IdiomNature
Russian
Russianза тридевять земель (za tridevyat' zemel')
Meaning: An extremely distant, remote place; somewhere impossibly far away.
Literally: Beyond three-times-nine lands
Example: “Их дача за тридевять земель, три часа на машине.” — Their cottage is in the middle of nowhere, three hours by car.
English equivalent: In the middle of nowhere
Equivalents in other languages
Portuguese: Onde Judas perdeu as botas Literally: Where Judas lost his boots
Italian: a casa del diavolo Literally: At the house of the devil
French: Au diable vauvert Literally: At the devil's Vauvert
English: in the middle of nowhere
Origin: The phrase uses the Russian fairy-tale formula за тридевять земель (beyond thrice-nine lands) to evoke the boundless distance of magical realms in folk narratives.
More Russian idioms
- проверять на вшивость (proveryat' na shivost') To scrutinize or investigate someone closely to uncover hidden faults or problems; to vet…
- в долгах как в шелках (v dolgakh kak v shelkakh) To be deeply and hopelessly in debt.
- положа руку на сердце (polozhá ruku na sérdtse) Speaking with complete sincerity and honesty.
- до свадьбы заживёт (do svad'by zazhivyot) A minor injury or problem will resolve itself naturally and quickly.
- давать на чай (davat' na chay) To give a tip or small payment to a service worker.
- наступить дважды на одни и те же грабли (nastupitʹ dvazhdy na odni i te zhe grabli) To repeat the same mistake or fall into the same trap a second time.
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