, you have set the rhyme up to be a swear word that starts with ‘g’ and rhymes with ‘równo’. I’m not going to say the word itself, but suffice it to say the “S” in the English abbreviation of “B.S.” is exactly what it means. 

It’s a funny little song about rain falling uniformly, and unbiased, on all the pretty things and horrible things alike. It’s a cheerful tune, and it’s just a funny joke. I thought I’d share. It’s a pretty popular song. 

Thank you all for 150 awesome episodes.

Have a fun and safe holiday season.

I’ll see you all in 2021!

Pada (PAH-dah) = he/she/it is falling [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]
Deszczyk (DEH[SZ][CZ]-ihk)= rain [noun, s. masc. subj. form, diminutive]
Sobie (SOH-byeh) = itself [reflective word, obj. form]
Równo (ROOV-noh) = evenly [adv.]
Raz (rahs) = once
Wpadnie (FPAHD-nyeh) = he/she/it will fall (onto/into) [verb, 3rd p.s., future tense, needs a preposition to follow]
Na (nah) = onto/on [preposition] 
Kwiatek (KFYAH-tehk) = flower [noun, s. masc. obj. form, diminutive]
Bratek (BRAH-tehk) = a Pansy, a specific breed of flower [noun, s. masc. obj. form]

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Jeść nie woła.

English Phonemes: “yehshch nyeh VOH-wah”

Literal Translation: To eat not calls.

Elegant Translation: This doesn’t call out for food.

English Equivalent: This can wait.

This is an old idiom, and very popular. It perfectly captures the idea that something is not desperate for you attention, like, say, a baby calling out for food would be. It’s used to say “take it easy”, that you can be relaxed and approach a given item/task at your convenience. 

Jeść = to eat [verb, infinitive]
Nie = not/no [negating word]
Woła = he/she/it calls [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]

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Nie nabijaj mnie w butelkę.

English Phonemes: “nyeh nah-BEE-yahy mnyeh v boo-TEHL-k[ę]”

Literal Translation: Not you stuff me into bottle!

Elegant Translation: Don’t stuff me into a bottle!

English Equivalent: Stop pulling my leg.

This is the perfect Polish phrase to encompass the mischief of trying to pull a fast one on someone or in any way trying to pull someone’s leg.

Nie = not/no [negating word]
Nabijaj = (you) stuff [verb, s. imperative, informal]
Mnie = me [obj. form]
W = into/in [preposition]
Butelkę = bottle [noun, fem. s. obj. form]

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Mucha nie siada!

English Phonemes: “MOO-hah nyeh SHYAH-dah”

Literal Translation: Fly not sits!

Elegant Translation: A fly doesn’t sit!

English Equivalent: Flawless. Perfection.

This is a really fun phrase to express that something is beyond reproach. Something is so clean, or beautiful, or excellently executed that there is no place a fly could find to sit. I love this phrase. 

Mucha = fly [noun, fem. s. subj. form]
Nie = not, no [negates whatever comes next]
Siada = he/she/it will sit [verb, 3rd p. s., present tense]

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Trzeba brać nogi za pas!

English Phonemes: “T[SZ]EH-bah brahch NOH-gee zah pahs”

Literal Translation: It’s necessary to take legs behind belt!

Elegant Translation: It’s time to take your legs behind your belt!

English Equivalent: To leg it. To take to one’s heels.

Like last week, this phrase means it’s time to run away, turn tail, and beat it. 

Sometimes, the simple advice is the best advice. Enjoy!

Trzeba = it is necessary, there is need [slang, shortened from ‘jest potrzeba żeby’]
Brać = to take [verb, infinitive]
Nogi = legs [noun, pl. f. obj. form]
Za = behind, after [preposition]
Pas = belt [noun, s. masc. obj. form]

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Trzeba dać nogę!

English Phonemes: “T[SZ]EH-bah dahch NOH-g[ę]”

Literal Translation: It’s necessary to give leg!

Elegant Translation: It’s time to give a leg!

English Equivalent: Make a run for it!

This is one way to say that it’s time to escape, to make a run for it, to hoof it, to leg it, to run away. (Next week we’ll do another phrase for the same thing!)

Sometimes, it’s the best advice you can give someone. Enjoy!

Trzeba = it is necessary, there is need [slang, shortened from ‘jest potrzeba żeby’]
Dać = to give [verb, infinitive]
Nogę = leg [noun, s. f. obj. form]

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