Russianна честном слове и на одном крыле (na chestnom slove i na odnom kryle)
Meaning: Succeeding or surviving by the barest margin, through luck or desperation rather than solid means.
Literally: On honest word and on one wing
Example: “Машина доехала до дома на честном слове и на одном крыле.” — The car made it home on a wing and a prayer.
English equivalent: On a wing and a prayer
Equivalents in other languages
English: on a wing and a prayer
Origin: From the American Second World War song "Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer" (1943, music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Harold Adamson), about a damaged bomber limping home. Sung in Russian from 1945 as Бомбардировщики (Bombers), it turned the prayer into a "word of honor" and extended the older Russian держаться на честном слове (to hold together on one's word of honor) for anything barely surviving.
More Russian idioms
- развесистая клюква (razvestistaya klyukva) Ignorant stereotypes and tall tales about Russia, especially those peddled by foreigners.
- сыграть в ящик (sygrat' v yashchik) To die.
- нашего полку прибыло (nashego polku pribylo) Another person has joined a group or shared predicament; a welcome to the club.
- на славу (na slavu) Excellently; very well; in a first-rate manner.
- на коленке (na kolenke) Done hastily and without proper tools or technique; improvised or makeshift.
- сарафанное радио (sarafannoe radio) The informal spread of gossip or news from person to person, especially by word of mouth.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…
- Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.) A rolling 'r/k' drill where Greka, reku and rak keep trading the same two consonants.
- От топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.) A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
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