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  What it means

  “He who doesn’t draw trumps walks without shoes.” In card games, failing to use your trump cards leads to losing everything — even your shoes. Use your advantages when you have them.

  English equivalent

  Strike while the iron is hot.

  Vocabulary

  • ściągać — to draw, to pull out
  • atut — trump card
  • chodzić — to walk, to go
  • buty — shoes

  Grammar note

  'Atutów' is the genitive plural of 'atut', used as the object of negated 'nie ściąga'. 'Bez butów' uses the genitive after 'bez'.

  Cultural context

  Originates from card-playing culture; losing one's shoes was a folk metaphor for total loss.

  Intermediate

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