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  What it means

  Literally “sobering chamber.” The Polish drunk tank — a facility where intoxicated people are held until sober. A very real institution in Poland, and a common cultural reference.

  Vocabulary

  • izba — chamber, room
  • wytrzeźwienie — sobering up

  Grammar note

  'Wytrzeźwień' is the genitive plural of 'wytrzeźwienie' — genitive of purpose/relation.

  Cultural context

  Izby wytrzeźwień are a well-known Polish institution, often referenced in humour and literature. Being taken there is a mark of a particularly bad night.

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