https://www.proz.com/kudoz/russian-to-english/art-literary/600107-eti-sorvavshiyesya-s-petli-katorzhniki.html

eti sorvavshiyesya s petli katorzhniki

English translation: these convicts who have barely escaped execution by hanging

21:26 Dec 22, 2003
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
Russian term or phrase: eti sorvavshiyesya s petli katorzhniki
1930 literature set in Siberia. Offensive reference to a group of criminals. Even just the general sense of what it means would help!
Also, if anyone has a moment please could they advise how I can post in cyrillic. Thanks!
Emily Justice
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:45
English translation:these convicts who have barely escaped execution by hanging
Explanation:
That's the general sense. Sorry, cannot do a good research now.

For cyrillic, you need to add the "Russian" locale and the "Russian" keyboard layout using the Control Panels (provided you are Running Windows). Step by step instructions will differ depending on you OS version.

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Note added at 2 hrs 25 mins (2003-12-22 23:52:32 GMT)
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On a second thought, it may be better to say \"...having barely cheated the gallows\" as in:

\" That little limb of the devil has cheated the
gallows. --Sir W.
Scott.\"



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Note added at 3 hrs 46 mins (2003-12-23 01:13:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"mistake ... for\" of course
Selected response from:

Alexander Demyanov
Local time: 10:45
Grading comment
Perfect. Thanks again.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4these convicts who have barely escaped execution by hanging
Alexander Demyanov
4 +3These cut-throat convicts/ These hardened criminals
Oleg Pashuk (X)
5these unhinged convicts; these hog-wild convicts; these convicts who flew off the handle
Vera Fluhr (X)
4those gallows-birds
Сергей Лузан


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
these unhinged convicts; these hog-wild convicts; these convicts who flew off the handle


Explanation:
"sorvavshiyesya s petli/petel/kryuka/tsepi" is a gerund of the verb "sorvat'sya s petli/petel/kryuka/tsepi".

It is an idiom which means : to become unhinged, to blow one's top, to fly off the handle, to go out one's mind, get mad, get one's shirt out, lose one's temper, lose one's equilibrium, etc


References:

Лингвариум: идиомы на пяти языках
Russian: Выйти из себя
English: To fly off the handle.
French: Sortir de ses gonds.
Spanish: Perder los estribos.
German: Aus der Haut fahren
http://there.by.ru/idioma_v.html

NOTES & REFERENCES
... I have further to draw attention that ‘sortir de ses gonds’ (literally, ‘to
part from its hinges’) means, in familiar language, ‘to become unhinged' or 'to go out one's mind'.
http://www.holbeinartworks.org/cfivenotesandreferences.htm

Sortir de ses gonds
Выйти из себя
(Сорваться с петель)
http://subscribe.ru/archive/job.lang.francparle/200008/20082...

Sortir de ses gonds
to blow one's top, to get pissed off
http://www.geocities.com/philipsfo/hostie/glossaire/jk.html

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Note added at 2003-12-22 23:51:44 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Multitran dictionary (http://www.multitran.ru):
his mind is unhinged == он помешался


REMARK:

Sometimes \"sorvavshiyesya s petli\" means \"those who were too heavy to be hanged\", \"those who could not be hanged because the rope broke\", but this meaning is not offensive at all - contrarily, there exists a popular belief that such kind of people are bllessed by God.

So, I do not think that this meaning is used here

Or maybe a kind of pun between two meanings is used



    there.by.ru/idioma_v.html
    Reference: http://www.holbeinartworks.org/cfivenotesandreferences.htm
Vera Fluhr (X)
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 913

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Vladimir Dubisskiy: Это юродивые blessed by God. А каторжников Бог никогда не благословлял (bless).
3 hrs
  -> О чем я и говорю. Сорвавшихся с петли миловали и считали, что их благословил бог. Так не могли прозвать каторжников, если хотели их назвать оскорбительно. Да, я считаю, что "с петли" здесь следует понимать как "с петель"
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
these convicts who have barely escaped execution by hanging


Explanation:
That's the general sense. Sorry, cannot do a good research now.

For cyrillic, you need to add the "Russian" locale and the "Russian" keyboard layout using the Control Panels (provided you are Running Windows). Step by step instructions will differ depending on you OS version.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 25 mins (2003-12-22 23:52:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On a second thought, it may be better to say \"...having barely cheated the gallows\" as in:

\" That little limb of the devil has cheated the
gallows. --Sir W.
Scott.\"



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 46 mins (2003-12-23 01:13:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"mistake ... for\" of course

Alexander Demyanov
Local time: 10:45
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 1972
Grading comment
Perfect. Thanks again.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Will Matter: kharasho.
1 hr

agree  Eugene V
1 hr

neutral  Vera Fluhr (X): this meaning exists but it is not offensive. Contrarily, there exists a popular belief that the people who escaped hanging due to the broken rope are blessed by the God. I think that another, idiomatic meaning of this expression is used here. See below
2 hrs
  -> Well, it depends on how you read the original. IMHO no native Russian speaker will mistake "сорвавшийся с петли" with "сорвавшийся с петель". But then again, that's me.

neutral  manana: Do not carry any flavor at all.
3 hrs
  -> Ok, I won't

agree  Oxana Shahtarina
9 hrs

agree  Sergei Tumanov
10 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
These cut-throat convicts/ These hardened criminals


Explanation:
- means: real dangerous prisoners

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Note added at 2003-12-23 14:51:12 (GMT)
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Or:
These death row cut-throats

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Note added at 2003-12-23 14:53:17 (GMT)
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These death row criminals

Oleg Pashuk (X)
PRO pts in pair: 619

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Demyanov: yes, this is the connotation
11 mins
  -> thank you

agree  Vladimir Dubisskiy
1 hr
  -> thank you

agree  Sergey Strakhov
6 hrs
  -> thank you
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
those gallows-birds


Explanation:
it conveys the idea I presume. More literal "those gallows-birds, sentenced to/(deserving) penal servitude". Hope it helps. Good luck, russiaconnect!
Re.: Russian-English Dictionary over 160 000 words & expressions, 1997, ISBN 5-200-02419, Russian-English Dictionary, 34 000 words approx., Arakin, Soviet Encyclopedia Publ. House, Moscow, 1970

Сергей Лузан
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:45
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 1276
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