{"id":4476,"date":"2013-02-06T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2013-02-06T08:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=4476"},"modified":"2018-08-16T20:54:06","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T20:54:06","slug":"are-there-any-good-knock-knock-jokes-in-russian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/are-there-any-good-knock-knock-jokes-in-russian\/","title":{"rendered":"Are There Any Good Knock-Knock Jokes in Russian?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking of stereotypes<\/a>, Russians usually view themselves as having a highly-developed \u0447\u0443<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u044e<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/strong> (sense of humor). We cherish our \u0430\u043d\u0435\u043a\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b<\/strong> (jokes), however \u0431\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (old; lit: bearded) they might be.<\/p>\n

Indeed, Russians have an impressive catalog of joke categories, from \u0430\u0440\u043c\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u043e<\/strong> (Armenian radio) one-liners to elaborate \u0448\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0438 \u043e \u0442\u043e\u043c \u0441\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0435<\/strong> (afterlife jokes; lit: jokes about the other world). There are countless jokes about forest animals, political leaders, historical figures, fiction characters. Just about every major ethnic group has quite a few totally non-politically correct jokes.<\/p>\n

Yet, in all this abundance, you will not find a single knock-knock joke! Ok, you might find one or two (if you do, please share in the comments). But it will be nothing compared to the rich knock-knock jokes tradition in the US (what about other countries?)<\/p>\n

So, here\u2019s the deal – knock-knock jokes are impossible to translate since the vast majority of them is built on wordplay. Consider translating this joke into Russian:<\/p>\n

– Knock-knock
\n– Who\u2019s there?
\n– Doris
\n– Doris who?
\n– Doris locked, that\u2019s why I had to knock<\/p>\n

The whole entire joke hinges (pun intended) on the fact that \u201cDoris\u201d sounds just like \u201cDoor is\u201d. But in Russian \u0414\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0441<\/strong> sounds nothing like \u0434\u0432\u0435\u0440\u044c<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is not to say that Russian language is short on clever \u043a\u0430\u043b\u0430\u043c\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0440<\/strong> (pun, quibble, wordplay). The signs are all over, in classical literature as well as in everyday speech. It\u2019s just they never take the \u201cknock-knock\u201d format.<\/p>\n

For example, there is a story<\/a> about Alexander Pushkin (seems like every literary topic starts with this guy). You see, Pushkin was visiting an acquaintance. Now, picture this idyllic scene – Pushkin is in a chair, reading; the host is reclining on a couch and the host\u2019s two young children are playing on the floor. Bored, the host asked Pushkin to come up with a poetic one-liner. Without skipping a bit, the poet offered this one<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0435\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0443\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043b\u0435\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0442 \u043d\u0430 \u0434\u0438\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> (Half-witted bozo is laying on a couch)<\/p>\n

Quiz question: Did the host get offended?<\/em><\/p>\n

Answer: yes, but Pushkin was quick to explain that his acquaintance did not hear him correctly and, in fact, Pushkin\u2019s one liner was \u0414\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443<\/span>, \u0443<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043b\u0435\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0442 \u043d\u0430 \u0434\u0438\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> (Children are on the floor, smart one is laying on a couch).<\/p>\n

Essay topic: Do you consider Pushkin’s one-liner a fine \u0441\u0442\u0451\u0431<\/a><\/strong>? Why or why not?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u0410\u0439 \u0434\u0430 \u041f\u0443<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0438\u043d, \u0430\u0439 \u0434\u0430 \u0441\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u043d \u0441\u044b\u043d!<\/strong> (Atta boy, Pushkin<\/a>! Atta son of a gun!)<\/p>\n

Or take for example this rhyme, familiar to just about every Russian child:<\/p>\n

\u0413\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044e,<\/strong>
\n\u042f \u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span>, \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0439, \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044e.<\/strong>
\n\u041f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u0432 \u043e\u0442\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442,<\/strong>
\n\u041f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0439, \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0439, \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044f.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(A parrot says to a parrot,
\nI will scare you, parrot.
\nThe parrot answers the parrot,
\nParrot, scare the parrot)<\/p>\n

Some more phrases that sound the same, but are written differently and mean very different things:<\/p>\n

\u0418 \u0442\u0430 \u043b\u0438 \u044f<\/strong> (And am I the same) sounds just like \u0438 \u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (and waist) just like\u00a0\u0418\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (Italy)
\n\u041d\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u043e – \u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> which can be translated as \u201cif we\/they had to, we\/they ate it\u201d sounds just like \u043d\u0430\u0434\u043e\u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> (we\/they annoyed)
\n\u0413\u043e\u0440\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u043b\u044c<\/strong> (proud, isn\u2019t she?) written just slightly differently becomes \u0433\u043e\u0440 \u0434\u0430\u043b\u044c<\/strong> (faraway mountains)
\nPoetic line \u041e, \u0432\u0435\u0440\u044c, \u041c\u0438\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c!<\/strong> (Oh, believe, Michelle!) turns into a more \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u0430\u044f<\/strong> (unpoetic) \u041e, \u0432\u0435\u0440\u043c\u0438\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c!<\/strong> (Oh, vermicelli!)<\/p>\n

Here are some more for you to enjoy:<\/p>\n

\u041e, \u043f\u0443\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0430!<\/strong> (Oh, prostitute!) – \u041e\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/strong> (she is tangled up)
\n\u0420\u0430\u0437 \u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> (Hit once) – \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> (broke)
\n\u041a\u043e\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0441<\/strong> (coconut) – \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043e\u0441<\/strong> (like wasps) – here keep in mind that unstressed \u201co\u201d<\/strong> in Russian words sounds like \u201ca\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u041f\u043e\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> (forest clearing) – \u041f\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044f, \u043d\u0430!<\/strong> (Here, Polya!) – \u041f\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044f<\/strong> is a diminutive of \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> (Polina)
\n\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441<\/strong> (overhang) – \u043d\u0430 \u0432\u0435\u0441<\/strong> (by weight)<\/p>\n

So even though there are practically no knock-knock jokes in Russian, there are plenty of opportunities for wordplay.<\/p>\n

Here are two challenges for you so you can pick and choose. The first one is to find other examples of wordplay in Russian literature, songs, jokes, etc. Or come up with your own. The second challenge is to search for Russian \u0441\u0442\u0443\u043a-\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043a<\/strong> (knock-knock) jokes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking of stereotypes, Russians usually view themselves as having a highly-developed \u0447\u0443\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u044e\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0430 (sense of humor). We cherish our \u0430\u043d\u0435\u043a\u0434\u043e\u0442\u044b (jokes), however \u0431\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044b\u0435 (old; lit: bearded) they might be. Indeed, Russians have an impressive catalog of joke categories, from \u0430\u0440\u043c\u044f\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043e (Armenian radio) one-liners to elaborate \u0448\u0443\u0442\u043a\u0438 \u043e \u0442\u043e\u043c \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435 (afterlife jokes; lit: jokes about…<\/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":[257566,1198,9545,257567,252983],"class_list":["post-4476","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-knock-knock-jokes","tag-pushkin","tag-russian-jokes","tag-wordplay-jokes","tag-252983"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4476","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=4476"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11238,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4476\/revisions\/11238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}