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Do you know that in Russia the expression \u201cbirthday suit\u201d translates as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044e<\/span>\u043c <\/strong>\u0410\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> \u00a0if talking about a male and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044e<\/span>\u043c <\/strong>\u0415<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> if talking about a woman. But \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> means exactly the same thing, a fig leaf, in its proverbial sense. Just be careful with the stress or you end up saying \u201cworthless leaf\u201d which, come to think of it, is exactly what this proverbial leaf was.<\/em><\/p>\n I know, I know, I am expected to write a post about Russian curse words. I do have a couple of really good excuses for not having it ready just yet. But it is in the works. In the mean time, consider this an introduction into the world of Russian words not usually found in textbooks.<\/p>\n The words \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0433\u00bb<\/strong> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong>, in their meaning of \u201cthe bird\u201d aka \u201cthe highway salute\u201d aka \u201cthe finger\u201d aka \u201cf***k off\u201d gave rise to countless words and expressions that are, in themselves, a study in the richness, complexity and flexibility of the Russian language.<\/p>\n At a glance these words seem to be related to a fig tree. If that was the case, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [fig tree], and not birch, would be a Russian national tree (on the basis of linguistic influence). However, it doesn\u2019t seem to be related to the words I\u2019m going to talk about. Besides, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> is not even the most popular translation. Instead, it is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u043d\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong>. Note the stress is on the first vowel. But more on this in just a little bit.<\/p>\n As for the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [to flip a finger] gesture, it\u2019s not done using just the middle finger. Instead, the whole hand is made into a fist with the thumb tucked in between the pointing finger and the middle finger. Would it surprise you to learn that this gesture has more than one name – \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0448\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u044f\u00bb<\/strong>, and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0448\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The expression \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0433 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> really means \u201cyou won\u2019t get anything from me\u201d. So it\u2019s not nearly as obscene as \u201cf***k off\u201d translation that it sometimes gets. The gesture and the words, although not nice, are mild enough to be used even by women and children such as in phrases:<\/p>\n \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0448\u044c <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443, <\/strong>\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0448\u044c <\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [Looking at the book and seeing nothing] – an expression favored by teachers and mothers.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u0424\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443 \u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span> \u0441 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043c!\u00bb<\/strong> [lit. You get a nothing with butter on it] – innocent enough that elementary school-aged children use it freely.<\/p>\n