since we're talking tattoos...

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

Of which I have a few...
One of my ideas for a tattoo is an (artistically rendered) letter ж. For two reasons basically, one because it's the most beautiful letter in the russian language both in sound and appearance and could make a really great tattoo. The other is the basis for my question. I'm under the impression that ж could be understood as a kind of shorthand for "woman." This comes mostly from a couple of moscow cafes I've been in that had just ж on the door of the women's bathroom. However, it's also possible that that's just shorthand for "ladies' room" and in that case I wouldn't necessarily want that as a tattoo...am I wrong to understand this letter as a symbol for women in russian? If not, is there one? Feelings about tattoos in general aside, what would a native russian speaker percieve as the meaning of such a tattoo?

на дух не принимал

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

Мемуаристы утверждают, что Ерофеев на дух не принимал Булгакова и не мог прочесть “Мастера и Маргариту” дальше пятнадцатой страницы. Я знаю людей, которые бросили “Петушки” еще раньше.

я не понимаю фразу "на дух не принимал"
что это значит?

I don't understand the phrase "на дух не принимал"
what does it mean?

thank you

t.

UPDATE

the phrase literally means "could not stand the smell of it"
and is an idiom for "really disliked it"

thanks everyone

expressing time

[soidisantfille.livejournal.com]

One thing that has always confused me is how to express duration of time in Russian. As in the following situations, off the top of my head:

"I have been a student here for five years." (I'm cheating a bit here; I need to write a short 'biography' of myself in my дневник for homework, which is what got me thinking about this.)

"I need to finish reading the book by Friday."

"It took me six hours to write the assignment."

"I will be there in ten minutes."

I know that duration can be expressed with 'на' and 'за', but I can never remember when to use one over the other. What's the difference?

Thanks.