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  What it means

  The first cats go over the fences. The first attempt at something rarely succeeds — it’s a warm-up, a trial run. Used to excuse or explain away an initial failure or awkward first try.

  English equivalent

  First attempt is just practice.

  Vocabulary

  • kot — cat
  • płot — fence

  Grammar note

  'Za płoty' uses the accusative after 'za' indicating direction (over/beyond the fences). 'Koty' and 'płoty' are accusative plural.

  Cultural context

  The rhyme (koty / płoty) makes this proverb very memorable and it is commonly used in everyday speech.

  Beginner

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