наступить дважды на одни и те же грабли (nastupitʹ dvazhdy na odni i te zhe grabli)
Meaning: To repeat the same mistake or fall into the same trap a second time.
Language: Russian
Literally: to step twice on the same rake
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The image of stepping on a rake—which flips up and hits you—is vivid slapstick; doing it twice emphasizes foolish repetition of one's own error.
More idioms — Daily Life
- 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.
- под башмаком (pod bashmakóm) — Dominated or controlled by one's wife; henpecked.
- отложить в долгий ящик (otlozhit' v dolgiy yashchik) — To postpone or shelve something indefinitely, leaving it forgotten.
- на все четыре стороны (na vse chetyre storony) — In any direction one wishes; to go wherever one pleases.
- лежачий полицейский (lezhachiy politseyskiy) — A speed bump or traffic calming device.
More Russian idioms
- ежовые рукавицы (ezhovye rukavitsy) — Harsh, strict, or iron-fisted rule or discipline.
- в ус не дуть (v us ne dut') — To show complete indifference or not to care at all.
- ездить в Тулу со своим самоваром (ezdit' v Tulu so svoim samovarom) — To do something entirely pointless or unnecessary, bringing what is already abundant in t…
- 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.
- один с сошкой, а семеро с ложкой (odin s soshkoy, a semero s lozhkoy) — many people live off the labor of one worker.
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