<\/p>\n
In the month of October, much of the United States (and other Anglophone countries, I imagine) is getting ready to celebrate Halloween. Some of you may know that this holiday is not universally celebrated<\/a> in Russia and has even caused some controversy. There used to be a different occasion for dressing up and role-playing — a Christmas Eve tradition called kolyada<\/a> (\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0430\u0301). However, since this is no longer really practiced, Halloween is the only chance Russians get to play dress-up.<\/p>\n In any event, for our Halloween post this year, why don’t we take a look at some idioms with “devilish” vocabulary in Russian? The first word you need to know is “\u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442” (the devil). There are numerous expressions with \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442. They are fairly colloquial and probably aren’t something you want to say to your boss or teacher; however, they are not vulgar and are used quite often. In my personal experience, \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442 isn’t widely seen as offensive as, say, the word “hell” can be in English.<\/p>\n \u041a \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0443<\/strong> <\/span>– “To the devil,” used either to express that you give up on something or someone and come what may; or as an intensifier (compare it to the English “in the world” as in “what in the world?”)<\/p>\n \u2015 \u041d\u0443\u0301 \u0435\u0433\u043e \u043a \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0443, \u0441\u0442\u0443\u0447\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c \u2015 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0301\u043b\u043e. (To hell with it; snitching is the lowest thing.) [\u0412\u0430\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0439 \u0413\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u043c\u0430\u043d. \u0416\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c \u0438 \u0441\u0443\u0434\u044c\u0431\u0430, \u0447. 1 (1960)]<\/span><\/p>\n \u2015 \u0410 \u0430\u0301\u0437\u0431\u0443\u043a\u0443 \u041c\u043e\u0301\u0440\u0437\u0435 \u0442\u044b \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0301\u0435\u0448\u044c? \u2015 \u041a\u0430\u043a\u0430\u0301\u044f, \u043a \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0443, \u0430\u0301\u0437\u0431\u0443\u043a\u0430! (“Do you know the Morse code, too?” “What code on earth are you talking about?”) [\u041c\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0430\u043c \u041f\u0435\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0441\u044f\u043d. \u0414\u043e\u043c, \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043c… (2009)]<\/span><\/p>\n \u0414\u043e \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/strong> – to the extreme degree; one typical collocation is \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0434\u043e \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432 (to drink your face off)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u041c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301 \u043d\u0435\u0441\u0435\u0301\u0442, \u044f \u043a\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0443\u0301, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0438 \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043c\u043e\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0301 \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0434\u043e \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432[…] (I am carried away, I’m screaming that I haven’t been able to get wasted[…]) [\u0413\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u0420\u0443\u0434\u044b\u0445. \u0422\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439\u0447\u0438\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u043c\u0438\u0440 \/\/ \u00ab\u041e\u043a\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044c\u00bb, 2002]<\/span><\/p>\n \u0427\u0451\u0440\u0442 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0301<\/span><\/strong> – either an exclamation of anger\/frustration or an intensifier<\/p>\n \u0410 \u044f \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0301\u044e, \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0442 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0301, \u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0301! (I don’t understand a darn thing.) [\u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430 \u041d\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0434\u0430. \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u044f (2003) \/\/ \u00ab\u041b\u0435\u0431\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb (\u0411\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043d), 2003.07.14]<\/span><\/p>\n \u041a\u0430\u043a \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442 \u0438\u0437 \u0442\u0430\u0431\u0430\u043a\u0435\u0301\u0440\u043a\u0438<\/strong> – used to talk about someone appearing suddenly; this is a reference to a jack-in-the-box type toy<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u041a\u0443\u0434\u0430 \u043d\u0438 \u043a\u0438\u0301\u043d\u0435\u0448\u044c \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437, \u043d\u043e\u0301\u0432\u044b\u0435 \u0437\u0434\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0438\u044f \u0432\u044b\u0441\u043a\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0438\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0442 \u0438\u0437 \u0442\u0430\u0431\u0430\u043a\u0435\u0301\u0440\u043a\u0438. (Wherever you look, new buildings pop up overnight.) [\u042e\u043b\u0438\u044f \u0412\u0438\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0446\u043a\u0430\u044f, \u0417\u043e\u044f \u0425\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430. \u041d\u0430\u0434 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044e \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0435 \/\/ \u00ab\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0435\u0440\u00bb, \u2116 45 (173), 18 \u043d\u043e\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f 2010, 2010]<\/span><\/p>\n \u0427\u0451\u0440\u0442 \u043d\u043e\u0433\u0443 \u0441\u043b\u043e\u043c\u0438\u0442<\/strong> – something’s a mess; literally, “the devil will break his leg”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u0412 \u0431\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0301\u0433\u0430\u0445 \u044d\u0301\u0442\u0438\u0445 \u0441\u0430\u043c \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0442 \u043d\u043e\u0301\u0433\u0443 \u0441\u043b\u043e\u0301\u043c\u0438\u0442. (I can’t make heads or tails of these papers.) [\u0410\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0435\u0439 \u0416\u0438\u0442\u043a\u043e\u0432. \u0421\u0443\u043f\u0435\u0440\u043c\u0430\u0440\u043a\u0435\u0442 (2000)]<\/span><\/p>\n \u0423 \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0443\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043a\u0430\u0445\/\u043d\u0430 \u0440\u043e\u0433\u0430\u0301\u0445<\/strong> – really far away<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u041b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c \u0432 \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0439-\u0442\u043e \u0430\u043f\u0442\u0435\u0301\u043a\u0435, \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0301\u0449\u0435\u0439\u0441\u044f \u0443 \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0443\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0447\u043a\u0430\u0445. (The medication was found in some pharmacy in the middle of nowhere.) [\u0412\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c \u0421\u0438\u0434\u0443\u0440. \u041f\u0430\u043c\u044f\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0441\u043e\u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u0441\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043d\u0438\u044e (1973-1974)]<\/span><\/p>\n \u0412 \u0442\u0438\u0301\u0445\u043e\u043c \u043e\u0301\u043c\u0443\u0442\u0435 \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0438 \u0432\u043e\u0301\u0434\u044f\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/span><\/strong> – still waters run deep, said about a shy\/inconspicuous person who hides something beneath the fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n \u0415\u0301\u0437\u0434\u044f\u0442 \u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0430\u0301\u043d\u0446\u044b, \u0432 \u043e\u0301\u0431\u0449\u0435\u043c, \u0430\u043a\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0442\u043d\u043e. \u041d\u043e \u0432 \u0442\u0438\u0301\u0445\u043e\u043c \u043e\u0301\u043c\u0443\u0442\u0435 \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0438 \u0432\u043e\u0301\u0434\u044f\u0442\u0441\u044f. (Americans are generally careful drivers, but appearances can be deceiving.) [\u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0413\u0430\u0432\u0440\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0432. \u0418\u0434\u0435\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u043a\u0435\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a (2010.11.11) \/\/ http:\/\/www.rbcdaily.ru\/2010\/11\/11\/cnews\/526266.shtml, 2010]<\/span><\/p>\n This was a cursory overview of idioms with \u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442. There are several others including \u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u0431\u044b \u0431\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0301\u0442\u043e, \u0430 \u0447\u0435\u0301\u0440\u0442\u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0439\u0434\u0443\u0301\u0442\u0441\u044f and \u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0448\u0435\u043d \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0442, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0435\u0433\u043e \u043c\u0430\u043b\u044e\u0301\u044e\u0442 — look them up! Is there anything else you’d like to add to the list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the month of October, much of the United States (and other Anglophone countries, I imagine) is getting ready to celebrate Halloween. Some of you may know that this holiday is not universally celebrated in Russia and has even caused some controversy. There used to be a different occasion for dressing up and role-playing…<\/p>\n