Archive for May, 2012
Vroom, vroom, VOM! (Verbs of Motion on a Harley) Posted by Rob on May 30, 2012
Here in Washington DC and the пригороды (“suburbs”) surrounding it, канун Дня поминования (“the day before Memorial Day”) becomes the occasion for a really big event — a privately organized парад байкеров (“biker parade”), entirely на мотоциклах (“on motorcycles”)! In English, it’s called “Rolling Thunder”; in Russian, it’s been translated as Раскат грома (“A resounding…
Just a Story About Grilling Posted by yelena on May 29, 2012
School’s out! Finally, it’s time for летние каникулы (summer break). Before you head out to the beach, ask yourself this: нравится ли мне этот блог? получаю ли я от него удовольствие и/или пользу? (Do I like this blog? Do I get pleasure and/or usefulness from reading it?). If the answer is, then please голосуйте за…
Эта книга изменила мою жизнь… Posted by Rob on May 28, 2012
(“This book changed my life…”) …and it could change yours, too! No, I’m NOT talking about Dianetics, or Think and Grow Rich, or Lose Two Pounds A Day The Herbal Way, or whatever. Я имею в виду вот эту книгу (“I have in mind this book here”): ВНИМАНИЕ! Чтение этой книги может привести к новой…
Test Time – Check Your Knowledge of Russian Language Posted by yelena on May 25, 2012
It’s the end of the school year in Russia. The good news is that летние каникулы (summer school break) is about to start. The bad news is that first there are some экзамены (exams) that need to be passed. Of course, if you studied hard all year or, say, took time зазубрить (here: to cram)…
So Provincial! Posted by yelena on May 22, 2012
What cities or towns would you like to visit when travelling to Russia? If you have been to Russia, what cities have you visited? While I am awaiting for your answers (feel free to post them in the comments), I’m going to venture a guess. I’d say that the vast majority of иностранные туристы (foreign…
Just a Bit About Fruits Posted by yelena on May 17, 2012
As promised, it’s time to talk fruits and berries. Of course, since this is not a gardening blog, but a blog about Russian language and culture, instead of growing advice there will be lots of useful phrases and expressions. Ready? First, the word фрукт itself is interesting. Its main meaning is “fruit”, but when…
Eat Carrots to Look Like Sophia Loren Posted by yelena on May 16, 2012
Continuing with our exploration of огородная лингвистика (vegetable garden linguistics), let’s take a look at other vegetables that made their way into Russian proverbs, sayings and literature. Лук (onion) – everyone knows that лук – от семи недуг (onion helps fight seven illnesses) and in fact so many Russian folk remedies use onion to fight…