IdiomDaily Life
Russian
Russianлежачий полицейский (lezhachiy politseyskiy)
Meaning: A speed bump or traffic calming device.
Literally: Lying policeman
Example: “Перед школой положили лежачего полицейского.” — They put a speed bump in front of the school.
Origin: A calque, a word-for-word copy, of British English "sleeping policeman," the term for a speed bump that slows drivers as a policeman would. Russian made it a "lying policeman." It entered Russian in the later 20th century, when speed bumps spread there.
More Russian idioms
- надуться как мышь на крупу (nadut'sya kak mysh' na krupu) To become angry or offended; to sulk or huff indignantly.
- пудрить мозги (pudrit' mozgi) To mislead someone with false or nonsensical talk; to deceive or confuse deliberately.
- сила есть — ума не надо (sila yest — uma ne nado) a person who is physically strong but intellectually weak or stupid.
- в лес дрова возить (v les drova vozit') to do something pointless or redundant; to offer something to someone who already has ple…
- сражаться с ветряными мельницами (srazhat'sya s vetryanymi mel'nitsami) To struggle against imaginary or futile enemies; to waste effort on impossible causes.
- гнать в три шеи (gnat' v tri shei) To expel or drive someone away forcefully and without ceremony.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Beloruchka Someone who dodges dirty or hard work — a person whose hands stay conspicuously clean.
- Zapoi A bender running for days, in which a person drops out of ordinary life entirely.
- Toska A dull ache of the soul; a great longing with nothing in particular to long for.
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