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  What it means

  “A whore won’t tear off another whore’s head.” People of the same kind or with the same vices protect each other and won’t harm their own. Similar to ’there is honour among thieves'.

  English equivalent

  There is honour among thieves.

  Vocabulary

  • kurwa — whore (vulgar); also a common expletive
  • łeb — head (colloquial/vulgar)
  • urwać — to tear off, to rip off

  Grammar note

  'Łba' is the genitive of 'łeb'. 'Nie urwie' is the negated future perfective of 'urwać'.

  Cultural context

  This is a coarse, folk-register proverb. 'Kurwa' in older usage meant a promiscuous woman; today it is primarily a strong expletive in Polish.

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