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  What it means

  The devil swallowed the old woman but couldn’t digest her. Said of a stubborn, difficult person who is too tough even for the devil to handle.

  Vocabulary

  • połknąć — to swallow
  • czart — devil, evil spirit
  • baba — old woman (colloquial, sometimes pejorative)
  • strawić — to digest

  Grammar note

  'Połknął' and 'mógł' are past tense masculine singular forms. 'Jej' is the genitive of 'ona', used after the negated verb 'nie mógł strawić'.

  Cultural context

  Polish folk tradition often portrays stubborn old women as more than a match for the devil. The image is humorous and affectionate.

  Intermediate

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