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.
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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!
Yes, it's just like "Break a leg!"Quote:
Originally Posted by wanja
By the way, Barmaley, your new avatar is really cool, although this face looks at us Russians just from everywhere :lol:
...Putin looks like Detsl :o
I agree! I like your new avy. What's wrong with Ronaldinho? He looks pale - is he ill? :|Quote:
Originally Posted by Ataklena
Doesn't that mean something like "damn it"?Quote:
Originally Posted by wanja
Quote:
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey
So here "К черту!" is "Go to hell", I guess.Quote:
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.
gRomoZeka, cheers! :lol:
Да-с, однаковыми источниками пользуемся. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ataklena
I heard it also means 'Go to the devil' as well as that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ataklena
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?
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!"Quote:
Originally Posted by волк
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...
That's what I said? :?Quote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
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.
I care! I very much enjoy learning pseudo-obscure languages, though at the moment I'm occupied by Finnish.Quote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
Hey! Pseudo-obscure THIS! :evil: :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackMage
There are only 4.6 million of you. More people speak Slovak.
Heck, more people probably speak Elvish! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackMage
I'm just hassling you KV -- nothing wrong with Finnish; where else would you find such names as Teemu Selanne? :D
Who cares about Finnish? I am Norwegian God dammit! :lol:
Shame.Quote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
Why didn't you say so? THAT IS a useless language! :PQuote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie