The Russian language is great and powerful, there are many words and phrases in it, upon hearing which you want to take and give the speaker a Russian language textbook.
Make yourself comfortable, drink something calming, because the topic of our article – the top 10 most annoying words and expressions – can irritate you more than the sound of iron on glass.
The selection is based on the opinions of users of the most popular entertainment forums.
10. I heard you
What is this supposed to mean? That one of the interlocutors has no hearing problem? Or, rather, that he heard what was said to him and then immediately ignored it.
In fact, the Russian phrase "I heard you" is a tracing of the English "Got it!" ("Got it!"). In English, this expression means that the speaker listened to and understood the interlocutor, but will draw conclusions from what was said independently.
Russian is more emotional than English, so instead of the meaningless "I heard you" it is better to use another expression that will show your involvement in the dialogue. For example, "I completely agree with you" or "I understand you so well".
9. Muzhik/baba in the meaning of "man/woman"
In Rus', peasants were traditionally called muzhiks, but now this word can mean both a man (including a husband or lover) and a rude, unpleasant person to talk to. And baba is a woman in common parlance.
In the 18th century, the terms "muzhik" and "baba" even began to be used in property inventories and population censuses. This was shorter than using the terms "souls of the male sex" or "souls of the female sex."
After the 1917 revolution, it became fashionable to be proud of one's common, "peasant" origins. Peasants belonging to the working-class were contrasted with the "drones" of the bourgeoisie, and good career prospects opened up for them. It was from the beginning of the 20th century that idioms like "a real peasant" came into being.
But now it's not the beginning of the 20th century. And if you don't want to offend your interlocutor, it's better not to use these common names, they were long ago replaced by the words "man" and "woman". Or "mister" and "young lady", if you really want to "shake off the old days".
8. Cough up the question
When you use this expression, you get an unpleasant image of someone coughing right on you, right? And in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, it sounds like a mockery.
The roots of this expression go back to the wild 90s, when the semi-criminal environment of "new Russian" businessmen developed their own jargon, which migrated to RuNet for a short time. Fortunately, "coughing up the question" is becoming a thing of the past and is rarely used in conversation.
7. Little man
This word immediately shows a slightly dismissive attitude towards the interlocutor. After all, he is not even considered a full-sized person.
Sometimes a diminutive suffix (denyuzhka, yummy, little man) is used to emphasize one’s affectionate, good-natured attitude toward the object or subject under discussion.
If you are at home and surrounded by your closest people, then experimenting with the diminutive suffix is not forbidden. But at work and even in personal conversations with friends, it is better not to risk it. You never know how the little person will react to your tender address.
6. To yell means to laugh
The use of the word "орат" in the meaning of "laugh" arose even before the RuNet. In the 90s of the 20th century in Omsk, the expression "пойде поорем" was widespread, meaning "let's go and have a good time."
Of course, when laughing, you can scream loudly from an excess of emotions, but for most interlocutors, the word “yell” is associated with fear, pain or another unpleasant sensation, but not with fun at all.
5. Extreme in the meaning of "last"
This is one of the most annoying words in the Russian language if used inappropriately. At first, it was used by people whose professions were associated with a high risk to health - pilots, climbers, etc. For them, the last time could really be the last.
But if you are an office worker, or a representative of another completely safe profession, then what should you be afraid of “the last time”?
Some philologists also explain the superstitious fear of the word “last” in everyday life by the fact that this adjective has a negative connotation with the meaning of “the worst in a row.”
But all experts in the Russian language agree that replacing the word “last” with the word “extreme” is a gross mistake that a well-mannered person should not make.
4. Very beautiful
This annoying phrase is an example of the incorrect use of the superlative adjective. Saying "very beautiful" is like saying "butter butter".
3. Onion in the meaning of "image"
The word "look", which came into the Russian language from English, immediately brings to mind a person who has put on a giant onion instead of clothes. Or who has picked up a bow and is now playing Robin Hood for some reason.
If your conversation is not limited to a couple of seconds, during which you need to blurt out “you have a fashionable look”, then don’t be lazy in using words that are more familiar to the Russian ear – “outfit”, “image”.
2. Tasty in the meaning of "good, interesting"
Delicious music, delicious cinema, and even a delicious book are unlikely to become an appetizing snack on your table.
However, using the word "delicious" in relation to non-food objects is not a linguistic error, it all depends solely on perception. Many people are angered by such an expression, but sensory people even like it. After all, they, who love to touch, feel and taste, compare everything with their bodily experience.
1. Luxury
I wonder, dear readers, what comes to mind first when you hear the word "luxury"? For some reason, I imagine a house with an abundance of gaudy stucco, a golden toilet, or the latest iPhone on credit.
Literally translated from English, Luxury is wealth, opulence and splendor. But in Russia, luxury is not just wealth, but something put on display. This word irritates with its foreignness, and is often used in colloquial speech completely out of place, just to brag to the interlocutor.
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