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  What it means

  Literally “a drowning man clutches at a razor.” Someone in a desperate situation will grasp at anything — even something that will cut them. Describes increasingly wild or useless decisions made in panic. Similar to the English “clutching at straws,” but more vivid.

  Vocabulary

  • tonący — a drowning person (present participle of 'tonąć')
  • brzytwa — straight razor / cut-throat razor
  • chwytać się — to grasp at / to clutch

  Grammar note

  'Brzytwy' is the genitive of 'brzytwa' — 'chwytać się + genitive' means to grab hold of something. 'Się' here makes the verb reflexive.

  Cultural context

  The razor detail makes this more visceral than its English counterpart — a drowning man will even grab something that hurts him.

  Intermediate

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