Posted on March 28th, 2011

Hi and welcome to the Russian Slang and Idioms Lesson 33! Have fun! Here is the video:

Ваньку валять [VAN’-koo va-LYAT’]
Ванькa is a boy’s name, it comes from Ivan – Vanya. Ваньку валять means to be lazy, or to be slacking off.
Example:
Перестань ваньку валять, пойди и найди себе работу.
[pye-ris-TAN’ VAN’-koo va-LYAT’, pay-DI i nay-DI si-BYE ra-BO-too]
Stop slacking off, go and find yourself a job.

Бабушкины сказки [BA-boosh-ki-nee SKAS-ki]
Бабушкины сказки can be translated as Grandma’s fairy tales. To tell бабушкины сказки means to tell something that isn’t true, or in other words to tell fairy tales.
Example:
Не рассказывай бабушкины сказки!
[ni ras-KA-zee-vay BA-boosh-ki-nee SKAS-ki]
Don’t tell me fairy tales!

Как ни в чем не бывало [kak ni f CHYOM NI bee-VA-la]
Как ни в чем не бывало  means to behave as if nothing happened.
Example:
Вчера они поссорились, а сегодня опять играют, как ни в чем не бывало.
[fchi-RA a-NI pas-SO-ri-lis’ a si-VOD-nya a-PYAT’ ig-RA-yoot kak ni f CHYOM NI bee-VA-la]
They had an argument yesterday, but today they are playing again as if nothing happened.

Test:
1.    Please translate into English: ты рассказываешь мне бабушкины сказки.
2.    What Russian idiom mentions a boy’s name?
3.    Please translate into Russian: They are behaving as if nothing happened.

See you soon!

Viktoria.

Related Posts:

• 20 Words & Expressions from the Conversational Russian Video Course
• The Story behind the Conversational Russian Video Course
• Days of the Week in Russian Video Lesson
• Learn Romantic Phrases in Russian
• How Valentine’s Day is Celebrated in Russia

Comments

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