Russian Idioms: A Lesson in Language and Culture

Published: January 23, 2019

Very often, commonly used expressions in a language will have been in use for so long that their origins are now unclear. Sometimes there is clear origin. This new project from SRAS will help explain what some popular expressions mean in Russian and, where possible, where they came from.

I. From the French

The Russian language was once heavily influenced by French. This led to the adoption of many words and popular expressions from French or developed with words that were originally French.

ะ’ะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะปะฐะฟัˆัƒ ะฝะฐ ัƒัˆะธ

The expression โ€œะฒะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะปะฐะฟัˆัƒ ะฝะฐ ัƒัˆะธโ€ means โ€œto lie to someoneโ€ or, literally, โ€œto hang noodles on ears.โ€ This phrase most likely came from the French โ€œLa Posheโ€ which means โ€œthe pocketโ€ and was nickname for pickpockets who, as part of their scam, would sometimes clap people on their shoulders and quietly steal from them while asking some mundane question.

The word morphed when it entered Russian to a single word: โ€œะปะฐะฟัˆะฐ,โ€ which also now means โ€œnoodles.โ€

In criminal slang, โ€œะปะฐะฟัˆะฐโ€ also came to mean a case which was fabricated to imprison someone when there was not enough evidence.

ะ’ะตั€ะฝะตะผัั ะบ ะฝะฐัˆะธะผ ะฑะฐั€ะฐะฝะฐะผ

โ€œะ’ะตั€ะฝะตะผัั ะบ ะฝะฐัˆะธะผ ะฑะฐั€ะฐะฝะฐะผโ€ is another phrase that entered Russian through French influence. It means โ€œletโ€™s get back to the point,โ€ and literally translates to โ€œwe return to our sheep.โ€

The phrase originated in a French court in the Middle Ages. Apparently, sheep had been stolen and the defendantโ€™s attorney had not paid the plaintiff for some fabric. The hearing kept switching to the issue of the fabric, when the case at hand actually concerned the sheep. It eventually became comical when the judge was forced to admonish those present to โ€œplease get back to the sheep.โ€

Especially in later tsarist times, French influence on Russian culture and the Russian language was very pronounced.

ะ”ะตะปะพ ะฒ ัˆะปัะฟะต

The word โ€œัˆะปัะฟaโ€ also came from French, where the word for โ€œhatโ€ is โ€œchapeau.โ€ The (morphed) word entered Russian at the end of the 1500s, and was originally used to refer to most types of non-Russian hats. The wordโ€™s meaning eventually expanded to include any hat.

The Russian idiom โ€œะดะตะปะพ ะฒ ัˆะปัะฟะต,โ€ a phrase that means โ€œitโ€™s in the bagโ€ or, literally, โ€œthe deal is in the hat,โ€ has four likely origins.

Given the origin of the word, one of the most likely origins of the phrase is that โ€œะณะพะฝั†ั‹, ั‡ั‚ะพะฑั‹ ะฝะต ะฟะพั‚ะตั€ัั‚ัŒ ะฒะฐะถะฝั‹ะต ะฑัƒะผะฐะณะธ, ะทะฐัˆะธะฒะฐะปะธ ะธั… ะฟะพะด ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบัƒ ัˆะฐะฟะบะธ ะธะปะธ ัˆะปัะฟั‹โ€ (โ€œmessengers, in order not to lose important papers, sewed up them under the lining of their cap or hatโ€). Particularly those messengers coming from abroad would have reason to want keep the messages safe over a considerable time and perhaps keep them secret as well.

Another possible origin comes from the fact that sometimes, โ€œั‡ะธะฝะพะฒะฝะธะบะธ, ั€ะฐะทะฑะธั€ะฐะฒัˆะธะต ะดะตะปะฐ, ะฑั€ะฐะปะธ ะฒะทัั‚ะบะธ ะฒ ัˆะปัะฟั‹โ€ (โ€œofficials who heard cases would accept bribes placed in their hatsโ€).

