Thread: don't hold your breath - equivalent in russian?

don't hold your breath

Значит: it is not going to happen soon, be prepared to wait

Например: The City will repair the street but don't hold your breath.

I'm holding my breath - я жду-недождусь or я жду с нетерпением
Don't hold your breath - не надейся, что это быстро случится (Somebody could probably think of better example)

Возможно, "Москва не сразу строилась" подойдёт.

What about using expressions like когда рак на горе свистнет, "when the crayfish whistles on the mountain" (i.e., "when pigs fly") or пока жареный петух не клюнет в жопу, "until a roasted rooster will have pecked [someone] in the ass" ( i.e., no preventative measures will be taken until after something bad has already happened)??

So, with regard to your example about street-repairs, I think it would be correct to say:

В нашем городе отремонтируют дороги когда рак на горе свистнет.
"In our city, they will repair the roads when the crayfish whistles on the mountain." (i.e., never)

or:

В нашем городе не отремонтируют дороги пока жареный петух не клюнет в жопу.
"In our city, they won't repair the roads until a roasted rooster pecks them in the ass." (i.e., after a huge pothole causes a serious accident)

But of course, let's wait to see whether native speakers agree with this...

P.S. With the "rooster" expression, it's definitely okay to use задница ("butt") instead of the cruder жопа.

Когда рак на горе свистнет means that it's extremely unlikely that something happens, in other words it won't happen ever. So that's not it
Пока жаренный петух не клюнет в жопу means that something won't be done untill something providing right people with an incentive (usually something extremely bad so they have to deal with something immediately ) has happened. So that's not it too

Thanks for the clarification, iCake!

Originally Posted by iCake

Когда рак на горе свистнет means that it's extremely unlikely that something happens, in other words it won't happen ever. So that's not it
Пока жаренный петух не клюнет в жопу means that something won't be done untill something providing right people with an incentive (usually something extremely bad so they have to deal with something immediately ) has happened. So that's not it too

Когда рак на горе свистнет I guess is an equivalent to "when pigs fly" saying that something is very unlikely.

"don't hold your breath" also means that something is extremely unlikely, however while also imploring a person not to have undue reliance on it occurring.

- Is your company hiring?
- I'll ask the manager if there are any places available, but sales are down this year, so don't hold your breath.

I don't know of any idiomatic Russian expression that would fit here - if I was trying to say something similar, I would say я бы не рассчитывал на это. Maybe someone else can come up with a suitable idiom.

"Особенно не надейся" - в той же категории, что и "я бы на этот не рассчитывал" (как предложил John Douglas).

Не раскатывай губу.

Когда рак на горе свистнет I guess is an equivalent to "when pigs fly" saying that something is very unlikely.

"don't hold your breath" also means that something is extremely unlikely, however while also imploring a person not to have undue reliance on it occurring.

- Is your company hiring?
- I'll ask the manager if there are any places available, but sales are down this year, so don't hold your breath.

I don't know of any idiomatic Russian expression that would fit here - if I was trying to say something similar, I would say я бы не рассчитывал на это. Maybe someone else can come up with a suitable idiom.

достаточно хорошо

И да, вы правы, что это также значит "маловероятно случаться".

Спасибо!

после дождичка в четверг - Wiktionary