brevno

[Franklin A. Sciacca]

>I am currently translating a short story by Gazdanov written in the 20s.
>There are a couple of trouble spots that aren't so troublesome in
>meaning, just in rendering.
>
>1) Speaking of two artists, a character says that "by comparison with
>Repin... he is just (brevno)."  A log just doesn't seem to fit here.
>


The most famous "brevno glupoe" must no doubt be the barber in Gogol's
"Nose"  (it's one of the epithets hurled at Ivan by his wife).  How about
"blockhead".