And still another version hold that the idiom comes from a tradition of settling arguments or deciding issues by drawing lots from a hat. Often, for instance, the person who drew the winning lot would be granted the right to, for instance, trade in a certain product in a particular location or would win a government contract.

โ€œะ”ะตะปะพ ะฒ ัˆะปัะฟะตโ€ in modern Russian can also have more general meanings such as โ€œะฒัั‘ ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ ะฒ ะฟะพั€ัะดะบะตโ€ (everything will be all right), โ€œะดะตะปะพ ะฟะพั‡ั‚ะธ ัะดะตะปะฐะฝะพโ€ (work is about to be done / the deal is about to be concluded), โ€œะดะตะปะพ ัƒะดะฐะตั‚ััโ€ (things are going well).

II. From Professional Work

Russian also has several expressions connected with professions and professional behaviors. There are, of course, those that express respect and those that deride.

ะ‘ะพะปัŒัˆะฐั ัˆะธัˆะบะฐ

For example, the expression โ€œะฑะพะปัŒัˆะฐั ัˆะธัˆะบะฐโ€ means โ€œะฒะฐะถะฝั‹ะน ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะพะน ะฝะฐั‡ะฐะปัŒะฝะธะบ, ะฑะพััโ€ (an important person, manager, or boss) but literally translates to โ€œbig pinecone.โ€ The pinecone, as the vessel of pine seeds, was known as the creator of the mighty forests that both provided ancient Russians with food and building materials but also with many sources of danger. The pinecone thus was an important symbol of fertility and power in pagan times and retained its powerful symbolism even well into tsarist time, particularly among poor peasants and workers.

The specific expression โ€œะฑะพะปัŒัˆะฐั ัˆะธัˆะบะฐโ€ as it is used today originated from the language ofย ะฑัƒั€ะปะฐะบะธย (barge haulers) who began to refer to the puller in the lead position as the โ€œัˆะธัˆะบะฐ.โ€ This person carried the biggest and most important load while hauling a vessel. He was thus generally the strongest and most experienced of the group and, in fact, the earnings of the entire group depended on just how strong and skillful this person was at quickly and safely hauling the barge to where it needed to go. Calling this person by the name of an ancient talisman was considered a compliment and, most likely, a way of wishing good fortune upon the group.

ะขะตั€ั‚ั‹ะน ะบะฐะปะฐั‡

Another positive expression is โ€œั‚ะตั€ั‚ั‹ะน ะบะฐะปะฐั‡โ€ (a grated/rubbed loaf). The term refersInternship-Adย to an โ€œะพั‡ะตะฝัŒย ะพะฟั‹ั‚ะฝั‹ะนย  ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ะบะพั‚ะพั€ะพะณะพย ั‚ั€ัƒะดะฝะพ ะพะฑะผะฐะฝัƒั‚ัŒโ€ (a very experienced person who is difficult to be deceived/tricked).

Aย ะบะฐะปะฐั‡ย (kalach) is a traditional bread usually formed as a ring and often braided. Aย ั‚ะตั€ั‚ั‹ะน ะบะฐะปะฐั‡ย is made from special dough and kneaded and rubbed for an exceptionally long time. This type ofย ะบะฐะปะฐั‡ย is a favorite as the extreme work produces a loaf that is extremely soft, delicious, and thick.

In the Russian language, the verb โ€œั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒโ€ means usually means โ€œgrateโ€ but can more generally refer to the action of โ€œto run to and fro onto the surface with hard pressingโ€ (ะฒะพะดะธั‚ัŒ ะฒะทะฐะด ะฒะฟะตั€ะตะด ะฟะพ ะฟะพะฒะตั€ั…ะฝะพัั‚ะธ ั ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะธะผ ะฝะฐะถะธะผะพะผ). Therefore, the expression likely originated not from the bread name, but from the verb โ€œั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒโ€ as it was thought that the โ€œgratingโ€ makes oneโ€™s character stronger.

