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policzyć na palcach jednej ręki

Meaning: To be very few in number; countable on one hand.

Language: Polish

Literally: to count on the fingers of one hand

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The phrase draws literally on the act of counting a small number of items using only the five fingers of a single hand, implying scarcity.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • uzbroić się w cierpliwość — To be patient or to gather one's patience.
  • rozłożyć ręce — To give up; to throw up one's hands in admission of defeat or inability to act.
  • stracić nerwy — To lose one's emotional control and become agitated or frantic.
  • stracić głowę — To act without rational thought; to abandon self-control and sound judgment.
  • stracić twarz — To suffer a loss of respect, dignity, or social standing, especially through shame or fai…
  • wziąć na barki — To assume responsibility for something or take on a burden.

More Polish idioms

  • list gończy — An arrest warrant, especially a public wanted poster circulated to apprehend a fugitive.
  • biała trucizna — Refined sugar, especially when consumed in excess, likened to an addictive and harmful su…
  • studnia bez dna — An endless source of trouble or expense; something that consumes resources without limit…
  • pi razy oko — A rough, approximate measure with little precision; give or take.
  • ptasi móżdżek — A stupid or scatterbrained person.
  • pojechać do Rygi — To vomit.

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