Thread: Russian stereotypes

I don't know if this has been posted before ...

The way of life in Russia is very simple. Russians love to eat rye bread with herring and drink vodka the same way British drink their 5 o’clock tea. The fashion for fur coats and hats is at all times high and the cold winters are impossible to survive. The university professors have to sell matryoshkas to foreigners, and former teachers work as security guards and loaders. The average salary is $150 per month, but president Putin is still loved by all the nation. Playing balalaika and drinking vodka is their only entertainment and refuge from this hostile world. Especially, in light of the fact that at any moment there can be another explosion set up by the Chechens that will put an end to this miserable existence. The only hope is the children, who are keen fans of the band TaTu and dream of fleeing the country as soon as they are 18. A few dozen people who managed to make some money on the immense oil fields now live in exile, and Russia will soon go back to communism.

You obviously have forgotten of KGB, gulags and Stalinism stuff.

Care to post the source? I just want to see which website, magazine or book I want to avoid in the future.

гыы

Originally Posted by Bisquit

You obviously have forgotten of KGB, gulags and Stalinism stuff.

А как же русская мафия, продажа ядерных боеголовок, очереди за хлебом?

Author's name, please!
The physical unit to measure ignorance and stupidity deserves to be named after him!

Russians have to dodge rampant bears when outside too. And the snowdrifts even in summer seldom go below 3 feet deep.

Все верно, но картина явно неполная. Дополняю:
1) Кроме селедки русские любят закусывать водку воблой
2) Все женщины носят шерстяные платки, так называемые "бабУшки"
3) Русские в свободное время любят убивать невинных, случайно оказавшихся в России, негров.
4) По улицам у них ходят медведи
5) Водка варится в самоварах
6) Сваренную в самоваре водку русские любят пить вместе с медведями
7) По ночам в городах ездят черные машины "воронки" и увозят тех, кто носит кроссовки Nike (не хочет носить валенки) и пьет Coca-colу (вместо водки).
9) Почти все русские были убиты Сталиным, но они очень быстро размножались, и теперь путин-бывший-полковник-кгб-задушивший-свободные-сми-и-экспроприировавший-юкос-а-также-новый-царь-россии-скатывающейся-к-авторитаризму ведет политику, направленную на деградацию народа.
10) и вообще все русские прирожденные рабы и никогда не смогу вкусить прелести свободы и демократии.

BO-RING

http://www.mosnews.com/guide/stereotypes.shtml

I read that "balalaika" is slang in Russian for a girl who, well let's say, enjoys time alone with herself and is very skillful with her fingers. Is this true? I don't know what's true or not with what I read on the internet. LOL

Originally Posted by mashamania

I read that "balalaika" is slang in Russian for a girl who

No. Though maybe in some prisons... I dont know. I have no criminal experience.

I thought all Russians were criminals.

Originally Posted by mashamania

I read that "balalaika" is slang in Russian for a girl who, well let's say, enjoys time alone with herself and is very skillful with her fingers. Is this true? I don't know what's true or not with what I read on the internet. LOL

Never heard of it... And Yandex doesn't know as well. I agree with JJ -- it might be from the prison slang.

I've never heard of that usage of "балалайка", though I know for sure it has another slang meaning.
It means "chatterbox, twaddler". This meaning of "балалайка" is mentioned in gramota.ru dictionary of russian slang.
I don't know is it widespread or not, but my cousin used to call his little sister who was very chatty "балалайкина" (he changed an ending to make it sound like a last name), and it seemed everybody (including the little girl) understood him.

Originally Posted by basurero

I thought all Russians were criminals.

No, only 1/2. Another 1/2 are jailers.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

It means "chatterbox, twaddler".

+1. The word balalayka sounds like 'bla-bla-bla' for me.

балаболка, балалайка - to all those vodka intoxicated Russians they are one and the same.

Here is an interesting fact.

Бл*дь — Слово происходит от древнерусского глагола бл*дити, означавшего “обманывать, пустословить” и восходившего к праиндоевропейскому bhla— -— “дуть” (отсюда же, например, английское bladder -— “пузырь” и “пустомеля”, и знаменитое bla-bla-bla -— “пустая болтовня”).

Who knows, may be балалайка and балаболка are releted to that ancient "bhla" too.

Originally Posted by JJ

Originally Posted by basurero

I thought all Russians were criminals.

No, only 1/2. Another 1/2 are jailers.

But all Russians DO love Vodka.

Originally Posted by Shido

Originally Posted by JJ

Originally Posted by basurero

I thought all Russians were criminals.

No, only 1/2. Another 1/2 are jailers.

But all Russians DO love Vodka.

Yeah. We drink it every day for breafast, lunch, dinner and of course supper. It's just like juice! Try it and you won't regret!