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światełko w tunelu

Meaning: A sign of hope or improvement after a long period of hardship or darkness.

Language: Polish

Literally: small light in a tunnel

Category: Nature

Origin: A visual metaphor depicting the traditional image of a tunnel as darkness and the light at its end as hope and escape.

More idioms — Nature

  • zmieszać z błotem — To harshly criticize or verbally attack someone; to tear them apart.
  • wąchać kwiatki od spodu — To be dead; to push up daisies.
  • через огонь, воду и медные трубы — To endure any hardship or ordeal without hesitation; to go through anything for someone o…
  • за тридевять земель — An extremely distant, remote place; somewhere impossibly far away.
  • в лес дрова возить — to do something pointless or redundant; to offer something to someone who already has ple…
  • Avoir le vent en poupe — To be doing very well; everything is going your way.

More Polish idioms

  • krzyżyk na drogę — Good riddance; a dismissive farewell wishing someone away.
  • robić dobrą minę do złej gry — To grin and bear it; to pretend a bad situation is acceptable.
  • rozłożyć ręce — To give up; to throw up one's hands in admission of defeat or inability to act.
  • bez owijania w bawełnę — Bluntly and directly, without softening or sugarcoating one's words.
  • nie dać żyć — To make someone's life so difficult and burdensome that they cannot function normally.
  • strzyc uszami — To prick up one's ears; to listen intently.

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