марципановый

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

елейный, марципановый человек

what does this марципановый mean here?

thank you,
t.

Comments

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

thank you

[khathi.livejournal.com]

"Марципановый" has very little to do with Easter bread, but very much with marzipan, as already mentioned. And I NEVER ever seen the use of this word in any reference to lust.

[khathi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it might mean "march bread" (however "pan" is a definitely Romance, not Germanic word), but confectionary itself has absolutely no likeness to bread, and might acquire its name from its use as an icing for such breads. And, anyway, metaphor is "being excessively sweet", which is little bit too strong if we consider those breads.

[jet-setter.livejournal.com]

Like marzipan.

[oryx_and_crake]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan

in this context it is a metaphor meaning sugary, with unnaturally sweet manners

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

marzipan I understand without wikipedia even
but it's not a metaphor used in English, as you surely know

but your explanation makes sense
thank you
t.

[oryx_and_crake]

did you have any problem with елейный?

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

I did but it was in the dictionary

t.

[oryx_and_crake]

Actually it's not a metaphor widely used in Russian either. Definitely the author's invention but an easily understood one (at least if you know what marzipan is).

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

at first I thought it meant plump but then I got confused
I don't find marzipan to be that sweet -- it's just perfect ;)

[level42.livejournal.com]

you probably could also relate it to another slightly more common russian word слащавый.

[wire-shock.livejournal.com]

Smarmy, very soft-spoken, too sleek...such a person one wouldn't trust!