Thread: Questions about idioms.

Thank you very much.

And is it possible to put idioms together, like this? 'Выдумаете порох после дождичка в четверг', this would as sarcasm. From the negative 'пороху не выдумает'.

Originally Posted by Seraph

Thank you very much.

And is it possible to put idioms together, like this? 'Выдумаете порох после дождичка в четверг', this would as sarcasm. From the negative 'пороху не выдумает'.

Good question. I would personally not do it, as I think the idioms are something very stable. If I would say something like: "That is set in stone once in a blue moon," would that sound good in English?

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Good question. I would personally not do it, as I think the idioms are something very stable. If I would say something like: "That is set in stone once in a blue moon," would that sound good in English?

But we do these things in English, sometimes as jokes. But its possible to put idioms together when there is something parallel about them, that they go together. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't.

You can jump the shark, once in a blue moon.

Originally Posted by Seraph

But we do these things in English, sometimes as jokes. But its possible to put idioms together when there is something parallel about them, that they go together. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't.

Exactly. I would personally refrain from making language jokes in English as I know my knowledge of English is very limited and I'm lacking the intuitive sense of what could or could not be said under what circumstances.

Originally Posted by Seraph

But we do these things in English, sometimes as jokes. But its possible to put idioms together

Соединять идиомы вместе, чтобы выразить какую-то определенную мысль - есть высший пилотаж в знании языка. Даже носители не всегда могут это сделать.
Вы правильно сказали, что мы это обычно делаем, когда шутим. Поэтому такое часто можно услышать в юмористических передачах, типо КВН. Поэтому это бывает смешно или интересно, что обычно мы так не говорим. Но кто-то это сказал -> мы поняли -> нам понравилось. Так и рождаются шутки

Originally Posted by IamMarat

типо КВН

Школьник детектед.

Example that is not joke, but naturally would be ok in English: 'под сурдинку он подложил свинью' from the two separate idioms, 'под сурдинку' and 'подложить свинью'. "On the sly he did a dirty trick." Maybe 'with hand on heart', as deception.

Originally Posted by Seraph

'под сурдинку он подложил свинью'

Actually, it doesn't make sense for me. Because "под сурдинку" is a rare phrase. I even looked it up in google I don't think it's an idiom. It's just an old-fashioned language. But it was a nice try

Originally Posted by Seraph

Example that is not joke, but naturally would be ok in English: 'под сурдинку он подложил свинью' from the two separate idioms, 'под сурдинку' and 'подложить свинью'. "On the sly he did a dirty trick." Maybe 'with hand on heart', as deception.

под сурдинку он подложил свинью => Он подложил свинью под сурдинку.
Yeah, that doesn't work well in Russian. That sounds like he put a pig under a mute and the meaning is lost.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Школьник детектед.

I beg your pardon?!

Originally Posted by IamMarat

Соединять идиомы вместе, чтобы выразить какую-то определенную мысль - есть высший пилотаж в знании языка. Даже носители не всегда могут это сделать.
Вы правильно сказали, что мы это обычно делаем, когда шутим. Поэтому такое часто можно услышать в юмористических передачах, типо КВН. Поэтому это бывает смешно или интересно, что обычно мы так не говорим. Но кто-то это сказал -> мы поняли -> нам понравилось. Так и рождаются шутки

This is why I'm trying to do this, to play with these idioms, to learn them, and get more practice. And maybe make jokes too.