Episode 108: Combine Man, Combine!

Kombinuj pan, kombinuj! 

English Phonemes: “kohm-BEE-nooyh pahn kohm-BEE-nooyh”
Literal Translation: Combine man, combine.
Elegant Translation: Combine it, sir, combine it.
English Equivalent: Put it together, man.

This quote is a straight-up reference that older Polish generations will get (and maybe their kids). In Warsaw, starting in the 60s and running through the 80s, there was a very popular theater troupe called “Kabaret Dudek” which performed on stage and (sporadically) on screen. One of their original sketches was about a plumber, who, (alongside his dumb apprentice who was taking copious notes), was mercilessly taking a desperate client for a ride. This poor client’s pipe burst and was leaking water everywhere, and let’s just say that the plumber wasn’t at all empathetic to the poor guy’s troubles.

It was a hilarious sketch. Polish grandparents and parents will still know about this.

Today’s phrase is a quote from this sketch. The plumber is condescendingly encouraging the desperate client to “put it together, man” and reach the conclusion the plumber was trying to impart in the moment. The condescending treatment was what really made it funny, and the line itself made it into the cultural ether. 

[Fun Fact: I do Polish theater here in the US, and one of our shows had this sketch in it. I played the idiot intern taking notes. :-) ]

Kombinuj = you combine [imperative, 2nd p. s.]
Pan = man, sir [honorific formal usage]

**Bonus Section!**

Kabaret Dudek Wikipedia page:  https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabaret_Dudek

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