translating colloquial word

[John Dunn]

Shlyakhov and Adler* (p. 225) suggest 'an unpleasant person' and (in an example) 'sourpuss'.  

Juganov and Juganova** (p. 239) offer 'neprivlekatel'nyj, ugrjumyj chelovek; podozritel'naja lichnost' and refer to Dal'.  I have only the second edition of Dal' to hand, but there are entries there for xmarit' and xmyrit'.

John Dunn.

*Dictionary of Russian Slang and Colloquial Expressions, Barron's, Hauppage, N.Y., 1995

**Slovar' russkogo slenga, Metatekst, M., 1997. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Hill <s-hill4 at UIUC.EDU>
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:42:22 -0500
Subject: [SEELANGS] translating colloquial word

Dear colleagues:

Does anyone out there know a good English equivalent for KHMYR'?***  Is it possible 
that "Sad Sack" would work?  Or "Poor Sap"?  

Although a number of dictionaries I looked at seem not to include the word at all, I have 
a general impression it means a hapless fellow, a loser, someone who messes up 
anything he gets into.  In other words, an individual who can be counted on to snatch
defeat from the jaws of victory.  If that's so, then perhaps it's similar to "Sad Sack" or
"Poor Sap" in English?
_ _ _  _

 *** In my Russian film studies I've run across this curious word, used like a name, on
two  occasions :  (1) SCHASTIE ('35 Medvedkin), where Khmyr' is played by Petr Zinov'ev);
(2) DZHENTELMENY UDACHI ('71 Seryi), Khmyr' played by the late Georgii Vitsin).

Gratefully,
Steven P Hill,
University of Illinois.
_ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ _

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John Dunn
SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow
Hetheringon Building
Bute Gardens
Glasgow G12 8RS
U.K.

Tel.: +44 (0)141 330 5591
Fax: +44 (0)141 330 2297
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk

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