{"id":3234,"date":"2012-07-03T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2012-07-03T08:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3234"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:29:16","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:29:16","slug":"body-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/body-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Body Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to Rob\u2019s most excellent anatomy posts from last week (Part 1<\/a> and Part 2<\/a>), you are now familiar with the Russian names for body parts and internal organs. So let\u2019s review the vocabulary and place it in a different context. Today we are going to travel through some popular sayings and idioms with body parts in them.<\/p>\n

But first, aren\u2019t you glad Rob joined the blog as a writer? I sure am since, as the saying goes, \u043e\u0434\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span> \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0448\u043e<\/span>, \u0430 \u0434\u0432\u0435 – \u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0435<\/strong> (two heads are better than one). Of course, that only happens when at least one of the two heads is located on one\u2019s shoulders (and not in any other place). Confused? Well, in Russian we might praise someone\u2019s smarts or wisdom by saying \u0443 \u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span>\/\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span> \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043b\u0435\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0445<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (eyes), as we know, are \u0437\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0430\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u00a0\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (mirror of the soul). When we are very protective of something or someone, we say \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u044c, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0437\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0443 \u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (protect as an apple of one\u2019s eye). Of course, as you know, sometimes things can change in the blink of an eye. That\u2019s fast. But the Russian equivalent of \u201cin the blink of an eye\u201d is even faster. We frequently say \u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u043c \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u0441\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u043b \u043c\u043e\u0440\u0433\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (lit: before I could even blink) to emphasize the swiftness with which something occurred.<\/p>\n

By contrast, the sayings about \u043d\u043e\u0441<\/strong> (nose) are all rather comical and have to do with punches and getting noses stuck. \u041b\u044e\u0431\u043e\u043f\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0412\u0430\u0440\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0435 \u043d\u043e\u0441 \u0432 \u0434\u0432\u0435\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u0445 \u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> (Nosy Varvara\u2019s nose got pinched in the door). At the same time, \u00a0\u201c\u0441\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441 \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u044c\u0451\u0442 \u0432 \u043d\u043e\u0441\u201d<\/strong> (lit. asking won\u2019t get you punched in the nose; it doesn’t hurt to ask). I find both English and Russian nuggets of wisdom rather dubious considering that if you ask questions and act nosy, you might get a rude \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u0443\u0439 \u043d\u043e\u0441 \u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u043e<\/strong> response (don\u2019t stick your nose where it doesn\u2019t belong) or \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u0443\u0439 \u043d\u043e\u0441 \u043d\u0435 \u0432 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0451<\/span> \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u043e<\/strong> (don’t stick your nose in someone else’s business).<\/p>\n

If you listen to the news or \u0441\u043f\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (gossipers), you also know the wisdom of \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u0435\u0440\u044c \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0438<\/span>\u043c \u0443\u0448\u0430<\/span>\u043c<\/strong> (don\u2019t trust your ears). Frequently, people will \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0448\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430 \u0443<\/span>\u0448\u0438 \u043b\u0430\u043f\u0448\u0443<\/span><\/strong> (lie, tell tall tales; lit: hang noodles on one\u2019s ears) and it takes some skill to recognize the lies. Although some people are better than others at \u0447\u0443<\/span>\u044f\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0443\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c<\/strong> (lit: feel with guts) what\u2019s \u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0434\u0430<\/strong> (truth) and what\u2019s \u043b\u043e\u0436\u044c<\/strong> (lie). For those of us without well-developed \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0443\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (intuition), the rule of thumb is \u043d\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0448\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0443<\/span>\u0448\u0438<\/strong> (not to listen open-mouthed; lit: with ears hanging).<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s move on from \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (head). Sure, there are quite a few more useful idioms, such as \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0447\u0438\u043a\u0435 \u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (to spin on the tip of one\u2019s tongue), \u0447\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044e\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043e\u0442\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0430<\/strong> (jaw dropped), \u043f\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0443<\/strong> (lose one\u2019s head; i.e. from happiness), and such. But they are easy to understand except maybe this one \u0441\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0432\u0448\u0438 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0443, \u043f\u043e \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043c \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u0443\u0442<\/strong> (it\u2019s not worth crying over spilt milk; lit: there\u2019s no sense crying over hair once the head is taken off).<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s talk about arms and legs now. But first, here\u2019s a handy phrase with the word \u201cbutt\u201d in it – \u0441 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u043f\u043e\u0439 \u043d\u0430 \u0434\u0432\u0443\u0445 \u0431\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u0445 \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u044b\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/strong> (can\u2019t be in two places at once; lit: can\u2019t be at two markets with one butt).<\/p>\n

When someone is \u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043d\u0430 \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0443<\/strong> (lit: light-handed), it means that whatever this person undertakes works out well. For example, when you are \u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u043a \u043d\u0430 \u0440\u0443\u043a\u0443<\/strong> in your garden, you are said to have a green thumb. It\u2019s also likely that you are rather handy unlike someone about whom people say \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438 \u043d\u0435 \u0438\u0437 \u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0442<\/strong> (ham-handed, lit: hands growing from the wrong place).<\/p>\n

Have you heard a phrase \u0432 \u043d\u043e\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0434\u044b \u043d\u0435\u0442<\/strong> (truth is not in the legs)? There are several versions of the origin of this saying, but nowadays it means \u201ctake the weight off your feet\u201d. Another confusing phrase with the word \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438<\/strong> (legs, feet) is \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438<\/strong> (to split, to leave in a hurry). And sometimes you might even hear a phrase \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438 \u0432 \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438 \u0438 \u0432\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0451<\/span>\u0434<\/strong>. Just don\u2019t take it literally. The phrase simply means \u201cget to it\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you know other idioms with body parts, share them here, either in Russian or in English.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to Rob\u2019s most excellent anatomy posts from last week (Part 1 and Part 2), you are now familiar with the Russian names for body parts and internal organs. So let\u2019s review the vocabulary and place it in a different context. Today we are going to travel through some popular sayings and idioms with body…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[13099,56889,13008,117621],"class_list":["post-3234","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-learn-russian","tag-russian-idioms","tag-russian-sayings","tag-speak-russian-like-native"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3234"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6464,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions\/6464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}