An idiom is a group of words the actual meaning of which cannot easily be predicted from the specific meanings of the component words. Both the English and Russian languages are highly idiomatic. The use of idioms is natural to the speakers of a particular language, but has less or even no meaning to the speakers of another language. However, in any colloquial language there are also a host of overlapping idiomatic expressions, proverbs, phrases, and sayings which stretch the idiom definition. Moreover, there are often alternative words for certain words in an idiom, some idioms have more than one meaning, and extensive groupings have been made under certain major verbs and nouns. All these variations are given in this dictionary. This volume contains the most comprehensive dictionary of English to Russian and equivalent Russian to English idioms available worldwide today. There are in total about 10,000 entries of different idioms, but many have several alternatives in their groupings, which makes the overall total several times that number.

This is the most innovative, comprehensive, and scholarly bilingual dictionary of Russian idioms available today. It includes close to 14,000 idioms, set expressions, and sayings found in contemporary colloquial Russian and in literature from the nineteenth century to the present. The Russian idioms are provided with many English equivalents to render idioms in various contexts. Illustrative examples are cited to show how the idioms are used in context. Each entry also contains a grammatical description of the idiom, a definition—an innovative feature for a bilingual dictionary—and stylistic and usage information. A most notable part of the work is the alphanumeric index that makes finding the right expression very easy.

The dictionary covers phraseological fusions, units, and combinations; single words used figuratively; and colloquialisms. Each idiom or colloquialism, translated into English, is accompanied by a sentence in Russian showing its correct use. Approximately one-fifth of the illustrative text is drawn from the classics most frequently studied in undergraduate and graduate Russian courses. An index to writers quoted and a bibliography are included. The work presupposes knowledge of basic Russian grammar and a vocabulary of about 2,000 words. The native speaker of Russian will be able to use this book to develop greater sophistication in English. The advanced student, the teacher, and the specialist who reads Russian will find this an invaluable guide to the subtleties of Russian usage.The work presupposes knowledge of basic Russian grammar and a vocabulary of about 2,000 words. The native speaker of Russian will be able to use this book to develop greater sophistication in English. The advanced student, the teacher, and the specialist who reads Russian will find this an invaluable guide to the subtleties of Russian usage.

Russian-english language dictionary of idioms and set expressions.

A Book of Russian Idioms Illustrated highlights the role of Russian idioms in the historical development of the Russian language and how mastery of these idioms can bring about deeper understanding of the language. The book identifies the types of idioms that are discussed, and then states that phraseological fusions are word combinations whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meaning of their elements, while phraseological unities are word combinations whose meaning are partly dependent on the connotation of their individual words. The idioms are arranged alphabetically as units, and each entry is composed of a Russian idiom with its transliteration, literal translation, and explanation. English equivalents are also provided. The text underscores the use of pictures to depict the meaning of idioms and to illustrate their real meanings. The illustrations are presented in a humorous manner, showing the influence of humor in Russian idioms. The manuscript notes that Russian idioms are greatly of popular origin, hence they practically deal with human relations. The book is a vital reference for English speaking students of the Russian language who are familiar with the essentials of Russian grammar and basic Russian vocabulary.