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  What it means

  Literally “mother-in-law’s tongue.” The Polish name for the snake plant (Sansevieria) — a common houseplant with long, sharp, pointed leaves. The name plays on the stereotype of a sharp-tongued mother-in-law.

  Vocabulary

  • język — tongue, language
  • teściowa — mother-in-law

  Grammar note

  'Teściowej' is the genitive of 'teściowa' — genitive of possession.

  Cultural context

  The mother-in-law as a figure of sharp wit and cutting remarks is a universal folk stereotype — the plant's pointed leaves make the metaphor vivid.

  Intermediate

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