The article deals with the problem of functioning of the delexicalized units at the
level of reference. The aim of the analysis is to describe the semantic relation
between the referent of the phraseological unit (E0) and a referent of its updated
form in discours (El), modified either at the formal or semantic level. The analysis
was done on the basis of some articles from French press (Liberation, le Figaro,
Courrier International) and from Polish press (Gazeta Wyborcza, Newsweek)
including delexicalized units.