Is "pstryknięcie w szyję" 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 "pstryknięcie w szyję"?

This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. A flick of the fingers against the side of the neck, just under the jaw..

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Polish · Hands & Trouble · hand gesture

pstryknięcie w szyję

Let's drink / he's been drinking — the vodka semaphore.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

The gesture

"A flick of the fingers against the side of the neck, just under the jaw."

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

The drinking flick, shared across the ex-Eastern-bloc: a couple of fingers tapped against the side of the neck means alcohol — either an invitation ("po kielichu?" shall we have one?) or a diagnosis of a third party's condition, delivered behind their back with raised eyebrows. Informal, jokey, skews male and over-forty, and grandma-safe 1 in the sense that grandma will roll her eyes at it knowingly. Useful comprehension: if a new acquaintance flicks his neck at you and points at the bar, you've been invited.

Heard in the wild

Pstryknął się palcem w szyję i wskazał na bar: idziemy?

He flicked his neck and nodded at the bar: shall we?

Where it lands

Poland (universal); shared with much of Eastern Europe

Quick answers

What does "pstryknięcie w szyję" mean?: In Polish, "pstryknięcie w szyję" means "Let's drink / he's been drinking — the vodka semaphore.". Literally it's "A flick of the fingers against the side of the neck, just under the jaw.". The drinking flick, shared across the ex-Eastern-bloc: a couple of fingers tapped against the side of the neck means alcohol — either an invitation ("po kielichu?" shall we have one?) or a diagnosis of a third party's condition, delivered behind their back with raised eyebrows. Informal, jokey, skews male and over-forty, and grandma-safe 1 in the sense that grandma will roll her eyes at it knowingly. Useful comprehension: if a new acquaintance flicks his neck at you and points at the bar, you've been invited.
Is "pstryknięcie w szyję" 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 "pstryknięcie w szyję"?: This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. A flick of the fingers against the side of the neck, just under the jaw..

Related in Polish

gest Kozakiewicza gesture Up yours — Poland's most famous gesture, with an Olympic gold medal attached. figa z makiem gesture You get nothing / fat chance — the mocking denial gesture. spoko SPOH-koh Chill / no worries / it's fine — the great Polish de-escalator. zajebisty zah-yeh-BEES-tih Fucking awesome / badass — the great slang-POSITIVE of the jebać family. sztos SHTOHSS A banger / top-tier / excellent — clean superlative slang. ekstra EX-trah Great / awesome — the all-ages enthusiasm word.

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