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  What it means

  Literally “the turkey was thinking about Sunday, but on Saturday they cut off its head.” Means that making plans too far ahead is pointless — fate can intervene at any moment. Similar to “don’t count your chickens.”

  Vocabulary

  • indyk — turkey
  • myślał — was thinking (masc. past)
  • niedziela — Sunday
  • sobota — Saturday
  • łeb — head (colloquial)
  • ściąć — to cut off

  Grammar note

  'Ścięli' is the 3rd person plural past of 'ściąć' — impersonal use (they cut), with 'mu' as dative of possession (his head).

  Cultural context

  The turkey fattened for Sunday dinner is a classic folk image. The dark humour is very characteristic of Polish proverbial wisdom.

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