A Laugh for you Russian Language experts.

[I/O]

I made a (yet another) dumb statement at home a few days ago in the context of suggesting we update my wife's notebook, an aging Compaq, which I mistakenly thought would last her for a few months before I had to pony up for a new one. She vows and declares it is just fine for her purposes, but frankly IMO it is not. I hate slow technology and it galls me every time I watch her using it with one of the heavier programs.

I outlined a budget and she was horrified at the expense. Maybe we don't need "New" was the response. OK, another test of patience, (I make these sorts of decisions relatively quickly and move on usually) thinking how I will cut through this one, I suggested she "Think about E-bay", I received quite a funny look and no further response until today when she explained to me what she thought I meant.

Can any of the old timers or the more fluent than me in Russian pick up the funny in this one? I guess my rudimentary Russian has been found out.

I/O

[Daveman]

 

I'm certainly no Russian language expert and probably completely incorrect even now... but the first word that jumped into my mind reading your post there... and the context which you just gave it just about brought tears to the eyes from laughing so hard...

the similar verb... I can just see her pondering your "good idea but how will it buy a computer?".. LOL

[Lily]

Was it about how does the prononced word 'E-bay' sound to a Russian ear, or?

[I/O]

Was it about how does the prononced word 'E-bay' sound to a Russian ear, or?

Yep...!!!!

I/O

[Lily]

 
The great Western resource as Ebay can really produce a Homeric laugh at a Russian because its phonetics is identical to one of the Russian taboo words.

There are a funny adjective 'ebaynyi' made from the word Ebay, that means, something related to E-bay. Often it is used for 'ebaynyi business', the business made through E-bay. 

From this word, a number of other expressive Russian adjectives using different Russian prefixes were subsequently made, like

- 's'ebaynyi business', when someone has done something bad and left the scene to avoid responsibility,

- 'zaebaynyi business', the very good business,

- 'ob'ebaynyi business', a dishonest business,

etc..can't remember any more but there are certainly a few more 

[I/O]

Lily: Super piece of avoidence, with all the class and dignity we've come to expect from you.

I/O

[Serebro]

yeah,
- 2 tickets to Dublin
-Kuda blin?!


is yahoo  better?!
think also about Russian children who hear the questions starting with "Who?"or reading "important"or "blue water"

[Zmejka]

think also about Russian children who hear the questions starting with "Who?"

And about dutch "goedemorgen" - good morning - and other parts of the day, sounds like "hue-morhen", and the first part is already familiar to russian-speakers, but in another meaning.

[SANDRO43]

Why don't you ladies compile a list of "dangerous" English words that a WM had better not use in certain situations, lest these become totally unmanageable ?

[Shadow]

And about dutch "goedemorgen" - good morning - and other parts of the day, sounds like "hue-morhen", and the first part is already familiar to russian-speakers, but in another meaning.

Learned that one quickly, after one of the first Dutch lessons of Mila. 
But the fofmer Dutch Prime Minister Kok never understood why people laughed at his name. 

[2tallbill]

I can't be the only one completely in the dark here.

[Shadow]

I can't be the only one completely in the dark here.

If RW do not tell the reference, expect it to be one that point to certain genitals. 

[I/O]

I can't be the only one completely in the dark here.

Bill: I suspect you are not the only one and that is exactly why I threw the original post in. Basically as I understand it and as my wife explains it to me, Ebay to the Russian ear sounds something like phuc.

Now can you see the irony of my suggesting my wife think about Ebay..aka..phuc when considering another notebook? Pleasant thought maybe, but as Dave saw it and I did too latterly, it was not gunna fix the new notebook problem.

If one really wants to stretch it out, one could construe I was suggesting to my wife that she use Ebay..phuc....to raise some funds in order to purchase another notebook.........can you see where this can go............?

And..........yet there remains idiots who say speaking the same language is not important.

