• Listen

  What it means

  “Uncle was trading an axe for a stick.” Said of a bad deal or a foolish exchange where someone gives up something valuable for something worthless.

  English equivalent

  Penny wise, pound foolish.

  Vocabulary

  • stryjek — uncle (father's brother, diminutive)
  • wymieniać — to exchange, to trade
  • siekierka — small axe, hatchet
  • kijek — stick, small rod

  Grammar note

  'Siekierkę' and 'kijek' are accusative singulars as direct objects of 'wymieniał'. 'Za kijek' uses the accusative after 'za' in an exchange construction.

  Intermediate

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