Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
а ты ни хрена не чешешься
English translation:
you don't care a fig; you aren't doing jack/anything
Added to glossary by
Henry Schroeder
Jan 4, 2006 22:01
18 yrs ago
Russian term
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
а ты ни хрена не чешешься
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This falls in the context of a command given at an Air Force base. The colonel screams the following into the phone:
Пора заклеивать фрамуги! Ты меня слышишь, Киселев? Пора задраивать фрамуги, а ты ни хрена не чешешься!
Horseradish, scratching and I'm lost. What in the world is the colonel trying to say here? Thanks in advance!
Пора заклеивать фрамуги! Ты меня слышишь, Киселев? Пора задраивать фрамуги, а ты ни хрена не чешешься!
Horseradish, scratching and I'm lost. What in the world is the colonel trying to say here? Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
4 mins
Yuri Smirnov
Native in Russian
Works in field
Daily Translation since 1992
Native in: Belarusian 
, Russian
Works in: English to Belarusian, English to Russian, French to Russian, and 10 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
Selected
you don't care a fig
-
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Note added at 5 mins (2006-01-04 22:07:20 GMT)
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ни хрена - not at all
чесаться (in this context) - to be working hard.
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Note added at 7 mins (2006-01-04 22:08:44 GMT)
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He means, "You are not doing a thing! (when you're supposed to do a lot)"
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Note added at 5 mins (2006-01-04 22:07:20 GMT)
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ни хрена - not at all
чесаться (in this context) - to be working hard.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2006-01-04 22:08:44 GMT)
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He means, "You are not doing a thing! (when you're supposed to do a lot)"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vitali Stanisheuski
: точнее, "не чесаться" - устойчивое, неделимое, т.е. как Вы сказали don't care a fig, don't react, don't exercise initiative. Ни хрена - not at all
4 mins
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Спасибо
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| agree |
Blithe
: я бы даже сказала "you are not doing a freaking thing!"
58 mins
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Спасибо
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| agree |
Sergei Tumanov
: ни хрена это также эвфемизм другого выражения, ни х...я.
2 hrs
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Спасибо
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| agree |
Larissa Dinsley
5 hrs
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Спасибо
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| agree |
David Knowles
9 hrs
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Спасибо
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| disagree |
spanruss
: This expression is either chiefly British or completely obsolete.
17 hrs
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Thank you for instructing me. I'll know that. But, to be frank, yes, I preferred to use something stale to avoid modern loose language. In fact, the original is far from being too outspokenly loose.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to everyone for the myriad good ideas and clarification!"
+1
14 mins
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
you aren't doing jack
means the same thing - you aren't doing anything (about this issue)
1 hr
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
and you're just sitting around scratching your b*lls!
Hope that doesn't offend.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Sergei Tumanov
: скорее: Kiselev do not even bother to scratch that thing on what he usually sits!
1 hr
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| agree |
Larissa Dinsley
: well, the idea is the same
4 hrs
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| disagree |
Yuri Smirnov
: Not quite, not quite. I mean, it's not in the text.
9 hrs
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With regard to Russian, a wise mentor once told me "translate ideas, not words", meaning a more free, idea-based translation often captures the feel of a passage more than literal translation.
|
2 hrs
Sergei Tumanov
Native in Russian
In shipping since 1976 = interpreting!
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Spanish to Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
below
my try:
"it's high time to seal up transoms and you don't give a rat's ass about it."
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Note added at 2 hrs 31 mins (2006-01-05 00:33:07 GMT)
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they need to seal up transoms (or windows) by paper strips to protect barracks (or more likely the headquarters) from winter drafts. And this Kiselev, who is in charge, does nothing about it.
"it's high time to seal up transoms and you don't give a rat's ass about it."
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Note added at 2 hrs 31 mins (2006-01-05 00:33:07 GMT)
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they need to seal up transoms (or windows) by paper strips to protect barracks (or more likely the headquarters) from winter drafts. And this Kiselev, who is in charge, does nothing about it.
+6
20 mins
Alexander Demyanov
Native in Russian
Works in field
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
but you are not doing sh.t
or:
but are not moving your a..
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Note added at 20 mins (2006-01-04 22:22:23 GMT)
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the "or" option is missing a "you", of course
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Note added at 3 hrs 54 mins (2006-01-05 01:55:48 GMT)
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If you wish to preserve the idea of food-related substitutes,
you may opt for:
...so/and why the fudge don't you [do anything]?
but are not moving your a..
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Note added at 20 mins (2006-01-04 22:22:23 GMT)
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the "or" option is missing a "you", of course
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Note added at 3 hrs 54 mins (2006-01-05 01:55:48 GMT)
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If you wish to preserve the idea of food-related substitutes,
you may opt for:
...so/and why the fudge don't you [do anything]?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Emil Tubinshlak
31 mins
|
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Thank you, Emil.
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| agree |
Alexandra McCarthy
: ass? It's not THAT bad :)))
3 hrs
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Thank you, Olga. BTW, I personally don't regard it as bad at all.
|
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| agree |
Larissa Dinsley
: I think the a* one would be good in this context.
5 hrs
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Thank you, Larissa.
|
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| agree |
Tsogt Gombosuren
6 hrs
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Thank you, Tsogt.
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| agree |
Vladimir Dubisskiy
: only with 'but are not moving your ass' - let's say the word :-))
8 hrs
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Thank you, Vladimir. Yes, let's say it clear and loud.
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| agree |
spanruss
: More often heard is "you aint doing sh*t"
17 hrs
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Thank you. That's certainly an option.
|
7 hrs
Andrew Vdovin
Native in Russian
Works in field
DELVING into DETAIL
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Russian term (edited):
� � �� ����� �� ����
And you’re just sitting here with your thumb up your butt!
And you’re just sitting here on your ass!
Но наиболее естественно преподнести это в форме императива:
Get your thumb/finger out of your butt and start working!
Sitting with your thumb up your butt is a plan? Wow. Shocked. Quote. sure we were tougher last year but we haven't given up our title yet. ...
chat.mapleleafs.com/ index.php?PHPSESSID=fe024c9d3e04bbc226efc93098d72810&topic=5683.msg73152
We are NOT going to constantly come up for ways to involve you and your PC, after a few times of trying and you sitting with your thumb up your butt, ...
www.angelfire.com/games5/mvg/Join.html
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Note added at 7 hrs 42 mins (2006-01-05 05:44:13 GMT)
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ИЛИ:
Stop sitting around, scratch your ass!
Но наиболее естественно преподнести это в форме императива:
Get your thumb/finger out of your butt and start working!
Sitting with your thumb up your butt is a plan? Wow. Shocked. Quote. sure we were tougher last year but we haven't given up our title yet. ...
chat.mapleleafs.com/ index.php?PHPSESSID=fe024c9d3e04bbc226efc93098d72810&topic=5683.msg73152
We are NOT going to constantly come up for ways to involve you and your PC, after a few times of trying and you sitting with your thumb up your butt, ...
www.angelfire.com/games5/mvg/Join.html
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs 42 mins (2006-01-05 05:44:13 GMT)
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ИЛИ:
Stop sitting around, scratch your ass!
Discussion