I learned it as "Ни пуха, ни пера!", but that was in class, as opposed to how a native may say it. The explanation/exact translation given was something like "neither fluff nor feather", and has something to do with hunting for fowl I think.
Silly Russians, oh how we love your silly words so ^_~
Это поговорка. У нее есть определенная этимология. Просто ты о ней не знаешь, к сожалению. Или к счастью. Так много веков назад желали друг другу удачи суеверные охотники. Сие есть зе сейм гуд лак виш бат наоборот - засчет отрицательных частиц. Не факт, правда, что те это поможет.
I would love to remind that the working language of this community is English. It is OK to answer or post in Russian, but you are expected to provide translation.
Not exactly, and not in every context. "Good luck" is more universal -- at least "удачи" is!
"Ни пуха, ни пера" is, historically, a hunters' superstition. It is kind of a rite: "[may you go for a hunt and bring] not a fluff and not a feather" - in order to deceive evil spirits of the forest and make them to bebother the hunter with loads of kill :) I am sure that there is a similar superstition behind "break your leg."
See 2. from my previous comment. This community is for non-native learners of Russian. We native Russian speakers are supposed to consult them. This is not a community for learning English or asking questions concerning English language. You may try ru_learnenglish (http://community.livejournal.com/ru_learnenglish/) instead.
"break a leg" is an old theatre saying, sort of to ward off bad luck, by encouraging it so it doesn't happen... So now you know! Hope that helps:) It's one of those strange english colloquialisms. x
Silly words? Well, I will probably agree with you, if you tell me how one can learn language where подчинять and подчиняться is expressed with one word (see http://lingvo.yandex.ru/en?text=submit&lang=en&search_type=lingvo&st_translate=1) =)))
I think it should also be mentioned that "Ни пуха, ни пера" is said quite frequenly to a person who is going to have an exam, an interview etc. at the moment (as a good luck wish, when a person wants to achieve something). Also, there is a standard reply to this wish: "К чёрту". Although this reply sounds like a curse ("go to hell"), it is used in this context and is polite.
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Date: 2007-05-12 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 02:22 pm (UTC)2. Ни пуха! (Ни пуха, ни пера!) - break your leg | i'll keep my fingers crossed.
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Date: 2007-05-12 02:33 pm (UTC)I also have another question:is it possible to say Асыя as short for Анастасия?
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Date: 2007-05-12 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 02:44 pm (UTC)I have a friend in Russia and she use "Aся"
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Date: 2007-05-12 02:49 pm (UTC)Silly Russians, oh how we love your silly words so ^_~
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Date: 2007-05-12 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 03:20 pm (UTC)Это поговорка. У нее есть определенная этимология. Просто ты о ней не знаешь, к сожалению. Или к счастью. Так много веков назад желали друг другу удачи суеверные охотники. Сие есть зе сейм гуд лак виш бат наоборот - засчет отрицательных частиц. Не факт, правда, что те это поможет.
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Date: 2007-05-12 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 04:35 pm (UTC)"Ни пуха, ни пера" is, historically, a hunters' superstition. It is kind of a rite: "[may you go for a hunt and bring] not a fluff and not a feather" - in order to deceive evil spirits of the forest and make them to bebother the hunter with loads of kill :)
I am sure that there is a similar superstition behind "break your leg."
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Date: 2007-05-12 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 06:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 06:23 pm (UTC)2. This is learn_russian, not learn_english.
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Date: 2007-05-12 06:27 pm (UTC)rules accepted :))
i am bi(lingual)
so - where "break your leg" is coming from?
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Date: 2007-05-12 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-12 06:44 pm (UTC)thank you for your patience
i teach russian language for americans..
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Date: 2007-05-12 07:13 pm (UTC)So now you know! Hope that helps:)
It's one of those strange english colloquialisms. x
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Date: 2007-05-12 07:20 pm (UTC)thank you .
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Date: 2007-05-13 11:37 am (UTC)=)))
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Date: 2007-05-14 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-13 06:57 pm (UTC)