IdiomDaily Life
Russian
Russianсыграть в ящик (sygrat' v yashchik)
Meaning: To die.
Literally: To play in a box
Example: “Наш старый кот сыграл в ящик прошлой зимой.” — Our old cat kicked the bucket last winter.
English equivalent: To kick the bucket
Other ways to say this
Finnish: Heittää lusikka nurkkaan Literally: To throw the spoon in the corner
German: Den Löffel abgeben Literally: To hand over the spoon- German: über den Jordan gehen Literally: To go over the Jordan
- Russian: отбросить копыта (otbrosit' kopyta) Literally: To throw off hooves
English: kick the bucket
French: Passer l'arme à gauche Literally: To pass the weapon to the left
Origin: The ящик (box) is the coffin, and "playing into the box" is a joking euphemism for dying. Fedorov's phrase dictionary quotes Ilf and Petrov's The Twelve Chairs (1928), where the undertaker Bezenchuk lists the ways people describe death. Its first use is not documented.
More Russian idioms
- пускаться во все тяжкие (puskat'sya vo vse tyazhkiye) To abandon restraint and indulge recklessly in vices or wrongdoing without scruple.
- на коленке (na kolenke) Done hastily and without proper tools or technique; improvised or makeshift.
- козёл отпущения (kozjol otpushchenija) A person blamed or punished for the wrongs of others; a scapegoat.
- молоко на губах не обсохло (moloko na gubakh ne obsokhlo) a very young or inexperienced person; someone barely past infancy.
- Чья бы корова мычала, а твоя бы молчала (Ch'ya by korova mychala, a tvoya by molchala) You're in no position to criticize; you have the same fault, or a worse one.
- Игра не стоит свеч (Igra ne stoit svech) The effort or money spent won't be repaid by the result.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Без царя в голове (Bez tsarya v golove) Foolish and reckless — with no one in charge upstairs.
- Ты умница (ty umnitsa) You're bright, clever, and admirable — said warmly of someone who handles things well.
- У тебя золотые руки (u tebya zolotye ruki) You're extraordinarily skilled — able to make or fix anything with your hands.
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