wziąć na ambit
Meaning: To take something on as a matter of personal pride; to be set on succeeding because one's pride is at stake.
Language: Polish
Literally: to take onto one’s pride
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The phrase turns on “ambit”, a colloquial word for personal pride or honor rather than ordinary ambition; to take something na ambit is to make it a matter of that pride. The word’s own derivation is uncertain.
More idioms — Daily Life
- wziąć na bajer — To deceive someone or con them into believing something false.
- книга за семью печатями (kniga za sem'yu pechatyami) — Something utterly mysterious and incomprehensible; a complete enigma.
- в Тулу со своим самоваром (v Tulu so svoim samovarom) — To do something pointless or wasteful; to bring something unnecessary or redundant to a p…
- до свадьбы заживёт (do svad'by zazhivyot) — A minor injury or problem will resolve itself naturally and quickly.
- наступить дважды на одни и те же грабли (nastupitʹ dvazhdy na odni i te zhe grabli) — To repeat the same mistake or fall into the same trap a second time.
- козырная карта (kozyrnaya karta) — A decisive advantage or secret resource held in reserve.
More Polish idioms
- wziąć na barki — To assume responsibility for something or take on a burden.
- pijany jak świnia — Extremely intoxicated or drunk.
- Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy — Not my problem; I'm not getting involved.
- Gdzie raki zimują — To be in serious trouble; to learn a harsh lesson.
- Musztarda po obiedzie — Too late to be of any use.
- Rzucać grochem o ścianę — To plead with someone who will not listen.
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…