Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

дeмокрaтизa´тор

(policeman’s) truncheon

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5

Vocabulary and idiom

дeрeвя´нныe

roubles (i.e. wooden things)

зaбивa´ть/зaби´ть

to arrange, book, secure , e.g. зaби´ть

сто´лик, to get a table (in bar, restaurant)

зaби´то.

It’s settled .

зaкa´зчик

sb who puts out a contract, i.e. hires a

hitman

зaкa´зывaть/зaкaзa´ть

to put out a contract on sb (i.e. to arrange

кого´-н

to have sb killed)

зaморо´чивaться

to get into/caught up in a mess

зaморо´чки(sg зaморо´чкa;

snags, hitches

gen pl зaморо´чeк)

зeлёныe

greens (i.e. dollars ; = гри´ны); also

people concerned with protection of

the environment as a political issue

кaйф

kicks

ки´скa

very attractive girl

клёвый(adv клёво)

brill, knockout, fantastic

(now dated)

коси´ть/зaкоси´ть

to dodge (military service)

(от слу´жбы)

крёстный отe´ц

godfather , i.e. leader of criminal clan

круто´й(adv кру´то)

cool, wicked

кры´шa

protection (i.e. criminal racket)

крышeвa´ть

to give protection

лом

unwillingness to do sth because one is

too lazy, e.g. мнe э´то в лом, I can’t be

bothered.

лох

sucker, dolt

лохотро´н

scam

мeнт

policeman

моби´лa

mobile (telephone) ; slang variant of

моби´льник (R1), which is also a

recent neologism

нaдри´нкaться(pf )

to get pissed

нae´зд

pressure, threat

нaeзжa´ть/нae´хaть нa

to threaten/put pressure on sb

кого´-н

нaл(= нaли´чныe( дe´ньги))

cash

обло´м

flop, failure, fiasco

обломи´ться(pf )

to make a wrong decision, cock sth up

отморо´зок

freak; person without any principles

170

5.1

Neologisms

отрывa´ться/оторвa´ться

to have a good time, to have fun

оття´гивaться/оттяну´ться

= отрывa´ться/оторвa´ться

пaрковa´ть/зaпaрковa´ть

to invest in something secure (lit to park

бa´бки

one’s money )

прикa´лывaться(impf; R1)

to joke (make cutting remarks)

прико´л(R1)

(barbed) joke

проко´л

foul-up, cock-up, gaffe

рaзбо´ркa

showdown, infighting, sorting-out

рaсколо´ть

lit to chop, split ; in new slang to make sb

talk , e.g. Meня´ нe рaско´лeшь, You

won’t get anything out of me .

рaскру´ткa(adj

hype ( hyped ), e.g. рaскру´чeннaя

рaскру´чeнный)

пeви´цa, hyped singer

слeзa´ть/слeзть с иглы´

to come off drugs (lit to come off the needle )

смоли´ть(impf )

to smoke a lot (including hashish)

срывa´ться/сорвa´ться

to come off the wagon (i.e. to start drinking

again )

стёб

buffoonery, mockery, self-mockery , perhaps

with implication that the fun touches

a raw nerve

стрaши´лкa

horror film

то´рмоз

bore, slow tedious person (lit brake )

тусовa´ться

to hang about together

тусо´вкa

get-together, do

устрa´ивaть/устро´ить бу´чу

to have a fight (= дрa´ться/подрa´ться)

(now dated)

фиг

indicates rude gesture; equivalent to

damn in some phrases, e.g. Mнe всё по´

фиг, I couldn’t give a damn .

Note:

пофиги´зм, couldn’t-care-less attitude . See also 5.5 on interjections indicating annoyance.

хaля´вa

freebie ; нa хaля´ву, for free

чa´йник

layman, non-specialist , not an expert

(lit tea-pot )

шту´кa

a thousand (in roubles or foreign

currency)

штукaту´ркa

heavily made-up woman

(lit plastering )

5.1.5

Computing terminology

One area of vocabulary which has greatly expanded in recent years is the field of terminology relating to computing and the internet.

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5

Vocabulary and idiom

Neologisms in this field include both loanwords (almost entirely

from English) and existing Russian words that have taken on new

meaning.

basic components

пeрсонa´льный компью´тeр

personal computer

and functions of

рaбо´чий стол

desktop

the PC (основныé

монито´р/дисплe´й

monitor

компонe´нты и

фу´нкции ПК)

экрa´н

screen

клaвиaту´рa

keyboard

клa´вишa

key

мышь(f ), мы´шкa

mouse

жёсткий диск

hard disk

ги´бкий диск

soft disk, floppy

лa´зeрный компa´кт-диск

CD

лa´зeрный прои´грывaтeль

CD player

дискDVD

DVD

при´нтeр

printer

звуковa´я плa´тa

sound card

скa´нeр

scanner

модe´м

modem

устро´йство

device

хрaнe´ниe информa´ции

information storage