{"id":9274,"date":"2016-07-25T07:29:10","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T07:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=9274"},"modified":"2016-07-25T03:44:16","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T03:44:16","slug":"food-for-thought-food-idioms-in-russian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/food-for-thought-food-idioms-in-russian\/","title":{"rendered":"Food For Thought: Food Idioms in Russian"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good number of Russian sayings feature food. Let us take a look at their literal meaning and idiomatic usage. Scroll to the end of the post to test your understanding and fill in the blanks in authentic contexts.<\/p>\n

\"cut

Image from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u0410\u043f\u043f\u0435\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0442 \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f \u0435\u0434\u044b<\/span><\/h3>\n

Literally, “appetite comes during the meal.” It is used figuratively to mean that an activity grows on you once you start practicing it.<\/p>\n

\u0417\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442 \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0430, \u0447\u044c\u0451 \u043c\u044f<\/span>\u0441\u043e \u0441\u044a\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430<\/h3>\n
\"cat

Image from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

Literally, “the cat knows whose meat it has eaten.” Used to say that a guilty party knows what they’ve done.<\/p>\n

\u0418\u043d\u0434\u044e<\/span>\u043a \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435 \u0434\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u043b, \u0434\u0430 \u0432 \u0441\u0443\u043f \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b<\/h3>\n

“The turkey also thought and ended up in soup.” This is a tongue-in-cheek response to someone saying “I thought…”<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0443 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043c \u043d\u0435 \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0438\u0448\u044c<\/h3>\n

“You cannot spoil\u00a0kasha\u00a0<\/em>(cooked grits) with butter.” Close in meaning to “you can never have too much of a good thing.”<\/p>\n

\u041d\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0438\u0437\u0431\u0430<\/span> \u0443\u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438,\u00a0\u0430 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u043f\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438<\/h3>\n

“A (log) house is not pretty for its corners but for its pies.” This means that pretty\/expensive furniture and d\u00e9cor do not a home make, but kind and hospitable owners do.”<\/p>\n

\u041d\u0435 \u0445\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u043c \u0435\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u043c \u0436\u0438\u0432 \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a<\/h3>\n
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Image from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

This is actually a biblical saying — we covered a few of them<\/a> on this blog — equivalent to “not by bread alone<\/a>.” This is meant to say that a person’s spiritual needs are as important as physical ones.<\/p>\n

\u0421\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439 \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0443\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442<\/h3>\n

Literally, “a full person does not understand a hungry one.” This means that it is hard for a well-to-do or privileged person to empathize with someone in need.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439 \u0431\u043b\u0438\u043d \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u043c<\/h3>\n

“The first pancake comes out a lump,” meaning that the first attempt will often be unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

\u0425\u0440\u0435\u043d \u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044c\u043a\u0438 \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0449\u0435<\/h3>\n

“Horseradish is no sweeter than a\u00a0radish,” said to mean that two things are equally bad and one is not a good alternative for the other.<\/p>\n

Test Yourself!<\/h2>\n

Try filling in the blanks\/gaps in the following contexts.<\/p>\n