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cursing.in curse like a local

Polish · The Essential Ten

cholera

kho-LEH-rah · /xɔˈlɛ.ra/

Damn / darn it — the respectable person's curse.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"cholera (the disease)"

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

How to use it

The 19th century's most feared epidemic, fossilized into Poland's most presentable curse. "Cholera!" when you drop your keys, "cholera jasna!" (bright cholera!) when you drop your phone, "do cholery" (to cholera) tacked on for emphasis — "gdzie on jest, do cholery?" (where the hell is he?). Grandma-safe 1: it's on daytime TV and in the mouths of teachers. This is the top rung of the famous Polish euphemism ladder — when kurwa is too much and silence is not enough.

Heard in the wild

Cholera jasna, zapomniałem portfela.

Damn it all, I forgot my wallet.

Where it lands

Poland (universal)

Quick answers

What does "cholera" mean?
In Polish, "cholera" means "Damn / darn it — the respectable person's curse.". Literally it's "cholera (the disease)". The 19th century's most feared epidemic, fossilized into Poland's most presentable curse. "Cholera!" when you drop your keys, "cholera jasna!" (bright cholera!) when you drop your phone, "do cholery" (to cholera) tacked on for emphasis — "gdzie on jest, do cholery?" (where the hell is he?). Grandma-safe 1: it's on daytime TV and in the mouths of teachers. This is the top rung of the famous Polish euphemism ladder — when kurwa is too much and silence is not enough.
Is "cholera" 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 "cholera"?
Say it "kho-LEH-rah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: xɔˈlɛ.ra.

Related in Polish

kurwa KOOR-vah Fuck / damn / shit — the load-bearing word of Polish, and its most common comma. kurde KOOR-deh Darn / crap — kurwa with the fuse removed. kurczę KOOR-cheh Shoot / darn — the softest rung of the euphemism ladder. masakra mah-SAHK-rah A disaster / unbelievable / total carnage — the all-purpose 'this is insane.' no weź! noh VESH Oh come on! / Give me a break! wkurwiony fkoor-VYOH-nih Pissed off / furious.

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Damn".

how to say "Damn" →

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