Semantic Transformation of phraseologisms in Modern Ukrainian and Polish Media Discourse

Abstract

The article examines phraseological units of boxing origin — udar nyzhche poiasa (pol. cios poniżej pasa, leżeć na obie łopatki) and poklasty na lopatky (рol. położyć na łopatki) — in contemporary Ukrainian and Polish media. These idioms demonstrate a multifaceted semantic transformation within media discourse.
In the sports context, they retain their literal meaning related to contact sports, denoting illegal blows below the belt that lead to injuries, disqualifications, or fight stoppages, with media coverage emphasizing the physical consequences for athletes.
In figurative usage, the expressions are applied in political, social, economic, and international discourse to denote unfair, provocative, or emotionally manipulative actions — attacks on reputation, authority, or the moral and psychological vulnerability of the target.
In political headlines, these idioms personalize conflicts, highlight the uncompromising nature of competition, create emotional tension, and emphasize the risks and outcomes of the participants’ strategies. In economic reporting, they transform the negative impact of decisions on citizens into a vivid metaphor — «a blow to the budget». In Polish sports media, the idioms underscore unfair or manipulative actions by fans and club management, transferring the meaning of physical defeat to a symbolic level of ethical and tactical violations.
The phraseological units poklasty na lopatky and udar nyzhche poiasa serve as universal tools of emotional, rhetorical, and journalistic intensification, preserving their link to the original sports semantics while demonstrating flexibility within media and sociocultural contexts. Their use enables the media to craft expressive, dynamic, and easily perceived headlines that attract attention and enhance the sensational tone of the material.