Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Varrah · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject:

The fact is that by sayibg "ni puha ni pera" you actually wish a person to get nothing "no fluff, no feathers" (literal translation) and so if someone replyes "thank you" this really means he will not get anything. So the answer is "go to hell (with your prophets)".
It's a wish of a good luck but in the form of "protection from bad eye" (чтоб не сглазить).

Polyglot · Just Starting Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 7

Some more idioms:
-Одна нога здесь, другая там - [odna noga zd'es' drugaya tam]- One foot's here, the other's there. To go and fetch, to run and fetch; to do something very quickly, with lightning speed.
-Кот наплакал - [kot naplakal]- Something the cat cried out. Very little; practically nothing; nothing to speak of.
- Зарубить на носу - [zarubit' na nosu]- To make a notch on one's nose. To remember something firmly, forever.
-Душа ушла в пятки - [ducha ushla v p'atki]- One's soul has gone into one's heels. Someone is greatly alarmed by what is happening or anticipated to happen; terribly frightened.
-Говорить под руку - [govorit' pod ruku] - To speak to someone's hand. To say something at the wrong time; to disturb someone when he is concentrating on something; to distract someone by talking.
Idioms from the site www.polyglot-online.com