# Jajko pani znosi?



## Baltic Sea

Hello all users?

I very much like all environment-related, nature-related, animal-related phrases used by people in everyday life. Tonight I overheard "Jajko pani znosi" from our bedroom, but it wasn't my wife who said that. The sentence was the expression of impatience on the part of one of characters who take part in the serial. Could I express "Jajko pani znosi" as "Why are you taking so long?" or "Does it always take you so long?" or "Do you always take so long?" I don't think it should be translated literally as "Are you laying an egg?" Thank you. The source: The sentence from our bedroom in which the TV was on and my wife was watching the serial.


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## LilianaB

I think, Baltic, you should really avoid the literal translation of this phrase into English, if you don't want to be hit with some light or not as light object by an offended female (I would personally advise caution with the Polish phrase as well. The English sentences to express impatience are fine, except the _egg one_ -- in my opinion.   (not that they would really sound polite -- just grammatically correct). If you wanted to make them more polite, you would have to say: Why is it taking that long? (change _you_ into _it_ -- to make it more impersonal).


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## radosna

LilianaB,  you have a good point. But Baltic Sea never expressed that he was looking for an English equivalent that would sound polite. Baltic Sea said it was "an expression of impatience" and if that's the case, I, personally, think that "Are you laying an egg?" is actually a valid option that would get the point across. 

Having said that, I don't know how common this phrase is in Polish. If it's a pretty common idiom, then no, in that case, "Are you laying an egg?" wouldn't be such a great translation since it's not a common idiomatic expression in English. But as I said, it does get its point across and I, for one, find it witty (albeit a tinge mean).  It's what I might describe as a verbal jab.

We do sometimes come up with things like this in English to express impatience. For example, if you were at McDonald's and it was taking a great deal of time for them to serve you your burger, you could turn to your friend and say something like, "What's he doing? Killing the cow?" (Variants: Finding the cow, raising the cow, etc.)  They're not set phrases but they're certainly understandable and usable in the right context.

< ... >


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## dreamlike

This would be readily understandable to me both in Polish and English - whether it's advisable to use those phases, that's a different story.
In the similar context, I tend to say "Chyba tam nie usnąłeś/aś, co?" - "You haven't fallen asleep out there, have you?", but this might be only my peciularity - I've never heard anyone say it, to be honest. 

Also, NotNow made a good point about cows


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## Baltic Sea

Thank you for your comments. I have no intention of offending any woman with the phrase "Are you laying an egg?". I find Radosna's phrases like "What's he doing? Killing the cow?" very witty. The same applies to Dreamlike's versions such as "You haven't fallen asleep out there, have you?". When a wife finally leaves a grocer's shop (or a second-hand clothes shop), her husband usually asks her: Why have you taken so long? Have you been producing (manufacturing) things that you have bought?


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## LilianaB

radosna said:


> LilianaB,  you have a good point. But Baltic Sea never expressed that he was looking for an English equivalent that would sound polite. Baltic Sea said it was "an expression of impatience" and if that's the case, I, personally, think that "Are you laying an egg?" is actually a valid option that would get the point across.
> 
> Having said that, I don't know how common this phrase is in Polish. If it's a pretty common idiom, then no, in that case, "Are you laying an egg?" wouldn't be such a great translation since it's not a common idiomatic expression in English. But as I said, it does get its point across and I, for one, find it witty (albeit a tinge mean).  It's what I might describe as a verbal jab.
> 
> We do sometimes come up with things like this in English to express impatience. For example, if you were at McDonald's and it was taking a great deal of time for them to serve you your burger, you could turn to your friend and say something like, "What's he doing? Killing the cow?" (Variants: Finding the cow, raising the cow, etc.)  They're not set phrases but they're certainly understandable and usable in the right context.
> 
> < ... >



You might be right. It might just not be my register. The Polish expression is an idiom, but quite a rude one, in my opinion. I only heard it once or twice, but it is definitely an idiom, not just a figurative use of the language.

I have heard something more polite that also expresses impatience -- "Are they only baking the bread?" (when waiting for sandwiches in a sandwich store.  It might not be an idiom, though.


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## dreamlike

LilianaB said:


> I have heard something more polite that also expresses impatience -- "Are they only baking the bread?" (when waiting for sandwiches in a sandwich store.  It might not be an idiom, though.


Just to confirm your assumptions - it's not an idiom


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## LilianaB

Of, I think it is. It might just be an outdated one, or a regional one.


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## dreamlike

LilianaB said:


> Of, I think it is. It might just be an outdated one, or a regional one.


What made you change your mind, Lil? This doesn't strike me as an idiom -- but it would be great if you could include the exact Polish version, not the English translation, provided that you remember it. Maybe it will sound familiar then


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## LilianaB

dreamlike said:


> What made you change your mind, Lil? This doesn't strike me as an idiom -- but it would be great if you could include the exact Polish version, not the English translation, provided that you remember it. Maybe it will sound familiar then



I was pretty sure I deleted this post. I was thinking about the Polish phrase, which although not too polite, is an idiom. Then I tried to delete my post. I don't know what happened. I agree -- I don't think it is an idiom, although who knows. You can hear it sometimes. _Are they baking the bread_, or some similar expressions.


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