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  What it means

  “A fish rots from the head.” Corruption, failure, or dysfunction in an organisation starts at the top — with its leaders, not the rank and file.

  English equivalent

  A fish rots from the head down.

  Vocabulary

  • ryba — fish
  • psuć się — to rot, to go bad
  • głowa — head

  Grammar note

  'Psuje się' is the reflexive third-person singular present of 'psuć się'. 'Od głowy' uses the genitive after the preposition 'od'.

  Cultural context

  Used in political and business contexts to blame poor leadership for wider problems.

  Beginner

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