A great suggestion came forth up thread, for the ladies or others who are fluently bi-lingual to post a few common ones to help clue a few poeple in. Makes a whole helluva lot of sense to me. I think something like that could/should be a stand alone thread.

I/O

[Daveman]

Bill: I suspect you are not the only one and that is exactly why I threw the original post in. Basically as I understand it and as my wife explains it to me, Ebay to the Russian ear sounds something like phuc.

ah HA!! I did have it right!!!  except wasn't sure because of the "ye" pronunciation rather than "E" but recognized eba** immediately... sheesh.. I guess my mind is just 'ebayed'

Damn, first Russian quiz I ever passed... 

[SANDRO43]

A great suggestion came forth up thread, for the ladies or others who are fluently bi-lingual to post a few common ones to help clue a few poeple in. Makes a whole helluva lot of sense to me. I think something like that could/should be a stand alone thread.

OK, I've opened a new page in the RWDpedia, Anglussian Dangers (http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/mwiki/index.php?title=Anglussian_Dangers). Feel free to contribute (preferably in alphabetical sequence). It would be nice if contributions also included the Cyrillic homophone (similarly-sounding word) .

Right now, it contains only one entry (Ebay) .

[BC]

Had problems asking for sugar once.. was talking to a German friend on my mobile at a cafe and didn't switch languages fast enough.

[I/O]

Sandro: This is supposedly your field of expertise. Given it fits in witht he "Will" of the management, I see it of value. Nevertheless, you might have to drive it pretty hard as I doubt many will be motivated before receiving a slap in the face from a RW they have just told to Ebay something..................or that they can make money from Ebay.........

I/O

[2tallbill]

While in Odessa I once mistakenly confused pushka (cannon) with babushka (Grandmother)

I can imagine that a Mother in law could be offended being called a cannon. I later that day crossed the Mother in Law bridge. It is a bridge in Odessa that is jokingly refered to as the Mother in law bridge because it is the bridge to throw your Mother in Law from.

[Phil dAmore]

I added a couple but I think I screwed up the formatting... простите мне

[SANDRO43]

I added a couple but I think I screwed up the formatting... простите мне

Never mind Phil, I can always clean it up afterwards. BTW, you added a new category .

[Jazzyclassy]

I remember when we were learning those irregular verbs at school and each time at the English lesson had to tell all those 3 forms of the verbs everyone always laughed at Throw Threw Thrown    I still laugh at it sometimes especially when someone pronounces it as Srow, Sruw ,Srown hahahahaha

[Daveman]

I remember when we were learning those irregular verbs at school and each time at the English lesson had to tell all those 3 forms of the verbs everyone always laughed at Throw Threw Thrown    I still laugh at it sometimes especially when someone pronounces it as Srow, Sruw ,Srown hahahahaha

Heh, yeah, but that Russian accent is just... well... nevermind.... I love that use of Z.. "I like ZEES one", "EET EEZ fotagrafya yowa Muzza?"  heh... yep, that's the reason.. I thought it was to find a truly wonderful woman.. but now I realize, it's all about the accent... ahhhhhhhhh

[2tallbill]

Heh, yeah, but that Russian accent is just... well... nevermind.... I love that use of Z.. "I like ZEES one", "EET EEZ fotagrafya yowa Muzza?"  heh... yep, that's the reason.. I thought it was to find a truly wonderful woman.. but now I realize, it's all about the accent... ahhhhhhhhh

 
Yes and my name is Beeeeeel , I am going to keeeeeel you. drasnit! (joke/ tease)

[Daveman]

Yes and my name is Beeeeeel , I am going to keeeeeel you. drasnit! (joke/ tease)

 


Moderators! I wish to report this post as inflammatory because Bill clearly wrote a message in a foreign accent without providing us with proper translation into English, Australian, Southern Drawl, or New York accents!   

[BillyB]

Need translation please! What does it mean when a RW says "I vant you."?