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  What it means

  Literally “like Himilsbach with English.” Said of someone who has absolutely no knowledge of or aptitude for something — completely out of their depth.

  Vocabulary

  • angielski — English (language)

  Grammar note

  'Z angielskim' uses the instrumental of 'angielski' after 'z' (with).

  Cultural context

  Jan Himilsbach was a beloved Polish actor and writer, famous for being a self-taught working-class figure. The phrase comes from a famous anecdote in which he was asked about his English and replied he had none whatsoever. His name became shorthand for total ignorance of something.

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