An American Phrase Book

Натолкнулся на такой список идиом.

Суть в следующем:
Множество людей которые хорошо знают Английский мигрируют в США. После прибытия они бывают шокированы тем, как много простых фраз приобретают совершенно другой смысл.

Ниже приведены некоторые фразы которые помогут новым посетителям США понимать собеседника:

Phrase	Meaning	Example
Let's have lunch sometime!	I don't want to see you again.	-"There's still so much more I want to talk to you about!" -"Yeah, let's definitely have lunch sometime!"
Thanks for reminding me!	Stop bugging me!	-"Did you ever get a chance to look over that memo I sent you?" -"Oh, right! Thanks so much for reminding me! I'll get back to you on that soon."
Some are better than others	Some are crap	-"I do like my classes, but really I have to say that some are better than others."
He/She is quite the character	He/She is scary and/or repulsive	-"You know Jenny? She is quite the character. I don't know what to make of her."
Thank you *so* much!	Thanks	-"Can you pass me the milk?" -"There you go." -"Thank you *so* much!
Thanks	[This phrase doesn't have a meaning per se]	-"Please send me the material by monday. Dave." -"Here it is. Thanks, George."
You would want to do X	Do X now! [Strong Imperative]	-"Sir, you would want to take your feet off this bench." -"Of course, officer."
You might want to consider to do X	I absolutely expect you to do X [Weak Imperative]	-"You might want to consider to postpone your trip until after the deadline."
That's a great idea, but...	That's a bad idea	-"So I really think that's a great idea, but you might want to consider the opposite approach"
Would you like some gum/mint?	You have bad breath	[Self-explanatory]
Friend	Someone you've met at least once and didn't cause you any harm	-"Harvey, I'd like you to meet my friend, Je... Ji.... hmmm.. er... what was your name again?"
The most	A [Indefinite Article]	-"I just watched the most depressing movie"
Good job!	You didn't fail	-"Please write down 5 names of people you know...Good job!"
You did really great	[similar to 'Good Job!'] You didn't screw it up	-"So we're done with your X-ray, you can get up now. You did really great."
Fooling around	Having non-coital sex	For example, ex-US president clinton was merely "fooling around" with his intern.
Sounds great	Is fine	-"Can we meet on Monday at 3?" -"Yeah, Monday at 3 sounds great!"
How are you?	Hello [not a question]	-"How are you?" -"Hi! So good to see you!"
I'll have to think about it	I have thought about it, and the answer is no	-"Would you be able to come pick me up before the game? -"Hmm, I'll have to think about that one."
A little	Way too	-"We probably want to take a cab there. It's a little far" -"I don't want to go at all, it seems a little dangerous."
Awesome	Very good	-"Awesome. I think we have everything we need for the dinner" -"Yeah, it'll be an awesome event."
Exciting / Excited	Good / Happy	-"I'm really excited about being done with my tax forms!" -"Really? That's so exciting to hear!"
Let's just say	[Serious understatement following]	-"Let's just say, I'm a little unhappy with her work."
Not great / not the best	Very bad	-"We had to fire him because he wasn't the best programmer."
Not a good / a great / the best fit	[Stand in for any serious character flaw]	-"Unfortunately, a convicted arsonist is not the best fit for our warehouse."
I wish I could	I have very little interest	-"So are you coming over tonight?" -"Awwwww... I wish I could!"
I love him/her, but	I have a serious problem with him/her	-"I mean, don't get me wrong: I love my boss, he's awesome. But he keeps screwing me over behind my back, and he hasn't paid me in six months!"
I'm not sure if/that X	I'm sure that [not X]	-"I'm not sure if I would agree with him on that matter." -"You know what? I'm not sure that he really cares about your opinion."
That's [really] interesting	I couldn't care less	-"You work for 'Engage Music'? Oh my god! So my boyfriend, he has a band, and they're looking for an agent now. I mean, like, you know?" -"Really? That's really interesting."
He/she is nice	I have nothing good to say about him/her	-"So what did you think of Tony? We just started dating, and I think I really like him." -"Yeah. He's nice. Totally. Totally nice."
Keep/Stay in touch	Don't expect to ever hear from me again	-"So yeah. Keep in touch, alright?"
How are you today Sir/Madam?	I am paid to make conversation with you	-"Welcome to Carpet Heaven, where the carpets are as good as their price. How are you today, Sir?"
Not bad	Bad	-"So tell me honestly: what do you think of my new painting?" -"It's not bad."
Still working on X [Restaurant]	Eating [too slowly]	-"Are you still working on that salad, Sir?" -"Yes, thanks." -"I'll just leave this here then. Whenever you get a chance."
Whenever you get a chance	As soon as possible	See above
I'm all over it	Leave me alone. I'll get to it when I get to it, ok?	-"Did you start getting those reports ready, Nathan?" -"I'm all over it, boss!"
Party [v.]	Drinking alcohol	-"I partied so hard last night that I could hardly get up to work today."
Party [n.]	An event in which people stand around in a well-lit room drinking and eating finger food. [Note: does not usually involve dancing.]	-"You should come to my party on Saturday. There'll be olives!"
Probably	Definitely	-"I will probably not make it to the party tonight."
A huge favor	A small favor	-"Can you do me a huge favor and pass me the salt?" [usually followed by 'thank you so much, see above]
It's not that x, it's just that...	If it were acceptable, I would say x	-"It's not that he's an idiot, it's just that I don't feel comfortable when he opens his mouth."
Totally	Possibly	-"I'm totally going to write her a letter."
For you	[This phrase has no meaning per se]	-"Let me just have a look at this chart for you, sir."
No offense, but	Prepare to get offended [Note: combines well with "let's just say", see above]	-"No offense, but let's just say that your new book is not as great as your previous ones."
Not necessarily	Definitely	-"So do you think the board took my idea badly?"-"Not necessarily."
Mixed success	Utter failure	-"You know, bringing you to meet my parents was met with mixed success."
Highly recommended	Mandatory	-"It is highly recommended that you turn in your application in time to increase your odds at being considered."

