Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

to make ends meet

остa´ться у рaзби´того коры´тa

lit to be left at a broken trough , i.e. to be back where one started

л

(У нeго´) лёгкaя рукa´.

(He has) good luck .

Кто в лeс, кто по дровa´.

(They’re) at sixes and sevens .

сeсть в лу´жу

lit to sit in a puddle , i.e. to get into a mess

(Я/он/онa´) нe лы´ком шит(a).

I/he/she wasn’t born yesterday .

M

идти´ кaк по мa´слу

to go swimmingly

мeдвe´жья услу´гa

lit a bear’s service , said of action that is

intended to be helpful but in fact has the

opposite effect

мe´жду мо´лотом и нaковa´льнeй

lit between the hammer and the anvil , i.e. between

the devil and the deep blue sea/between a rock and a

hard place

моло´чныe рe´ки, кисe´льныe бeрeгa´

a land of milk and honey

195

5

Vocabulary and idiom

Mурa´шки по спинe´ бe´гaют.

lit Little insects are running up (my) back , i.e. It

gives (me) the creeps .

Oн му´хи нe оби´дит.

He wouldn’t harm a fly .

дe´лaть из му´хи слонa´

lit to make an elephant out of a fly , i.e. to make a

mountain out of a mole-hill

H

уйти´ нeсо´лоно хлeбa´вши

to go away empty-handed

проходи´ть крa´сной ни´тью чe´рeзчто´-н

lit to run like a red thread through sth , i.e. to stand

(R3, bookish)

out (of theme, motif )

жить нa бa´рскую но´гу

to live like a lord

жить нa широ´кую но´гу

to live in grand style

встaть с лe´вой ноги´

lit to get up on the left foot , i.e. to get out of bed on the wrong side

быть нa коро´ткой ногe´ скe´м-н

to be on close terms with sb

ног под собо´й нe чу´вствовaть

lit not to feel one’s legs under oneself , i.e. to be

dropping (from tiredness)

вe´шaть/повe´сить нос

to be crestfallen

зaдирa´ть/зaдрa´ть нос

to put on airs

води´тького´-н зa´ нос

to lead sb a dance

клeвa´ть но´сом

to nod off

остa´витького´-н с но´сом

to dupe sb

остa´ться с но´сом

to be duped

O

говори´ть бeз обиняко´в

to speak plainly/without beating about the bush

пройти´ ого´нь, во´ду и мe´дныe тру´бы

to go through fire and water (and in the Russian

copper tubes as well!)

из огня´ дa в по´лымя

lit from the fire into the flames , i.e. out of the

frying-pan and into the fire

мe´ж(ду) двух огнe´й

lit between two fires , i.e. between the devil and the

deep blue sea

П

пa´лeц о пa´лeц нe удa´рить

not to raise a finger

кому´-н пa´льцa в рот нe клaди´

lit don’t put your finger in sb’s mouth , i.e. a person

is not to be trusted

попa´сть пa´льцeм в нe´бо

to be wide of the mark

смотрe´ть сквозь пa´льцы нaчто´-н

lit to look at sth through one’s fingers , i.e. to shut

one’s eyes to sth

встaвля´ть/встa´вить пa´лкикому´-н в

to put a spoke in sb’s wheel

колёсa

пeрeливa´ть из пусто´го в поро´жнee

to beat the air

196

5.7

Idioms

Горa´ с плeч свaли´лaсь.

lit A mountain’s come off (my) shoulders , i.e. (It’s) a

weight off (my) mind .

ждaть у мо´ря пого´ды

to wait for sth to turn up

знaть всю подного´тную

to know the whole truth

попaдa´ть/попa´сть в то´чку

to hit the nail on the head

стeрe´тького´-н в порошо´к

lit to grind sb into powder , i.e. to make mincemeat

of sb

всё кро´мe пти´чьeго молокa´

lit everything except bird’s milk , said when every

possible dish is served at a meal

рaзби´ть в пух и прaх

lit to defeat/break up into fluff and dust , i.e. to put to rout

стрeля´ть из пу´шeк по воробья´м

lit to fire cannons at sparrows , i.e. to use a

sledgehammer to crack a nut

(У нeго´) сeмь пя´тниц нa нeдe´лe.

(He) keeps chopping and changing .

P

покaзa´тькому´-н гдe рa´ки зиму´ют

lit to show sb where the crayfish spend the winter = to

give sb a dressing-down

yкого´-н хлопо´т по´лон рот

lit sb has a mouth full of troubles , i.e. sb has his/her hands full

мaхну´ть руко´й нaчто´-н

to give up sth as lost

сидe´ть сложa´ ру´ки

lit to sit with arms folded , i.e. to twiddle one’s

thumbs

из рук вон пло´хо

dreadfully, wretchedly

рaбо´тaть зaсучи´в рукaвa´

lit to work having rolled up one’s sleeves , i.e. to work with zeal

рaбо´тaть спустя´ рукaвa´

lit to work having put one’s sleeves down , i.e. to work

in a slipshod manner

ни ры´бa ни мя´со

neither fish nor flesh, neither one thing nor the other

C

двa сaпогa´ пa´рa. (pej)

They make a pair .

подложи´тькому´-н свинью´