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Polish · Vodka & Toasts

setka

SEHT-kah · /ˈsɛt.ka/

A double shot of vodka — the standard Polish unit of serious drinking.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"a little hundred (100 ml)"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Vodka in Poland is measured in metric affection: the setka is 100 millilitres, the honest double that classic bars and wedding tables consider one (1) drink. "Po setce?" (shall we do a hundred?) is an invitation and a test of character. The gentler unit is the "pięćdziesiątka" (a fifty). Grandma-safe as a word — it's arithmetic — though the lifestyle it describes is severity 4 by Sunday morning (see kac gigant). Order one with a pickle on the side ("ogórek kiszony") and you'll be adopted.

Heard in the wild

Zamawiamy po setce i śledzia na zagrychę.

We're ordering a double each, and herring to chase it.

Where it lands

Poland (universal)

Quick answers

What does "setka" mean?
In Polish, "setka" means "A double shot of vodka — the standard Polish unit of serious drinking.". Literally it's "a little hundred (100 ml)". Vodka in Poland is measured in metric affection: the setka is 100 millilitres, the honest double that classic bars and wedding tables consider one (1) drink. "Po setce?" (shall we do a hundred?) is an invitation and a test of character. The gentler unit is the "pięćdziesiątka" (a fifty). Grandma-safe as a word — it's arithmetic — though the lifestyle it describes is severity 4 by Sunday morning (see kac gigant). Order one with a pickle on the side ("ogórek kiszony") and you'll be adopted.
Is "setka" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "setka"?
Say it "SEHT-kah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈsɛt.ka.

Related in Polish

na zdrowie! nah ZDROH-vyeh Cheers! — the standard toast (and also 'bless you' after a sneeze). no to cyk noh toh TSIK Down the hatch / here we go — the onomatopoeic pre-shot toast. chluśniem, bo uśniem KHLOOSH-nyem boh OOSH-nyem Drink up or we'll doze off — the rhyming folk toast. najebany nah-yeh-BAH-nih Hammered / shitfaced. napierdolić się nah-pyehr-DOH-leech sheh To get absolutely wrecked. opierdolić oh-pyehr-DOH-leech To chew someone out — 'opierdol' is the bollocking itself; also, to wolf food down.

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