Say it in Polish

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a Polish phrase book entitled “Say it in Polish”, published by the American publisher Dover Books in 1955 that belonged to her mother. It’s a great little book, itself a vestige of the Cold War, when the only westerners who traveled to Poland were probably either true bohemians, duped package tourists, or spies.

Anyway, it’s got just about everything you need in terms of practical phrases and comes complete with a pronunciation guide, designed for American pronunciation, so even the typical mid-Atlantic or mid-Western native can intone this Slavic language sufficiently to be understood in just about any situation.

It somehow seems fitting that my first Polish phrase book should be itself an antique of sorts, as I discover this oh so historical city. Fortunately, the language hasn’t changed much in the past half century, and the clerk at the shop down the street tonight seemed to understand me perfectly when I asked in Polish for five large bottles of Lech beer. Indeed, she didn’t look the least bit confused after I delivered the sentence, which I’d practiced several times on the way home. She even asked me if I’d like my beer double-bagged. That’s the first time that’s happened to me yet in Poland. I guess I must be doing something right.