Источник: An American Phrase Book

Mar. 22, 2011 // 23:30 | Комментарии (0)

---

Seven Russian Swear Words (Семь матерных русских слов, памятка для иностранца)

1. Blyad - literally, “whore.” This word is usually encountered in its contracted form “blya,” a particle used mainly for emphasis, adding a touch of lurid color at the end of absolutely any phrase. “Ty chyo, blya?” (What the fuck are you doing/saying?) could be an act of friendly raillery or the verbal prelude to a headbutt. The B-word is also a common cri-de-coeur: you stub your toe — “Blya!” Some people are so addicted that they use the word to season even the most banal utterance. Eg. “A on, blya, mne skazal, blya, chto ya, blya…” This is the meat in the dumpling of Russian mat — it’s impossible to imagine a conversation with a taxi driver without it.

2. Khui - literally, “cock.” The first thing after “hello” that people learn how to say in a foreign language is “fuck off,” and some manage to get by thereafter on these two phrases alone. “Idi na khui!” is the Russian equivalent, literally meaning “Go to the penis!” Yes, I know it sounds silly in translation. But what makes the system of Russian mat so interesting are the derivatives. “Okhuyet” is to be extremely surprised, like when you see your friend Vasya puking in the gutter. He would then report to be feeling “khuyovo.” Also worth remembering are “Ni khuya sebe!” — “No fucking way!” and the derivative “khuinya” — bollocks, bullshit.

3. Pizda - literally, “cunt.” If you’re tired of sending people to the penis, you can send them “v pizdu” for the sake of variety. Derivatives abound from this particularly crude item: your new mobile you might describe as “pizdaty,” or if you doubt the truth of a statement, you could say “Chyo ty pizdish?” — “Why are you talking through your…?” Well, you know what. Perhaps the most useful incarnation of this word is “pizdets,” meaning a “total fuck up.” The phrase “Eto prosto pizdets!” expresses the sublime degree of misery, a predicament where things can get no worse. Anyone been to Kaluga? Perversely enough, a cheery “pizdets!’ could mean just, “wow!”

4. Mudak - literally, “testicle.” This word is never used in its original meaning, but has come into common currency to mean an “asshole” or “dickhead,” i.e. a man you find disagreeable. This word is at the softcore end of the mat spectrum, but a phrase like “on polny mudak,” is still a dire condemnation of anyone it is used to denote. When a shapka-wearing Volga driver cuts you off on the Garden Ring, “mudak!” is what you shout out of your window at him. A younger “mudak” could be tenderly referred to as a “mudachok,” while an adult male could also be termed a “mudilo” — a particularly unpleasant subspecies of the “mudak.”

5. Yebat - literally, “to fuck.” This verb has all the primary meanings you’d expect it to have, with a couple of juicy extras unknown to English. “Zaebat” means to exhaust, to make sick of. “On menya zaebal!” means “I’m sick to fucking death of him.” For the virtuoso mat-user, “vyebyvatsya” means to show off in some crass or reprehensible way, and for me always conjures up the image of elitny hairdresser Sergey Zveryev. To fuck someone up is “otyebat,” and the reflexive form “otyebis!” means “get the fuck away from me!” Also, “zayebis!” is a nice mat variant of “khorosho” or “kruto.” For example, “Vsyo zayebis!” — “Everything’s fucking great!”

6. Srat - literally, “to shit.” This word has spawned a mass of colorful derivatives. An enduring favorite is “zasranets” - a pest, often used affectionately. “Obosratsya” literally means to shit oneself, but is most often employed to mean “to fuck up” i.e. “to make an embarassing mistake.” To criticize something savagely is “obsirat” - to shit all over it. “Chto ty nashu stranu obsirayesh?” is a phrase heard by any foreigner who has ever tried to argue with a Russian nationalist. The verb “prosrat” is an obscene version of “to lose.” “Opyat nashi prosrali” is what people say after seeing the Russian football team play.

7. A combination of the above. The ur-text of Russian mat is, needless to say, the lyrics of Leningrad. The song “Den Rozhdeniya” from the album “Dachniki” culminates in the impressive riff, “Vse zayebalo! Pizdets na khui blyad!” roughly translatable as “Fuck it all! Fucking load of bullshit!” In the song, this phrase is the mournful outburst of a man so weary of life that he doesn’t even want to celebrate his birthday. Other permutations like “Idi v pizdu, blya, mudak” are also possible. Warning: if English swearing is like beer, Russian mat is like Vodka - it’s effect is stronger and foreigners should be wary when using it. Take your lead from your interlocutor: if they use mat, then you can too.


Источник: Seven Russian Swear Words

Mar. 27, 2010 // 01:06 | Комментарии (0)

---