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  What it means

  Literally “to wake up with one’s hand in the chamber pot.” Means to suddenly realize you’ve made a terrible mistake or landed in an embarrassing situation — a rude awakening.

  Vocabulary

  • budzić się — to wake up
  • ręka — hand
  • nocnik — chamber pot / potty

  Grammar note

  'Z ręką w nocniku' — 'ręką' is instrumental after 'z'; 'nocniku' is locative after 'w.'

  Cultural context

  A very colloquial and humorous expression. The image is deliberately undignified.

  Intermediate

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