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.
ะะตัะฐัั ะปะฐะฟัั ะฝะฐ ััะธ
The expression โะฒะตัะฐัั ะปะฐะฟัั ะฝะฐ ััะธโ means โto lie to someoneโ or, literally, โto hang noodles on ears.โ This phrase most likely came from the French โLa Posheโ which means โthe 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: โะปะฐะฟัะฐ,โ which also now means โnoodles.โ
In criminal slang, โะปะฐะฟัะฐโ also came to mean a case which was fabricated to imprison someone when there was not enough evidence.
ะะตัะฝะตะผัั ะบ ะฝะฐัะธะผ ะฑะฐัะฐะฝะฐะผ
โะะตัะฝะตะผัั ะบ ะฝะฐัะธะผ ะฑะฐัะฐะฝะฐะผโ is another phrase that entered Russian through French influence. It means โletโs get back to the point,โ and literally translates to โwe return to our sheep.โ
The phrase originated in a French court in the Middle Ages. Apparently, sheep had been stolen and the defendantโs 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 โplease get back to the sheep.โ
Especially in later tsarist times, French influence on Russian culture and the Russian language was very pronounced.
ะะตะปะพ ะฒ ัะปัะฟะต
The word โัะปัะฟaโ also came from French, where the word for โhatโ is โchapeau.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 wordโs meaning eventually expanded to include any hat.
The Russian idiom โะดะตะปะพ ะฒ ัะปัะฟะต,โ a phrase that means โitโs in the bagโ or, literally, โthe 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 โะณะพะฝัั, ััะพะฑั ะฝะต ะฟะพัะตัััั ะฒะฐะถะฝัะต ะฑัะผะฐะณะธ, ะทะฐัะธะฒะฐะปะธ ะธั ะฟะพะด ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบั ัะฐะฟะบะธ ะธะปะธ ัะปัะฟัโ (โmessengers, 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, โัะธะฝะพะฒะฝะธะบะธ, ัะฐะทะฑะธัะฐะฒัะธะต ะดะตะปะฐ, ะฑัะฐะปะธ ะฒะทััะบะธ ะฒ ัะปัะฟัโ (โofficials 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.
โะะตะปะพ ะฒ ัะปัะฟะตโ in modern Russian can also have more general meanings such as โะฒัั ะฑัะดะตั ะฒ ะฟะพััะดะบะตโ (everything will be all right), โะดะตะปะพ ะฟะพััะธ ัะดะตะปะฐะฝะพโ (work is about to be done / the deal is about to be concluded), โะดะตะปะพ ัะดะฐะตัััโ (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.
ะะพะปััะฐั ัะธัะบะฐ
For example, the expression โะฑะพะปััะฐั ัะธัะบะฐโ means โะฒะฐะถะฝัะน ัะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ะฑะพะปััะพะน ะฝะฐัะฐะปัะฝะธะบ, ะฑะพััโ (an important person, manager, or boss) but literally translates to โbig 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 โะฑะพะปััะฐั ัะธัะบะฐโ as it is used today originated from the language ofย ะฑััะปะฐะบะธย (barge haulers) who began to refer to the puller in the lead position as the โัะธัะบะฐ.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.
ะขะตัััะน ะบะฐะปะฐั
Another positive expression is โัะตัััะน ะบะฐะปะฐัโ (a grated/rubbed loaf). The term refersย to an โะพัะตะฝัย ะพะฟััะฝัะนย ัะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ะบะพัะพัะพะณะพย ัััะดะฝะพ ะพะฑะผะฐะฝัััโ (a very experienced person who is difficult to be deceived/tricked).
Aย ะบะฐะปะฐัย (kalach) is a traditional bread usually formed as a ring and often braided. Aย ัะตัััะน ะบะฐะปะฐัย is made from special dough and kneaded and rubbed for an exceptionally long time. This type ofย ะบะฐะปะฐัย is a favorite as the extreme work produces a loaf that is extremely soft, delicious, and thick.
In the Russian language, the verb โัะตัะตััโ means usually means โgrateโ but can more generally refer to the action of โto run to and fro onto the surface with hard pressingโ (ะฒะพะดะธัั ะฒะทะฐะด ะฒะฟะตัะตะด ะฟะพ ะฟะพะฒะตัั ะฝะพััะธ ั ะฑะพะปััะธะผ ะฝะฐะถะธะผะพะผ). Therefore, the expression likely originated not from the bread name, but from the verb โัะตัะตััโ as it was thought that the โgratingโ makes oneโs character stronger.
Incidentally, a person who madeย ะบะฐะปะฐัะธย became known, as a profession, as โะบะฐะปะฐัะฝะธะบะพะฒโ or โะบะฐะปะฐัะฝะธะบะพะฒ.โ This, in turn, eventually became a last name handed down to ancestors (just like โBakerโ in English) and is thus a source of the name a famous Russian automatic weapon. The Kalashnikov is named for its inventor, Mikhael Kalashnkov.
ะขะพัะธัั ะปััั
There is another popular expression that was once positive in meaning and later became derogatory. โะขะพัะธัั ะปัััโ (wag oneโs tongue) literally means โto 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 โะปัััโ (also called โะฑะฐะปัััโ) are โัะพัะตะฝัะต ัะธะณััะฝัะต ััะพะปะฑะธะบะธ ะฟะตัะธะป ั ะบััะปะตัะบะฐโ (decoratively carved handrail pillars). Those that could create this type of woodwork were highly respected.
Initially, โัะพัะธัั ะปัััโ meant โะฒะตััะธ ะธะทััะฝัั, ะฟัะธััะดะปะธะฒัั, ะฒะธัะธะตะฒะฐััั ะฑะตัะตะดัโ (to have graceful, fancy, florid conversation). Eventually, the term began to be more often used ironically and, over time, started to refer to โะฟัััะฐั ะฑะพะปัะพะฒะฝัโ (idle talk).
ะคะธะปัะบะธะฝะฐ ะณัะฐะผะพัะฐ
Finally, an example of such an expression with an entirely negative meaning is โะคะธะปัะบะธะฝะฐ ะณัะฐะผะพัะฐ.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.
โะคะธะปัะบะธะฝะฐ ะณัะฐะผะพัะฐโ refers to any document that is โะฝะตะฒะตะถะตััะฒะตะฝะฝัะน, ะฑะตะทะณัะฐะผะพัะฝะพ ัะพััะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฝัะน ะธะปะธ ะฝะต ะฝะตะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ัะพััะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฝัะน ะดะพะบัะผะตะฝัโ (written ignorantly, with many mistakes in spelling or grammar, and/or not having legal weight).
In ancient times in Russia,ย ะคะธะปัย orย ะคะธะปัะบะฐย 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 tsarโs 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 โะคะธะปัะบะธะฝะฐ ะณัะฐะผะพัะฐโ and then had the Metropolitan arrested and killed.
While the fate of a modern producer of a โะคะธะปัะบะธะฝะฐ ะณัะฐะผะพัะฐโ is certainly not likely be as harsh, but the term is still popularly used and can be thought of as the speaker giving the documentโs writer an โF.โ