| Russian Idiom |
Literal Translation |
Similar English Idiom |
Figurative Meaning |
| Когда рак на горе свистнет
|
When a lobster whistles on the top of a mountain. |
When pigs fly |
It’s never going to happen |
| Ни пуха ни пера |
Neither down nor feather |
Break a leg |
Good luck |
| Руки не доходят |
My hands don’t reach it |
None |
“I can’t find the time |
| Делать из мухи слона |
To make an elephant out of a fly |
To make a mountain out of a molehill |
To exaggerate |
| Без кота мышам раздолье |
Without a cat, mice will feel free |
When the cat’s away, the mice will play |
When an authority figure is away, those under him/her may act up |
| Любовь зла, полюбишь и козла |
Love is evil, you may fall in love with a goat |
Love is blind |
You can’t control who you love |
| Что посеешь, то и пожнёшь |
What you sow, you will reap |
You reap what you sow |
Actions have consequences |
| В ногах правды нет |
There is no truth in the legs |
None |
You can’t think straight while standing up |
| Взять себя в руки |
To take oneself in one’s hands |
To pull oneself together |
To compose oneself |
| Без муки нет науки |
Without torture, there is no science |
No pain, no gain |
Adversity builds character |
| с жиру бесятся |
(they) are furious/raving with grease |
They have it too good |
They don’t know how lucky they are
|
| молоко на губах не обсохло |
The milk on the lips is still wet |
Wet behind the ears |
A newbie or a greenhorn |
| кто рано встаёт, тому бог подаёт |
To one who wakes up early, God serves (gives) |
The early bird catches the worm |
Zeal will be rewarded |
| изобретать велосипед |
To (re)invent the bicycle |
To reinvent the wheel |
To start all over again; to start from scratch; to recreate something that already exists |
| в Тулу со своим самоваром |
To Tula with one’s own samovar |
Coals to Newcastle |
To bring along something unnecessary; to do something pointless |
| курам на смех |
To the laughter/amusement of chickens |
Enough to make a cat laugh |
A joke, ridiculous |
| рыбак рыбака видит издалека |
A fisherman recognizes (another) fisherman from afar |
Takes one to know one |
People recognize someone like themselves |
| своя рубашка ближе к телу |
One’s own shirt is closer to the body |
Look out for Number One |
You must take care of your own needs first |
| горе луковое |
Onion tragedy |
You poor thing |
A person, usually a child, who is reduced to tears over the tiniest, most insignificant drama |
| книга за семью печатями |
A book behind the seven seals |
The opposite of “an open book |
A person who is mysterious; an enigma |