Incidentally, a person who madeย ะบะฐะปะฐั‡ะธย became known, as a profession, as โ€œะบะฐะปะฐั‡ะฝะธะบะพะฒโ€ or โ€œะบะฐะปะฐัˆะฝะธะบะพะฒ.โ€ This, in turn, eventually became a last name handed down to ancestors (just like โ€œBakerโ€ in English) and is thus a source of the name a famous Russian automatic weapon. The Kalashnikov is named for its inventor, Mikhael Kalashnkov.

ะขะพั‡ะธั‚ัŒ ะปััั‹

There is another popular expression that was once positive in meaning and later became derogatory. โ€œะขะพั‡ะธั‚ัŒ ะปััั‹โ€ (wag oneโ€™s tongue) literally means โ€œto sharpen handrail pillars.โ€ Traditional Russian wooden houses are famous for their woodwork, often with delicate lattices around windows and over the roofs. The handrails on the porch are often supported with intricate pillars as well. Those โ€œะปััั‹โ€ (also called โ€œะฑะฐะปััั‹โ€œ) are โ€œั‚ะพั‡ะตะฝั‹ะต ั„ะธะณัƒั€ะฝั‹ะต ัั‚ะพะปะฑะธะบะธ ะฟะตั€ะธะป ัƒ ะบั€ั‹ะปะตั‡ะบะฐโ€ (decoratively carved handrail pillars). Those that could create this type of woodwork were highly respected.

Initially, โ€œั‚ะพั‡ะธั‚ัŒ ะปััั‹โ€ meant โ€œะฒะตัั‚ะธ ะธะทัั‰ะฝัƒัŽ, ะฟั€ะธั‡ัƒะดะปะธะฒัƒัŽ, ะฒะธั‚ะธะตะฒะฐั‚ัƒัŽ ะฑะตัะตะดัƒโ€ (to have graceful, fancy, florid conversation). Eventually, the term began to be more often used ironically and, over time, started to refer to โ€œะฟัƒัั‚ะฐั ะฑะพะปั‚ะพะฒะฝัโ€ (idle talk).

ะคะธะปัŒะบะธะฝะฐ ะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฐ

Finally, an example of such an expression with an entirely negative meaning is โ€œะคะธะปัŒะบะธะฝะฐ ะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฐ.โ€ This specific expression is likely still popular because writing in Russia, especially for anything expected to have professional or legal weight, is expected to be letter-perfect and without corrections. Anything less should be thrown out and begun again from scratch.

โ€œะคะธะปัŒะบะธะฝะฐ ะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฐโ€ refers to any document that is โ€œะฝะตะฒะตะถะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะน, ะฑะตะทะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฝะพ ัะพัั‚ะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะธะปะธ ะฝะต ะฝะตะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ัะพัั‚ะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะดะพะบัƒะผะตะฝั‚โ€ (written ignorantly, with many mistakes in spelling or grammar, and/or not having legal weight).

In ancient times in Russia,ย ะคะธะปัย orย ะคะธะปัŒะบะฐย was a name common among common people. To call anyone from the ruling classes by this name would have been an insult. It was often used, particularly by the nobility, to refer to anyone deemed gullible, naรฏve, or stupid.

This expression was popularized by Tsar Ivan the Terrible when Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow, sent a letter to Ivan denouncing the tsarโ€™s creation of a secret police force and the imprisonment and torture of many people who were suspected of being traitorous. Ivan the Terrible called the letter โ€œะคะธะปัŒะบะธะฝะฐ ะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฐโ€ and then had the Metropolitan arrested and killed.

While the fate of a modern producer of a โ€œะคะธะปัŒะบะธะฝะฐ ะณั€ะฐะผะพั‚ะฐโ€ is certainly not likely be as harsh, but the term is still popularly used and can be thought of as the speaker giving the documentโ€™s writer an โ€œF.โ€

About the author

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov leads SRAS' Research Services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He also studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and taught Russian at West Virginia University. As a journalist, he has reported in both Russian and English language outlets and has years of archival research experience. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the โ€œreal Russiaโ€ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

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