puolitasossa

Puolitasossa is a Finnish theater term that literally translates to "in the wings." It refers to the theatrical space located at the sides of the stage, just off the main view of the audience, where actors, stage crew, and props are positioned when they are not onstage. In traditional theater practice, the wings serve as a staging area for costumes, set pieces, and background scenery; they also provide a space for actors to wait between scene changes or to merge quietly onto the stage.

In Finnish theater jargon, the phrase is often used as a verb: "to be in the wings," indicating that a performer or a scene is ready but not yet visible to the audience. The expression is a direct borrowing from English theatre terminology plus the Finnish word for wings (puoli). It has been adopted in everyday speech, where it metaphorically describes any person or activity operating behind the scenes, unseen by the public eye. For example, a company manager might say that the project is "puolitasossa" to suggest it is being worked on discretely before a public announcement.

The concept of the wings is common worldwide; in English it is simply called the wings, while in German it is called die Seitenwände. Finnish translations often use "puoli" for the noun form or "puolitus" for the action of merging in or coming from the wings. The theatrical usage influences many other domains, such as politics, business, and entertainment, to describe hidden preparation or low‑profile involvement.