пудрить мозги (pudrit' mozgi)

Meaning: To mislead someone with false or nonsensical talk; to deceive or confuse deliberately.

Language: Russian

Literally: to powder the brains

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The phrase pictures scattering powder or dust in someone's brain to cloud their thinking and prevent clear understanding.

More idioms — Body & Senses

сила есть — ума не надо (sila yest — uma ne nado) — a person who is physically strong but intellectually weak or stupid.
гнать в три шеи (gnat' v tri shei) — To expel or drive someone away forcefully and without ceremony.
язык проглотил (yazyk proglotil) — To be unable or unwilling to speak; to remain silent when words are called for.
до посинения (do posineniya) — To do something with extreme effort or persistence, usually futilely.
на коленке (na kolenke) — Done hastily and without proper tools or technique; improvised or makeshift.
Tomber dans les pommes — Suddenly losing consciousness — possibly derived from the older expression 'être dans les…

один с сошкой, а семеро с ложкой (odin s soshkoy, a semero s lozhkoy) — many people live off the labor of one worker.
зарывать свой талант в землю (zaryvat' svoy talant v zemlyu) — to waste or hide one's natural gifts instead of using them.
своя рубашка ближе к телу (svoya rubashka blizhe k telu) — self-interest comes before charity; one should prioritize one's own welfare and family.
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.
ходить вокруг да около (khodit' vokrug da okolo) — To avoid speaking plainly; to approach a subject indirectly or evasively.

Loading the full interactive collection…