Thread: Good luck before a test

There' s a Russian saying, that people will say before an exam, for example. Something like ne porok, ne parai. I know I just mangled it HORRIBLY, but hopefully not beyond recognition.

Ни пуха, ни пера!
Ni pukha, ni pera!
Answer:
К чёрту!
K chortu!

Originally Posted by wanja

Ни пуха, ни пера!
Ni pukha, ni pera!
Answer:
К чёрту!
K chortu!

Yes, it's just like "Break a leg!"

By the way, Barmaley, your new avatar is really cool, although this face looks at us Russians just from everywhere

...Putin looks like Detsl

Originally Posted by Ataklena

By the way, Barmaley, your new avatar is really cool, although this face looks at us Russians just from everywhere

I agree! I like your new avy. What's wrong with Ronaldinho? He looks pale - is he ill?

Originally Posted by wanja

Answer:
К чёрту!

Doesn't that mean something like "damn it"?

Выражение "ни пуха ни пера" выступает в восточнославянских языках как пожелание успеха, удачи.

Возникло среди охотников и было основано на суеверном представлении о том, что при прямом пожелании (и пуха, и пера) результаты охоты можно "сглазить" (перо в языке охотников означает "птица", "пух" – звери).

В давние времена охотник получал это напутствие, "перевод" которого выглядит примерно так: "Пусть твои стрелы летят мимо цели, пусть расставленные тобой силки и капканы останутся пустыми, так же, как и ловчая яма!". На что добытчик обычно отвечал в таком же духе: "К черту!". И оба были уверены, что злые духи, незримо присутствующие при этом диалоге, удовлетворятся и отстанут, не будут строить козней во время охоты.

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Originally Posted by wanja

Answer:
К чёрту!

Doesn't that mean something like "damn it"?

Возникло в среде охотников и было основано на суеверном представлении о том, что при прямом пожелании (и пуха, и пера) результаты охоты можно "сглазить". Перо в языке охотников означает "птица", "пух" – звери.
В ответ, чтобы тоже не «сглазить», звучало теперь уже традиционное: «Пошел к черту». Сейчас это просто пожелание кому-либо удачи, успеха в каком-либо деле без какого-либо суеверного оттенка.

So here "К черту!" is "Go to hell", I guess.

gRomoZeka, cheers!

Originally Posted by Ataklena

gRomoZeka, cheers!

Да-с, однаковыми источниками пользуемся.

Originally Posted by Ataklena

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Originally Posted by wanja

Answer:
К чёрту!

Doesn't that mean something like "damn it"?

Возникло в среде охотников и было основано на суеверном представлении о том, что при прямом пожелании (и пуха, и пера) результаты охоты можно "сглазить". Перо в языке охотников означает "птица", "пух" – звери.
В ответ, чтобы тоже не «сглазить», звучало теперь уже традиционное: «Пошел к черту». Сейчас это просто пожелание кому-либо удачи, успеха в каком-либо деле без какого-либо суеверного оттенка.

So here "К черту!" is "Go to hell", I guess.

I heard it also means 'Go to the devil' as well as that.

Hmm, I was going to post a topic about the whole "К черту!" thing but I could ask here anyway.

I read that you 'must' say this after being wished good luck. Does that mean it's like one of those sentence constructs that only really has one correct response?

Originally Posted by волк

I read that you 'must' say this after being wished good luck. Does that mean it's like one of those sentence constructs that only really has one correct response?

I think it's the only correct answer, but of course you can just smile and nod in reply. Although my mother being religious preferes to answer "С Богом!"

Thank you all for your responses -- especially Gromozeka's explanation -- I didn't ask for one, but that was really interesting. Let me just see if I understood it correctly. The phrase comes from an old hunting ritual: originally they said и and not ни which meant something like "(may you you receive) fur (from animals) and feathers(from birds)." Later they said ни instead of и, in hopes of tricking the invisible evil spirits away -- that's why they said "go to hell." Then they were able to have a successful hunt?

No, it is the other way around.

They say "may you get no fur and no feathers" (ie nothing) to trick the devils. In fact, in Norwegian (not that you care) we have a similar saying when going fishing "skitt fiske" - "don't get any fish". Brings you good luck! (same as breaking a leg)

I think the best translation for "к черту!" is "to hell with it!" unless they are talking about a person...

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

No, it is the other way around.

They say "may you get no fur and no feathers" (ie nothing) to trick the devils. In fact, in Norwegian (not that you care) we have a similar saying when going fishing "skitt fiske" - "don't get any fish". Brings you good luck! (same as breaking a leg)

I think the best translation for "к черту!" is "to hell with it!" unless they are talking about a person...

That's what I said?

Yes you did. If I had bothered to read you post AND try to make sense of it, I could have saved my keyboard from wear and tear.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

In fact, in Norwegian (not that you care) we have a similar saying when going fishing "skitt fiske" - "don't get any fish". Brings you good luck! (same as breaking a leg)

I care! I very much enjoy learning pseudo-obscure languages, though at the moment I'm occupied by Finnish.

Originally Posted by BlackMage

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

In fact, in Norwegian (not that you care) we have a similar saying when going fishing "skitt fiske" - "don't get any fish". Brings you good luck! (same as breaking a leg)

I care! I very much enjoy learning pseudo-obscure languages, though at the moment I'm occupied by Finnish.

Hey! Pseudo-obscure THIS!

There are only 4.6 million of you. More people speak Slovak.

Originally Posted by BlackMage

There are only 4.6 million of you. More people speak Slovak.

Heck, more people probably speak Elvish!
I'm just hassling you KV -- nothing wrong with Finnish; where else would you find such names as Teemu Selanne?

Who cares about Finnish? I am Norwegian God dammit!