Learning Croatian – Phrase of the Day

You know some basic Croatian, enough to get you by, but there is nothing that will impress more than knowing a local phrase or slang that you can slip into a conversation. Croatia Week has launched its ‘Word / Phrase of the Day’, where we will teach you a variety of words and phrases commonly used in Croatia, but not commonly found in language learning material.

Today’s Phrase:

Prošla baba s kolačima

The phrase Prošla baba s kolačima basically is used when somebody has just missed out on an opportunity or reacts too late to a situation. The literal translation is: ‘The old lady has passed by already with the cakes’.

Example: – The famous story about the 1961 audition by the then-unknown Beatles for Decca Records in London  before they reached international stardom. Decca rejected the Beatles saying “guitar groups are on the way out” only for them to become the biggest music act of their era. The term Prošla baba s kolačima would have been appropriate at a Decca boardroom meeting anytime during the 60’s.

Recent Phrases

– 30/01/2014 – Bog je prvo sebi bradu stvorio
– 29/01/2014 – Svakog gosta tri dana dosta
– 27/01/2014 – Pamet u glavu
– 23/01/2014 – Malo Sutra
– 21/01/2014 – Ja u kupe, a ti u špade
– 20/01/2014 – Di si bija kad je grmilo
– 17/01/2014 – Bogu iza nogu
– 16/01/2014 –  Stara koka, dobra juha
– 15/01/2014 – Da ga nema trebalo bi ga izmisliti
– 14/01/2014 – Nit’ smrdi, nit’ mirise