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14 Cards in this Set
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Similar English idiom: “When pigs fly” |
Когда рак на горе свистнет. Literal translation: “When a lobster whistles on the top of a mountain.” However, рак can mean “lobster” or “cancer” (not at all confusing, right?), so this could also be interpreted as “When a cancer/carcinoma whistles on the top of a mountain.” Sounds festive!Figurative meaning: “It’s never going to happen” |
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Similar English idiom: “Break a leg” |
Ни пуха ни пера Literal translation: “Neither down nor feather”Figurative meaning: “Good luck”Bonus: The preferred response to this well-wish is “К чёрту!” (“To hell!”). It’s friendlier than it sounds. |
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Figurative meaning: “I can’t find the time” |
Руки не доходят Literal translation: “My hands don’t reach it” Similar English idiom: NoneExample: Мне нужно убраться, но руки не доходят.(Literal: I need to clean up, but my hands don’t reach it.)(Figurative: I need to clean up, but I can’t find the time.) |
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Similar English idiom: “To make a mountain out of a molehill” |
Делать из мухи слона Literal translation: “To make an elephant out of a fly”Figurative meaning: “To exaggerate”This phrase is likely based on an old Latin proverb, and idioms about making an elephant out of a fly exist in several languages. |
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Similar English idiom: “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” |
Без кота мышам раздолье Literal translation: “Without a cat, mice will feel free”Figurative meaning: “When an authority figure is away, those under him/her may act up”The relationship between the very similar Russian and English idioms is unclear, but the English phrase originated between the 15th and 16th centuries and even appeared in a different form in one of Shakespeare’s plays. |
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Similar English idiom: “Love is blind” |
Любовь зла, полюбишь и козла Literal translation: “Love is evil, you may fall in love with a goat”Figurative meaning: “You can’t control who you love”“Любовь зла, полюбишь и козла” may be a bit hyperbolic, but the point is that you can fall in love with anyone. |
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Similar English idiom: “You reap what you sow” |
Что посеешь, то и пожнёшь Literal translation: “What you sow, you will reap”Figurative meaning: “Actions have consequences”If you want a little variation with this phrase, you can also say “как посеешь, так и пожнёшь.” Its meaning is nearly identical, so you can pick whatever rolls off your tongue most easily. |
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Figurative meaning: “You can’t think straight while standing up” |
В ногах правды нет Literal translation: “There is no truth in the legs”Similar English idiom: NoneExample: Садись, и тогда поговорим—в ногах правды нет.(Literal: Sit down, and then we’ll talk—there is no truth in the legs.)(Figurative: Sit down, and then we’ll talk—you can’t think straight while standing up.)You may have always trusted the veracity of legs, but apparently this was a mistake. It may sound insulting towards your legs, but it’s actually polite. |
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Similar English idiom: “To pull oneself together” |
Взять себя в руки Literal translation: “To take oneself in one’s hands”Figurative meaning: “To compose oneself” People can be a mess in any language. “Взять себя в руки” can be used to tell someone to compose themselves emotionally or just improve their current situation. |
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Figurative meaning: “Adversity builds character” |
Без муки нет наукиLiteral translation: “Without torture, there is no science”Similar English idiom: While not exact, “Every cloud has a silver lining” is close.Example: Вы не получили работу? Без муки нет науки.(Literal: You didn’t get the job? Without torture, there is no science.)(Figurative: You didn’t get the job? Adversity builds character.)It seems like there should be an English-language equivalent of this vivid phrase, but nothing quite matches. Regardless, when things are going poorly for someone, this is a helpful reminder that suffering can lead to better things. |
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I'm as hungry as a wolf |
Я голоден как волк. |
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You don't ask god for a second-helping
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У бога нет просят |
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It’s raining cats and dogs |
Льёт как из ведра.
Literally: it’s pouring as if from a bucket |
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Break a leg |
Ни пуха ни пера!
Literally: neither down nor feather |
