IdiomAnimals
Polish
PolishMieć węża w kieszeni
Meaning: To be very stingy.
Literally: To have a snake in your pocket
Example: “Wujek ma węża w kieszeni i nigdy nie płaci za kawę.” — My uncle is a real penny pincher and never pays for coffee.
English equivalent: Penny pincher
Origin: A snake in the pocket bites anyone who reaches in, so the usual reading is that its owner is too afraid to take any money out. Polish Wiktionary defines the phrase as being reluctant to spend, stingy or overly thrifty. No particular story or first use is documented.
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: Avere le braccine corte Literally: To have short little arms
English: penny pincher
French: Avoir des oursins dans la poche Literally: To have sea urchins in one's pocket
More Polish idioms
- Wyjść jak Zabłocki na mydle To lose out badly on a deal.
- co ślina na język przyniesie Careless, thoughtless speech; whatever comes to mind without reflection or substance.
- błędne koło A logical fallacy or impossible situation in which the solution requires solving the prob…
- podbijać bębenka To flatter someone or egg them on; to feed someone's vanity.
- róg Amaltei An abundant and inexhaustible source of wealth or plenty.
- kupować kota w worku To purchase something without examining it first, risking getting a poor deal.
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- Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść Too many cooks spoil the broth.
- Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale sprawiedliwy Justice may take its time, but it comes in the end.
- Nie od razu Kraków zbudowano Great things take time.
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