# Cześć pracy!



## Encolpius

Hello, I've happened to find the expression *cześć pracy* in a dictionary translated as hello, hi and used in colloquial and humorous language. Since that expression existed during the communist era in Czechoslovakia, I wonder if that greeting form is still in usage and if it was used in former Poland as greeting among comrades or other people, maybe the workers as well. Briefly is there any history of that greeting just like in Czecho-Slovakia? Thanks.


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## Ben Jamin

Encolpius said:


> Hello, I've happened to find the expression *cześć pracy* in a dictionary translated as hello, hi and used in colloquial and humorous language. Since that expression existed during the communist era in Czechoslovakia, I wonder if that greeting form is still in usage and if it was used in former Poland as greeting among comrades or other people, maybe the workers as well. Briefly is there any history of that greeting just like in Czecho-Slovakia? Thanks.



This greeting has been obsolete since early 1950-s in Poland when I was still a child. I believe it was meant to be used between workers and higher communist party members, or even between workers themselves. These attempts have been abandoned after 1956, but the expression could be heard as a humorous greeting in later years too. Sometimes used to mock people obviously not doing their work in their work time.


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## Rusak963

It can still be heard, but very rarely I guess.


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## Baltic Sea

What's the English for "cześć pracy" if I may ask?


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## Ben Jamin

Baltic Sea said:


> What's the English for "cześć pracy" if I may ask?



I've never heard any similar expression. Somebody must create it, but why?
All translations must be very periphrastic and therefore clumsy, for example: "we pay our honour to work (labour)".
"Hail work" sounds ridiculous.


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## dreamlike

It's no good trying to translate the phrase in question - it defies translation  It takes understanding the times, to understand the phrase, so to speak.


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## Baltic Sea

How about "it's nice to be working with you again", "it's good to be at work again" or "it's nice to be doing team work again"?


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## Ben Jamin

Baltic Sea said:


> How about "it's nice to be working with you again", "it's good to be at work again" or "it's nice to be doing team work again"?



As Dreamlike aptly put it "It takes understanding the times to understand the phrase". None of your proposals reflects the actual meaning of the phrase as it was used in the 1950-s. At that time it was a highly formal and ceremonial greeting coined for political purposes. You can't translate "Ave Caesar" as "nice to see you Caesar" either. The same about "Heil Hitler".


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