Cholera (pronounced kho-LE-ra) is also a powerful swearword in Polish, with a fairly obvious etymology. To an extent, it has become part of Israeli slang as well, mostly due to the sheer number of former Poles living in Israel.

IANAP, strictly speaking, but I understand cholera to have a range of meanings - from a vague "damn it!" to a harsh comparison of a person with the disease of the same name. The latter use roughly carries the meaning of "bastard" or "asshole", only much stronger. Do not say this to your mother.

Complex swearphrases that can be made using cholera include "psiakrew cholera" (dog-blood cholera?), "cholera jasna" (white cholera?), and naturally "psiakrew cholera jasna" (white dog-blood cholera?). The native Polish speakers I've asked could not help me make much sense of these phrases, despite being able to use them to great effect.

Real Poles are most welcome to correct me where I am wrong.