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Ехать зайцем (Yekhat' zaytsem)

Meaning: To ride a train or bus without paying.

Language: Russian

Literally: To ride as a hare

Category: Animals

Origin: Russian slang of the 1880s — the fare-dodger trembles like a hare at the sight of every ticket inspector.

More idioms — Animals

  • Кот наплакал (Kot naplakal) — A laughably tiny amount.
  • De hond in de pot vinden — To arrive too late — the food, or the opportunity, is gone.
  • Ana ugglor i mossen — To sense that something fishy is going on.
  • 马马虎虎 (Mǎmǎhūhū) — So-so; careless and only just passable.
  • 拍马屁 (pāi mǎpì) — To flatter or suck up to someone.
  • At have rotter på loftet — To be a little crazy.

More Russian idioms

  • После дождичка в четверг (Posle dozhdichka v chetverg) — Never — or certainly no time soon.
  • Зарубить на носу (Zarubit' na nosu) — To remember something firmly, once and for all.
  • Водить за нос (Vodit' za nos) — To deceive or string someone along.
  • Бить баклуши (Bit' baklushi) — To loaf about doing nothing.
  • Остаться с носом (Ostat'sya s nosom) — To be left empty-handed or outwitted.
  • Как сельдь в бочке (Kak sel'd' v bochke) — Packed together very tightly.

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