# Slevy jako prase



## musicalchef

Hello,

I'm an American living in Prague and gradually picking up Czech.  

I've seen a lot of signs that say "slevy jako prase;" I understand all the words (sales like a pig) but don't understand what the whole thing means.  I've heard "jako prase" in conversations as well.  Does it mean something along the lines of "like crazy?"  Like our "hog wild?"


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## winpoj

"jako prase" is basically used to mean big, very big.  Don't use it on more official occasions, though.


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## Tagarela

Zdravím,

But if I simply want to say _On sale_ it could be _Na slévu_, right?

And how about the expression with percentages, as for examle "20% off"? 

Děkuji


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## Garin

"On sale" I would rather translate as "ve slevě", or "ve výprodeji" ("sleva" is more like a "discount")
"20% off" is "20% sleva" or "sleva 20%", you can also SAY "dvacetiprocentní sleva" but you do not see it WRITTEN like that.


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## vianie

another options: _slevy jako Brno_ or _slevy jako hovado_


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## Enquiring Mind

Your assumption is right, "jako prase" is being used just as an intensifier - nothing to do with pigs.  Some more examples: "Čech jel v Německu jako prase, sebrali mu řidičák" (headline in Blesk), "Byl to podvod jako prase", "vedro jako prase", "jsem nastydlej jako prase", etc.

It's similar to "as/like hell" in English, in the following examples: "sure as hell", "mad as hell", "bored as hell", "drunk as hell", "run like hell", "fight like hell", "hurt like hell", "work like hell" etc.

(But of course, I'm not suggesting that "like/as hell" is a translation equivalent for "jako prase" in Czech, nor vice versa.)


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## vianie

This sayings is a nice example of the uncommon scurrility in the spoken Czech, compared with the spoken Slovak of course.

It's hard to imagine a Slovak saying "v hentom obchode majú zlavy jako prasa".

It would sound utterly nastily.

With the "jako hovado" it'd be OK, though.


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## musicalchef

Děkuji, that makes a lot of sense!


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## winpoj

While your answer, is generally correct, Enquiring Mind, your driver example is not OK - it is not used as an intensifier there.


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## Enquiring Mind

Oops - you are right, winpoj. It's a simile there. I was a bit careless. Sorry if I confused anyone.


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## Kyle Butler

vianie said:


> This sayings is a nice example of the uncommon scurrility in the spoken Czech, compared with the spoken Slovak of course.
> 
> It's hard to imagine a Slovak saying "v hentom obchode majú zlavy jako prasa".
> 
> It would sound utterly nastily.
> 
> With the "jako hovado" it'd be OK, though.



In Slovak you can say "jak sviňa", which is probably not used in Czech and it means pretty much the same thing (although it might sound more aggressive).


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## vianie

Kyle Butler said:


> In Slovak you can say "jak sviňa", which is probably not used in Czech and it means pretty much the same thing (although it might sound more aggressive).



You got me. I didn't think about that, even though I use that one from time to time.
We use "prasa" in the context where Czechs use "čuně".
Nevertheless, my opinion about the lower tolerancy of smuts in Slovak in comparison with Czech remains unchanged.


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## ilocas2

Kyle Butler said:


> In Slovak you can say "jak sviňa", which is probably not used in Czech and it means pretty much the same thing (although it might sound more aggressive).



"jak/jako svině/sviňa/sviň" *is* used in Czech


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## vianie

Malé usporiadanie významov niekoľkých pomenovaní pre ošípané:

prase - jednotlivý kus vepřového dobytka, obyč. ještě nedorostlý
svině - samice vepře, prasnice - plemenná svině
kanec - samec vepře domácího i divokého
čuňa - _dial._ zvířecí čenich


Tak, a teraz si predstavte slovné spojenie "muži jsou svině".


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## Interfector

I haven't ever noticed such a sign, I wouldn't buy anything in such a shop but I understand that it makes the offer attractive for certain less intelligent groups of people.


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