# dokoła płota



## Lorenc

My question concerns the expression "dokoła płota", which is given by the Russian-Polish  dictionary "wielki słownik rosyjsko-polski" by Wiedza Powszechna  as a translation of the Russian expression _wokrug da około _(which means something like 'to beat about the bush'):
вокру́г да о́коло [wokrug da około] _pot._ omijając (nie trafiając w) sedno rzeczy; *dokoła płota*

I'm aware that _płot _has an obsolete genitive _płota _instead of _płotu _in some old-fashioned fixed expressions (słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płota;  podchodzić do płota).
I'm wondering if 'dokoła płota' is another of such fixed expressions, and if it is still in actual use.


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## zaffy

First, I would say dookoła płotu. 
Then, this is the first time I've heard that expression.


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## Ben Jamin

Lorenc said:


> My question concerns the expression "dokoła płota", which is given by the Russian-Polish  dictionary "wielki słownik rosyjsko-polski" by Wiedza Powszechna  as a translation of the Russian expression _wokrug da około _(which means something like 'to beat about the bush'):
> вокру́г да о́коло [wokrug da około] _pot._ omijając (nie trafiając w) sedno rzeczy; *dokoła płota*
> 
> I'm aware that _płot _has an obsolete genitive _płota _instead of _płotu _in some old-fashioned fixed expressions (słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płota;  podchodzić do płota).
> I'm wondering if 'dokoła płota' is another of such fixed expressions, and if it is still in actual use.


1. I would say and write "dookoła płotu", not "dokoła płota"
2. Never heard of. Must be regional.


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## Henares

I think that in this context it’s worth mentioning that there is (at leat IMO) a growing tendency to decline some inanimate objects as if they were animate. Hence more people would say “jem kotleta” than „jem kotlet” and “mam smartfona” than ”mam smartfon”.


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## zaffy

Tak, ja mówię kotleta i smartfona. 😋


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## marco_2

Ben Jamin said:


> 1. I would say and write "dookoła płotu", not "dokoła płota"
> 2. Never heard of. Must be regional.


Neither did I - I'd rather say "w kółko Macieju" or "dookoła Wojtek" in such context.


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## Ben Jamin

zaffy said:


> Tak, ja mówię kotleta i smartfona. 😋


Thats's why people of my generation say that "the newspeak Polish" sounds ugly.


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## Henares

marco_2 said:


> Neither did I - I'd rather say "w kółko Macieju" or "dookoła Wojtek" in such context.


I would say “w koło Macieju” and it rather means that something repeats many times.


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## jasio

I don't think 've ever heard this expression either, and I failed to find it in the National Corpus of Polish (The National Corpus of Polish - NKJP). Doroszewski does not quote this collocation either: płot – Wielki słownik W. Doroszewskiego PWN. Weather in the archaic or in the modern form of the Genitive, the phrase seems to be used only literally, at least in writing. I managed to find only one occurrence of the phrase in its metaphorical sense:
Kocham Cię - strona 1 | Vitalia.



Henares said:


> I would say “w koło Macieju” and it rather means that something repeats many times.


Indeed. 
To express the OP's intended meaning:


Lorenc said:


> 'to beat about the bush' (...) omijając (nie trafiając w) sedno rzeczy;


I'd rather say "mówić opłotkami" or "ogródkami": to beat about the bush - tłumaczenie na polski - słownik angielsko-polski bab.la. In case of the negation (like in "don't beat about the bush') you can also say "nie owijaj w bawełnę", some other phrases are also possible. beat about the bush - Tłumaczenie na polski - angielskich przykładów | Reverso Context


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## Poland91pl

marco_2 said:


> Neither did I - I'd rather say "w kółko Macieju" or "dookoła Wojtek" in such context.


Ja z kolei " w koło Macieju " albo "w kolo Wojtek "


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## Lorenc

Thank you all for the answers. The expression must be obsolete or regional and in any case it's not in wide use at all. Its inclusion in the dictionary can only be considered a mistake.


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