| English | Russian |
| a broken friendship may be soldered, but will never be sound | замиренный друг ненадёжен (дословно: Треснувшую дружбу можно склеить (букв. спаять), но она никогда уже не будет прочной) |
| a fat lot of good that will do | держи карман |
| a fat lot of good that will do | держи карман шире |
| a fat lot will he do it | держи карман шире |
| A pig will always find mud | было б болото, а черти найдутся |
| an unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup | на бедного макара всё шишки валятся (дословно: Неудачника можно утопить и в чашке) |
| drowning man will catch at a straw | кто тонет – нож подай, и за нож ухватится |
| even a worm will turn | раненный насмерть и на льва бросается (также: загнанная в угол крыса бросается на льва; Even the humblest will strike back if harassed or imposed upon too far. (The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs) mikhailS) |
| give someone an inch and he will take a yard | дай ему палец, он всю руку потребует |
| he that dwells next door to a cripple will learn to halt | с кем живёшь, тем и слывёшь |
| he that dwells next door to a cripple will learn to halt | с кем хлеб-соль водишь, на того и походишь |
| he that dwells next door to a cripple, will learn to halt | с кем поведёшься, от того и наберёшься |
| he that will steal a pin will steal a better thing | коготок увяз – всей птичке пропасть (one reprehensible step leads to many more with no way of getting out of it at all) |
| he that will steal a pin, will steal a pound | кто украдёт иголку, украдёт и кошёлку |
| he that will steal a pin will steal a pound | кто украдет иголку, украдет и кошёлку (ср.: кто украдет яйцо, украдет и быка) |
| he'd make a lovely corpse | он хорошо смотрелся бы в гробу |
| here's a fine how d'ye do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день! |
| here's a fine how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| here's a nice how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| here's a pretty how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| horse that will not carry a saddle must have no oats | кто не работает, тот не ест не |
| I'd like to serve, but not to be a servant | служить бы рад, прислуживаться тошно (Грибоедов. Горе от ума Olga Okuneva) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы да кабы, да во рту росли грибы (used to mean: you indulge in wishful thinking, it can't be so) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы да кабы, да во рту росли бобы (used to mean: you indulge in wishful thinking, it can't be so) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы да кабы, да во рту росли грибы, то был бы не рот, а целый огород (used to mean: you indulge in wishful thinking, it can't be so) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы не мороз, то овёс бы до неба дорос |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | кабы бабушка не бабушка, так была б она дедушкой (дословно: Если бы моя тётка была мужчиной, она была бы моим дядей) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | кабы бабушка была не бабушкой, так была б она дедушкой |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | кабы сивому коню чёрную гриву, был бы буланый |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы да кабы, да во рту росли бобы, то был бы не рот, а целый огород (used to mean: you indulge in wishful thinking, it can't be so) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы, да кабы во рту росли бобы, был бы не рот, а целый огород (дословно: Если бы моя тётка была мужчиной, она была бы моим дядей) |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы моя тётка была мужчиной, она была бы моим дядей |
| if my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle | если бы да кабы, да во рту росли бобы – был бы не рот, а целый огород |
| if you pay not a servant his wages, he will pay himself | по заслугам и честь |
| in a puddle nice and big you will always find a happy pig | Свинья грязь найдёт |
| it would've been nice to be in paradise, but many a sin doesn't let me in! | рад бы в рай, да грехи не пускают |
| Life is easy? A pig in a poke will make you busy | не было у бабы забот, купила баба порося (Capital) |
| many words will not fill a bushel | из слов шубы не сошьёшь |
| mere words will not fill a bushel | из спасиба шубы не сошьёшь |
| Mere words will not fill a bushel | из спасиба шапки не сошьёшь |
| no one will take care of your children the way a mother would | мать жива и дети сыты |
| one black sheep will mar a whole flock | паршивая овца всё стадо портит |
| show a swine a trough and he'll bury his snout | было бы корыто, а свиньи будут |
| that's a fine how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| that's a nice how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| that's a pretty how-d'ye-do or how-de-do! | вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment) |
| used to mean: you'll never overcome that obstacle, it's too big for you you can't knock down a wall with a pea-shooter | лбом стену не прошибешь |
| used to mean: you'll never overcome that obstacle, it's too big for you you can't knock down a wall with a pea-shooter | лбом стенку не прошибешь |
| used to mean: you'll never overcome that obstacle, it's too big for you you can't knock down a wall with a pea-shooter | лбом стены не прошибешь |
| where the devil cannot come, he will send a woman. | где чёрт не сладит, туда бабу пошлет (Helene2008) |
