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  What it means

  Literally “they’re shoeing a horse, and the frog sticks out its leg.” Means someone insignificant tries to imitate or insert themselves into something far beyond their station — punching way above their weight.

  Vocabulary

  • kuć — to shoe (a horse), to forge
  • żaba — frog
  • podstawiać — to stick out, to put forward

  Grammar note

  'Kują' is third person plural present of 'kuć'. 'Nogę' is accusative of 'noga' — direct object of 'podstawia'.

  Cultural context

  A vivid folk image — the absurdity of a frog offering its tiny leg to be shod alongside a horse perfectly captures presumptuous overreach.

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