Section: LIFE & LEISURE
Page: C1

Monday, June 5, 1995

EXCERPTS FROM THE RUSSIAN IDIOMS

A few examples from the ``Russian-English Dictionary of Idioms:''

V Tulu so svoim samovarom he ezdiat: (saying) There is no need to bring something to a place that already has an abundance of it. For instance, in Tula, Albany's sister city, which is famous for its samovars, you don't have to bring your own samovar because they have everything needed for tea. Equivalents: Why carry water to the river? It would be like carrying coal to Newcastle (British variation).

Kazhdyi vstrechnyi: (colloquial) Any person, everyone without discrimination. Anybody and everybody. Equivalents: One and all. Every stranger one meets. Every Tom, Dick and Harry (American).

Vnov ispechennyi: (colloquial, humor) Someone who has just received a certain position, title or degree. Equivalents: Brand-new. Freshly minted. Newly fledged.

Zagovarivat zuby: (colloquial, usually disapproving) To try to distract the interlocutor by talking about extraneous matters with the goal of avoiding an unpleasant topic, deceiving the interlocutor and persuading him to act as one wishes. Equivalents: X is fooling Y with smooth talk. X is spinning Y a fine yarn. X is pulling the wool over Y's eyes. X is sweet-talking (or fast-talking) Y.

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