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Thread: Let's play a game called: Stupid Idioms

  1. #1
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    Let's play a game called: Stupid Idioms

    Now that we've discussed something important, like vodka; I have a suggestion for learning language. For me, dealing with idioms is the most frustrating part of learning Russian. So, here's a game. I will list Russian idioms that I find to be confusing or just plain stupid. You Russian speakers respond by listing stupid English idioms, and I know that there are a lot of them, but here's the gist. Native speakers never stop to think about how stupid the idioms they are using actually are, because they do not stop to look at them.


    Quiz for russians: translate to English

    кои то веки
    по головке не погладят
    очки висят на дужках того и гляди упадут
    DO IT YOURSELF!

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    очки висят на дужках, того и гляди упадут
    А что это за идиома, и что она значит?

    в кои-то веки
    My dictionary says it's "once in a blue moon". It's even more strange. In Russian at least there are reference to time period ("веки").

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    Завсегдатай kalinka_vinnie's Avatar
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    A blue moon is when there are two full moons in one single month... a very infrequent occurance...
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

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    Re: Let's play a game called: Stupid Idioms

    we actually frequently say "raz na ruski rok" (which is more or less "once in a Russian year") for "once in a blue moon" here, but I've got honestly no idea where did it come from

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    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    того и гляди - it refers to something imminent, just about to happen.

    того и гляди упадут - it's about to fall.

    того и гляди взорвётся - it can explode at any moment

    from Multitran:
    того и гляди разразится гроза - the weather is thundery
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    Re: Let's play a game called: Stupid Idioms

    Quote Originally Posted by kamka
    we actually frequently say "raz na ruski rok" (which is more or less "once in a Russian year") for "once in a blue moon" here, but I've got honestly no idea where did it come from
    после дождичка в четверг has the same meaning, and I, too, have no idea why is it so (o:

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    Завсегдатай Basil77's Avatar
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    Re: Let's play a game called: Stupid Idioms

    Quote Originally Posted by Indra
    после дождичка в четверг has the same meaning, and I, too, have no idea why is it so (o:
    I think "после дождичка в четверг" means more like "когда рак на горе свистнет", i.e. "never". But "в кои то веки" means "at last".
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

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    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    Когда рак на горе свистнет. (When a crayfish whistles on a mount). - means never, while после дождичка в четверг means after some (undefined) time.

    And в кои-то веки according to lingvo means "once in a blue moon", after all this time

    By the way: I've looked in Lingvo for a crayfish. At first I thought that the word is cancer since there is the same word for a medical disease and a Zodiac constellation - just the same way as in Russian рак (cancer) и рак (crayfish). But I was wrong, as it appeared. Is is possible to refer to a crayfish with the word cancer in English or not?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Когда рак на горе свистнет. (When a crayfish whistles on the mount). - means never, while после дождичка в четверг means after some (undefined) time
    But
    http://dic.gramota.ru/search.php?ab=x&word=последождичкавчетверг
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    Может быть, но я слышал, как люди употребляли и в значении "через неопределённое время". Наверное они по этой ссылке не ходили

    Потом, в отношении идиом, думаю, грамота.ру - не такой уж и авторитет.
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    Завсегдатай Basil77's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Когда рак на горе свистнет. (When a crayfish whistles on a mount). - means never, while после дождичка в четверг means after some (undefined) time.

    By the way: I've looked in Lingvo for a crayfish. At first I thought that the word is cancer since there is the same word for a medical disease and a Zodiac constellation - just the same way as in Russian рак (cancer) и рак (crayfish). But I was wrong, as it appeared. Is is possible to refer a crayfish with the word cancer in English or not?
    I can not agree. "После дождичка в четверг" means "never". At least, I never heard this idiom used in other cases.
    And about "рак" - I'd been taught at school:
    "рак" (the crustacean) - crayfish
    "рак" (the sickness) - cancer
    I didn't know that the Zodiac constellation is also "Cancer". Are you sure?

    З.Ы. Никогда! Пара-бара-бам-парам-пам-пам-па... :P
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

  12. #12
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    Я тоже всегда считала, что "после дождичка в четверг" - это никогда
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Завсегдатай Ramil's Avatar
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    Да я и не спорю, просто сообщаю, что слышал и в другом смысле.
    Насчёт того, что зодиакальный рак это Cancer - знаю абсолютно точно, это меня с толку и сбило, думал поэтому и названия совпадают.
    А никто не знает, почему рак (болезнь) раком назвали?

    Кстати, в лингве написано не clayfish, а crayfish
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    Завсегдатай Basil77's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    Кстати, в лингве написано не clayfish, а crayfish
    Конечно, crayfish, это я туплю
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
    А никто не знает, почему рак (болезнь) раком назвали?
    Потому что опухоль, или что там, по форме похожа на рака, каим его изображают в зодиаке.
    «И всё, что сейчас происходит внутре — тоже является частью вселенной».

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    Let me see how well the Russians understand and translate these less than preciseogical English phrases into Russian!


    the last piece of cake did not last long

    make like a tree and leave

    I've had about enough of you
    DO IT YOURSELF!

  17. #17
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    Attention: preciseogical is a word I just invented because I have ten thumbs.
    DO IT YOURSELF!

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    the last piece of cake did not last long Перед смертью не надышишься.

    make like a tree and leave делать ноги, рвать когти, смываться, сваливать.

    I've had about enough of you Ты меня достал, ты у меня в печёнках сидишь, ты мне все уши прожужжал, задолбал, заколебал
    Please, correct my mistakes, except for the cases I misspell something on purpose!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Basil77
    I can not agree. "После дождичка в четверг" means "never". At least, I never heard this idiom used in other cases.
    And about "рак" - I'd been taught at school:
    "рак" (the crustacean) - crayfish
    "рак" (the sickness) - cancer
    I didn't know that the Zodiac constellation is also "Cancer". Are you sure?

    З.Ы. Никогда! Пара-бара-бам-парам-пам-пам-па... :P
    the animal is crayfish, the zodiac sign is cancer and so is the sickness.

    "one in a bluemoon" is not never, but very very rare...
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Basil77
    the last piece of cake did not last long Перед смертью не надышишься.

    make like a tree and leave делать ноги, рвать когти, смываться, сваливать.

    I've had about enough of you Ты меня достал, ты у меня в печёнках сидишь, ты мне все уши прожужжал, задолбал, заколебал
    Not even close!
    DO IT YOURSELF!

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