Thread: хоть бы

How would you translate this?

А в д о т ь я Н а з а р о в н а (входя с Дудкиным из сада). Вот так бы я ее и растерзала, сквалыгу... Так бы и растерзала... Шутка ли, с пяти часов сижу, а она хоть бы ржавой селедкой попотчевала... Ну, дом... ну,
хозяйство...

~ she could at least entertain me with the stale herring.

хоть бы = хотя бы ~ at least
потчевать = угощать
ржавая селедка - несвежая селедка (с бурыми, похожими на ржавчину, пятнами от окислившегося жира)

... she didn't even give me a rotten fish

Out of curiosity could it also be salted herring (with brown spots of oxidized oil)? See http://rus.proz.com/kudoz/1161426

Originally Posted by Ken Watts

Out of curiosity could it also be salted herring (with brown spots of oxidized oil)? See http://rus.proz.com/kudoz/1161426

Yes, it's exactly what I wrote (or tried to write).
And when Russians are talking about eating herring they usually mean the salted one.

Originally Posted by Ken Watts

Out of curiosity could it also be salted herring (with brown spots of oxidized oil)? See http://rus.proz.com/kudoz/1161426

that's quite a site, how do you get to the Russian forum?

sperk wrote:

that's quite a site, how do you get to the Russian forum?

I searched "stale herring" in Google and found a Chinese PROZ site showing that Russian - English translation. I then searched "stale herring" in Google.ru and the Russian PROZ site was the first search result.

Originally Posted by Ken Watts

sperk wrote:

that's quite a site, how do you get to the Russian forum?

I searched "stale herring" in Google and found a Chinese PROZ site showing that Russian - English translation. I then searched "stale herring" in Google.ru and the Russian PROZ site was the first search result.

You do know that you might be the first person in the history of the Internet to search 'stale herring' on Google.))