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  What it means

  When the cat is away, the mice will play. Used when authority or supervision is absent and people take liberties they otherwise wouldn’t.

  Vocabulary

  • kot — cat
  • mysz — mouse
  • harcować — to frolic, to run riot, to play freely

  Grammar note

  'Kota' is the genitive of 'kot', required after the negation 'nie ma'. 'Myszy' is the genitive plural of 'mysz'.

  Cultural context

  This proverb has exact equivalents across European languages (English: 'When the cat's away, the mice will play'). It reflects a universal observation about human behaviour under — and without — supervision.

  Beginner

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