{"id":13310,"date":"2020-11-30T17:06:28","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T17:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=13310"},"modified":"2020-11-30T17:06:28","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T17:06:28","slug":"winter-is-coming-idiomatic-expressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/winter-is-coming-idiomatic-expressions\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Is Coming – Idiomatic Expressions"},"content":{"rendered":"

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Russia?” Foreigners often imagine a blizzard on Red Square, people in earflaps, and snow banks at least to the knee.<\/p>\n

Although there is already some snow in many cities in Russia, winter officially begins there on December 1st. “\u041f\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433 \u2014 \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span>, \u043f\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0440\u0432\u0430\u044f \u0437\u0430\u0437\u043d\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0431\u0430<\/em>1<\/a><\/sup>love attraction<\/span> \u2014 \u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/em>,” (“The first snow does not mean winter; nor does it mean the first love marriage.”) says a popular proverb, implying that everything is still ahead.<\/p>\n

Winter became one of the symbols of the country. However, not all Russians like winter. I do not know about you, but I am not ready for the cold weather yet, so traditionally, I am planning my January vacation somewhere warm, and I promise to abide by all the COVID-19 rules regarding travel.<\/p>\n

To brighten up the time before the holidays, I have collected some funny expressions about winter.<\/p>\n

\"Winter

Image by \u041a\u043e\u043b\u044f \u0421\u0430\u043d\u044b\u0447<\/a> from Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Idiomatic Expressions<\/h2>\n

\u041d\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433.<\/em>
\nIt literally translates as “As needed as last year’s snow.” (This idiom has always amused me. Last year’s snow has already melted; it is gone.) So to speak about something you do not need at all, you can say “\u041d\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433:”<\/p>\n

\u041c\u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0301<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u0440 \u043d\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433<\/em>. \u042f \u0435\u0433\u043e \u0432\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u044e\u0301<\/span>. – I need a TV as last year’s snow. I don’t watch it at all.<\/p>\n

\u0417\u0438\u043c\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0433\u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0442\u044c.<\/em>
\nIt is used to describe an extremely stingy individual you\u2019ll never wheedle snow (which is never in short supply during the Russian winter) out of in winter:<\/p>\n

\u0420\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0437\u0432\u0435 \u0442\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0435\u0448\u044c, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0435\u0441\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0434 \u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0436\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439? \u0423 \u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/em> \u0437\u0438\u043c\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0439 \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0433\u0430 \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0448\u044c<\/em>. – Don’t you know that my neighbor is very greedy? You’ll never beg snow out of him in winter.<\/p>\n

(\u041d\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u0442\u044c\/\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0301<\/i><\/span>) \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043c.<\/em>
\nIt means that some problematic situation is getting bigger and bigger “like a snowball.”<\/p>\n

\u0414\u043e\u043b\u0433\u0438\u0301<\/span> \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u043c<\/em>. – Debts are snowballing.<\/p>\n

\"Snowball

Image by StockSnap<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043a\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0432\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u044c\u0434\u0443\u0301<\/i><\/span>.<\/em>
\nIt is an ironic comparison of a clumsy person with a cow on ice:<\/p>\n

\u0412 \u044d\u0301\u0442\u0438\u0445 \u0442\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u0444\u043b\u044f\u0445 \u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u00a0\u043a\u0430\u043a \u043a\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0432\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u044c\u0434\u0443\u0301<\/i><\/span><\/em>. – In these shoes, she’s like a cow on ice.<\/p>\n

(\u0421\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f) \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433 \u043d\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span> \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0443.<\/em>
\nThe English version of it is “out of the blue.” Its word-for-word translation is “as snow on the head.” This phrase is used when something happens completely unexpectedly:<\/p>\n

\u0412\u043e\u0442 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0441\u044e\u0440\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0301<\/span>\u0437, \u0442\u044b \u043f\u0440\u044f\u0301\u043c\u043e \u0441\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0441\u043d\u0435\u0433 \u043d\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span> \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0443<\/em>! – What a surprise: you showed up like snow on the head!<\/p>\n

\u0420\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0438\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u0442\u044c \u043b\u0451\u0434.<\/em>
\nThis is the same as the English “to break the ice,” meaning that someone decides to take the first step:<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0443\u0301<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u044e, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u043b\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span> \u0432\u0440\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u043c\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u0438\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u0442\u044c \u043b\u0451\u0434<\/em> \u043c\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0436\u0434\u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u043c\u0438. – I think it’s time to break the ice between us.<\/p>\n

\"Ice

Image by peter.mottola<\/a> from Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\u041f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0442\u044c, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u0443\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u044e\u0442.<\/em>
\n“To show where the crayfish spend winter.” A common colloquial speech expression of a threat “to teach someone a lesson:”<\/p>\n

\u0423\u0439\u0434\u0438\u0301<\/span> \u0441 \u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0433\u0438, \u0438\u043d\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0447\u0435 \u044f \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0436\u0443\u0301 <\/i><\/span><\/em>\u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435\u0301<\/span><\/span>, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u0443\u0301<\/i><\/span>\u044e\u0442<\/em>! – Get out of my way or I\u2019ll show you where the crayfish spend winter!<\/p>\n

\u041c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0437 \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0436\u0435.<\/em>
\nSaying “\u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0437 \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span>\u0436\u0435” we mean “a chill on the skin” when it gets goose pimples through fright:<\/p>\n

\u0423 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301 \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0437 \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/i><\/span>\u0436\u0435<\/em> \u043e\u0442 \u0442\u0432\u043e\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0301<\/span><\/span> \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u0301<\/span>\u0437\u0430. – I have a chill on my skin from your story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The theme of winter in Russia is immense. For example, you can read HERE<\/a> what makes Russian winter so special for people.<\/p>\n

\n

See you in winter!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n