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Thread: Подсолнечное масло здесь вот при чем... means what?

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    Подсолнечное масло здесь вот при чем... means what?

    Complete sentence:-

    – Подсолнечное масло здесь вот при чем, – вдруг заговорил Бездомный, очевидно, решив объявить незванному собеседнику войну, – вам не приходилось, гражданин, бывать когда нибудь в лечебнице для душевнобольных?

    'Sunflower oil here near this'... this is as far as I've got; this must be idiomatic, I can't make any sense of it. I understand the rest of this, though.

    Anyone?

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    Завсегдатай maxmixiv's Avatar
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    "При чём здесь <что-л.> ?" -- is a standard way to ask 'what has this to do with smth ?'

    One answer could be "а при том, что ..."
    or, "а вот при чём ..."
    -- Вы знаете, Шура, - зашептал Паниковский, - я очень уважаю Бендера, но я вам должен сказать: Бендер -- осел! Ей-богу, жалкая, ничтожная личность!
    -- Но-но! -- предостерегающе сказал Балаганов.
    -- При чем тут но-но? Вы только подумайте, на что он тратит наши деньги?
    "Невозможно передать смысл иностранной фразы, не разрушив при этом её первоначальную структуру."

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    Почтенный гражданин Soft sign's Avatar
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    There’s an idiom ни при чём meaning ‘has nothing to do with’.
    E.g.: «Подсолнечное масло здесь ни при чём» — ‘This has nothing to do with sunflower oil.’

    One can ask:
    «При чём здесь подсолнечное масло?» — ‘What has this to do with sunflower oil?’
    An answer can begin with
    «Подсолнечное масло здесь вот при чём…» — ‘I’ll tell you what this has to do with sunflower oil…’
    Please correct my English

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    Thanks both, thats very clear now. Maybe I need to get myself a dictionary of idioms. An electronic one would be good.

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    Завсегдатай maxmixiv's Avatar
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    "Невозможно передать смысл иностранной фразы, не разрушив при этом её первоначальную структуру."

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    Они здесь ни при чем...
    Thats a very cryptic song, I don't know what its 'hidden message' is...

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    Quote Originally Posted by grafrich View Post
    Они здесь ни при чем...
    Thats a very cryptic song, I don't know what its 'hidden message' is...
    It is not cryptic at all. Just statement of fact that dog show is for men, not for dogs. Dogs are even unaware of it. "Они здесь ни при чем".
    There is no direct allegory in the text of the song, but you can imagine it by yourself.

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    Ok; it seemed to me that maybe the dogs and their masters were an allegory for something else, but maybe not.

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    Властелин Medved's Avatar
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    I can't think of anything the lyrics could be driving at other than the direct meaning you have grasped.
    I guess it's rather literal; neither a hint, nor an allegory.
    Another month ends. All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied. All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.

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