Polishpodbijać bębenka
Meaning: To flatter someone or egg them on; to feed someone's vanity.
Literally: To beat the drum
Example: “Podbijał szefowi bębenka, licząc na awans.” — He buttered up the boss, hoping for a promotion.
English equivalent: To butter someone up
Equivalents in other languages
Chinese: 拍马屁 (pāi mǎpì) Literally: To pat the horse's rump
Korean: 비행기를 태우다 (bihaenggireul taeuda) Literally: To put someone on an airplane
English: To butter someone up
Origin: In Polish since the 16th century: the Słownik polszczyzny XVI wieku records it from Mikołaj Rej's Zwierzyniec in the sense of flattering someone and egging them on. The phraseologists Władysław Dynak and Stanisław Bąba suggest it comes from falconry: game was flushed out by beating a drum, and the drumming also excited the falcons to attack. Today it means flattering someone's vanity or encouraging their bragging.
More Polish idioms
- 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.
- zapaść się pod ziemię To wish to disappear from shame or mortification.
- trzymać język za zębami To keep silent and refrain from speaking.
- mieć głowę na karku To be sensible, intelligent, and capable of thinking for oneself.
- trzymać buzię na kłódkę To keep silent and not reveal a secret.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Kradzione nie tuczy What is gained dishonestly brings no lasting good.
- Bliższa koszula ciału niż sukmana People look after their own interests, and their own people, first.
- Szlachcic na zagrodzie równy wojewodzie On your own property you are as good as anyone, however powerful.
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