давать на чай (davat' na chay)
Meaning: To give a tip or small payment to a service worker.
Language: Russian
Literally: to give for tea
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: Historically, small gratuities given to servants were euphemistically described as money 'for tea,' allowing the giver to frame the gift as innocent refreshment rather than as payment for service.
More idioms — Food & Drink
- сушить сухари (sushit' sukhari) — To prepare oneself mentally and materially for imprisonment or arrest.
- чепуха на постном масле (chepukha na postnom masle) — Complete and utter nonsense or rubbish.
- горе луковое (gore lukovoye) — A person who is accident-prone, hapless, or bumbling; one who causes trouble by their own…
- развесистая клюква (razvestistaya klyukva) — Ignorant stereotypes and tall tales about Russia, especially those peddled by foreigners.
- молоко на губах не обсохло (moloko na gubakh ne obsokhlo) — a very young or inexperienced person; someone barely past infancy.
- C'est pas tes oignons — That's none of your business.
More Russian idioms
- наступить дважды на одни и те же грабли (nastupitʹ dvazhdy na odni i te zhe grabli) — To repeat the same mistake or fall into the same trap a second time.
- ежовые рукавицы (ezhovye rukavitsy) — Harsh, strict, or iron-fisted rule or discipline.
- козырная карта (kozyrnaya karta) — A decisive advantage or secret resource held in reserve.
- оставаться в дураках (ostavat'sya v durakakh) — To be tricked or made a fool of; to lose or come out the worse in a situation.
- в ус не дуть (v us ne dut') — To show complete indifference or not to care at all.
- под башмаком (pod bashmakóm) — Dominated or controlled by one's wife; henpecked.
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