stracić nerwy
Meaning: To lose one's emotional control and become agitated or frantic.
Language: Polish
Literally: to lose nerves
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The image pictures the nerves as the seat of composure; losing them means surrendering emotional stability.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- 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.
- сыпать соль на рану (sypat' sol' na ranu) — To deliberately make someone's suffering worse by adding mockery or fresh insult to their…
- проверять на вшивость (proveryat' na shivost') — To scrutinize or investigate someone closely to uncover hidden faults or problems; to vet…
- положа руку на сердце (polozhá ruku na sérdtse) — Speaking with complete sincerity and honesty.
More Polish idioms
- włożyć kij w szprychy — To obstruct or sabotage someone's plans or efforts.
- wziąć z sufitu — To invent something without basis; to make something up or fabricate it.
- manna z nieba — An unexpected blessing or fortunate arrival of something greatly needed.
- grać na zwłokę — To stall or delay deliberately in order to buy time until one is ready.
- zimne nóżki — A cold dish of meat in aspic or jelly.
- wziąć w łapę — To take a bribe or to accept money corruptly.
From our tongue twisters
- Ząb, zupa zębowa; dąb, zupa dębowa. — Drills the nasal vowels ą and ę, which only differ from plain a and e by the nasal hum.
- W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie i Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie. — The opening of a poem by Julian Tuwim, now Poland's most-quoted tongue twister — the cons…
- Stół z powyłamywanymi nogami. — Six words, almost no vowels — a single noun phrase that non-Polish speakers find impossib…