wziąć z sufitu
Meaning: To invent something without basis; to make something up or fabricate it.
Language: Polish
Literally: to take from the ceiling
Category: The Absurd
Origin: The ceiling is a place from which nothing real can be drawn; the image is of pulling something from nowhere, from emptiness.
More idioms — The Absurd
- в долгах как в шелках (v dolgakh kak v shelkakh) — To be deeply and hopelessly in debt.
- сражаться с ветряными мельницами (srazhat'sya s vetryanymi mel'nitsami) — To struggle against imaginary or futile enemies; to waste effort on impossible causes.
- полтора землекопа (poltora zemlyekopa) — An absurdly small group; a nonsensical quantity that defies rational measure.
- на честном слове и на одном крыле (na chestnom slove i na odnom kryle) — Succeeding or surviving by the barest margin, through luck or desperation rather than sol…
- ври больше (vri bolshe) — An expression of dismissive disbelief; an ironical way of saying someone's story is uncon…
- пускаться во все тяжкие (puskat'sya vo vse tyazhkiye) — To abandon restraint and indulge recklessly in vices or wrongdoing without scruple.
More Polish idioms
- manna z nieba — An unexpected blessing or fortunate arrival of something greatly needed.
- stracić twarz — To suffer a loss of respect, dignity, or social standing, especially through shame or fai…
- 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.
- wziąć na ambit — To take something on as a matter of personal pride; to be set on succeeding because one's…