Death

[lovimoment.livejournal.com]

What are some Russian euphemisms for death? In English, if we want to be polite, we can say "pass on" or "pass away," or "gone to a better place."

We also have negative/joking ones, like "kick the bucket," "buy the farm," "pushing up daisies."

How, besides using умереть or погибнуть, can you say "die" in Russian?

Comments

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

very amusing

[mooze.livejournal.com]

that's the classic one, everyone studying Russian need to read it. lots of history of the 1920th there too. you'd be amazed that capitalism was thriving in the heart of the Soviet Republic

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

oh really?

[mooze.livejournal.com]

definitely. there's a sequel to it, called "The Golden Calf" (Золотой теленок). I can try to find a link to it, in Russian though

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

lol I own the book already
brought it with me when I left the "old coutry"
I agree that it's great
but I think a lot of humor in it is cultural and foreigners (even the ones who learn russian) wont quite understand it

t.

[mooze.livejournal.com]

one can't get much info on you having the book or not just by looking at your userpic:)))
as far as humor is concerned, that's definitely advanced reading. I re-read it twice a year and still haven't got tired of it:))

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

oh obviously my user pic is too subtle ;)

and i would go beyond that -- even if you understand all the words; some humor, and especially satire, requires more intimate familiarity with the culture;

[mooze.livejournal.com]

agree, our heritage is like an ingrown toenail - you can never quite pull everything out on the open, some is always hidden:)))