Russian Idioms
Maria (Year 8) gives us an insight into some funny Russian idioms.
As in many other languages, Russia uses various idioms, and “winged words”, an idiom for, essentially, an idiom in Russian. Here are some of the slightly more bizarre and unusual “winged words” in Russian. I’ve included the translations, meanings, and, where relevant, a bit on the origins of the phrase. Enjoy!
Без царя в голове (bez tsarya v golove) – Without a king in the head
This means that someone is a stupid, unorganised or a slightly light-headed person. You could use this to say, for example, ‘he/she’s without a king in the/his/her head’.
Блин! (blin) – Pancake!
This is an exclamation of annoyance, such as ‘oh no!’, or ‘dang it’.
Вешать лапшу на уши (veschat lapshu na ushi) – To hang noodles on your ears
Basically, this just means to lie or to break promises. You could use this idiom, for example, when saying ‘he/she is often hanging noodles on their ears’.
Гусь свинье не товарищ (gusy svinye ne tovarisch) – A goose isn’t a pig’s friend
A joking idiom about the differences in origins of people, habits, opinions, and the different positions of people.
Деловая колбаса (delovaya kolbasa) – Business-like sausage
Used to describe someone who’s busy with active work, but doesn’t give off the impression of being a business worker.
Заблудиться в трех соснах (zabluditsa v tryeh sosnah) – To get lost in three pine trees
Means to not manage to do something very easy, to not manage to find a way out of the simplest position.
Цены кусаются (tseni kusayutsa) – The prices are biting
This means that the prices are unaffordable (for the person speaking), or very high.
По щучьему велению (po schuchiamu velenyu) – By the Pike’s wish
This refers to a Russian fable written by Yuri Kirillov, in which the main character met a pike (for those of you who don’t know, a pike is a fish with a long body who tends to live in frozen-over lakes or just cold bodies of water) who, in return for not killing it, would grant any wish, ‘by the pike’s wish…’. As an idiom, this means that something has happened in a miraculous way, without any input, just by itself.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading some of the (rather weird-sounding) idioms, and that you’ll be able to use these in the future!