"Shit hits the fan" - another translation option :)

[watsonesq.livejournal.com]

Hi, I am a newbie here and just want to share with you one interesting observation. :)
Some time ago I was thinking about an adequate Russian idiom for the English "The shit has already hit the fan" and suddenly realized that "Аннушка уже разлила масло" from Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" would be one the best matches :)

Comments

[gauchette.livejournal.com]

hm... can we compare flying shit with rolling head? in other worlds - some trouble in your life with inexorable verdict of fate? i don't think so...

[dark-spectrum.livejournal.com]

And what does this shit-on-the-fan-expression mean?

[sergeys.livejournal.com]

There's a phrase “потекло дерьмо по трубам” which means quite the same as “shit hits the fan”. And it's about shit as well! :)

[sergeys.livejournal.com]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shit+hits+the+fan (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shit+hits+the+fan)

[equal-shit.livejournal.com]

xD

[ginnyboy.livejournal.com]

Not quite right. When you say “потекло дерьмо по трубам” it means you know and see that problem.
When you say "Аннушка уже разлила масло", it means the hero (you) didn't knew it.
It's better to say "пиздец подкрался незаметно" I think :)

[pzrk.livejournal.com]

Disagree. "Пиздец подкрался незаметно" means the appearance of an unpredicted problem.

[sergeys.livejournal.com]

Does “shit hits the fan” mean “пиздец подкрался незаметно”? I doubt that…

[luck243.livejournal.com]

=)))))))

(was posted ot the bash.org.ru)


So this very impolite, rude phraes means that something has happened suddenly. Always some kind of trouble and it was always unexpected. The word "пиздец" means a very big problem (in the direct meaning - something, that could cause die). Подкрался незаметно in thayt meaning means, it came unexpected.

[luck243.livejournal.com]

Also you shouldnt use the word "пиздец" in normal or especially in the formal speach

[la-hummanoid.livejournal.com]

Shit hits the fan = Дерьмо попало в вентилятор. It means that something awful happens, and brings problems for all. "Потекло дерьмо по трубам", means the beginning of some event. It close for rude "Here we go!", but I don't know same phrase.

[http://users.livejournal.com/antiquer_/]

Well, you wouldn't use "shit" as well, so this translation is OK:) Personally I would translate like "это полный пиздец (or пипец)".

[ex-roumor.livejournal.com]

hahaha super )
very accurate match. the best indeed

[dark-spectrum.livejournal.com]

Is there such expression in russian language?

[http://users.livejournal.com/antiquer_/]

You mean, "Дерьмо попало в вентилятор"? No, there isn't such. la_hummanoid is just trying to explain how different is "Shit hits the fan" from "Потекло дерьмо по трубам".

[pashator.livejournal.com]

> very accurate match

Not at all!

[wizary.livejournal.com]

Beginning of some troubles

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

"The shit has already hit the fan" means that something bad is already happening and can be seen or felt by everyone, whereas "Аннушка уже разлила масло" means that the unpleasant events are set in motion, but it's by no means apparent for everyone. So no, I wouldn't say it's a goos translation.

[vovse-ne.livejournal.com]

You are wrong.

PS. Speak English.

[dn54]

Agree. Besides “потекло дерьмо по трубам” doesn't necessarily mean problem. It can be used to mark the starting of any process, just like “понеслась душа в рай”.

[pashator.livejournal.com]

+1

[fizz-gig.livejournal.com]

Actually at least in colloquial Australian terms, that is a reasonable definition of "shit hits the fan" - it is commonly meant that "here begins an unpleasant problem" but it also mean "here we go about to do something unpleasant" Like for example if you said that immediately before an unpleasant interview with a boss, or immediately before starting testing a machine that may or may not work, or something similar.

[fizz-gig.livejournal.com]

Actually at least in colloquial Australian english, that is a reasonable definition of "shit hits the fan" - it is commonly meant that "here begins an unpleasant problem" but it also mean "here we go about to do something unpleasant" Like for example if you said that immediately before an unpleasant interview with a boss, or immediately before starting testing a machine that may or may not work, or something similar.

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

In my opinion as an American and native English speaker, "the shit hit the fan" just means something really bad happened, possibly suddenly or unexpectedly, but not necessarily. I hate to do this to you, but think about what literally would happen if shit hit a fan-- this would be a very bad thing. Simple as that.

I'm not sure what all these overcomplicated connotations of "something is starting to happen but not all are aware" or "it is about to happen but hasn't started", etc, are about. These are off base.

[oryx_and_crake]

Thank you for your contribution. However please note that the working language of this community is English.