Where Do Crayfish Winter?

From the time when I began to understand Russian, I became acquainted with charming Russian sayings that made me laugh more often than not. With winter quickly approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, I’d love to know: “Gdye raa-ckee zimu-yut?” or “Where do the crayfish winter?”

Papa would often say this “Oh, go where the crayfish winter.” I still ask him where this place is and together we’ve reached the conclusion that if they are fortunate enough not to be eaten, this place would be under a rock somewhere.

Many other sayings uniquely punctuate the Russian way of speaking and I’d like to share some of them with you.

“Nye k seloo, nye k gorodoo” meaning “not to the village, not to the city.” This means neither here, neither there: nebulous.

“Vree da pomnee” meaning if you lie, you had better remember: liars must have a good memory. It’s so much easier to speak the truth.

“Induk doomal ee doomal, ee podoh” meaning the turkey thought and thought and then he expired. Less thinking, more action!

“Loubeesh katatsa, loubee ee sankee vozeet” meaning, if you like to go sleigh riding, you had better like to pull the sleigh: no pain, no gain.

“Moozh da zhena odna satana” meaning, husband and wife are the same devil -- satan.

“Nye riba, nye myeso” meaning not fish and not meat, someone that is questionable and doesn’t like to take a stand. Perhaps this may also pertain to a questionable meat dish.

“Na bezribye y rak riba” with no fish jumping, even a crayfish is a fish. Something is better than nothing -- be positive.

“Na shto ee shapka kolee golovye nyet” meaning why need a hat if you don’t have a head?

“Ya poslednaya bookva” meaning ya, meaning me, is also the last letter of the alphabet.

“Chem bogatye, tyem ee radye,” meaning we are glad for what we have and in a hospitable sense, we will share with you, our guest.

“A dyelo belo -- ee koza volka syela” meaning it happened that the nanny goat ate the wolf: entirely possible, even pigs may fly.

“Lubov nye kartoshka, nye vibroseesh v okoshko,” meaning love is not a potato: you can’t simply throw it out the window.

“Starost nye radost” meaning old age is not joy, often relayed to me by my Babushka.

“Taam horosho gdye nass nyet,” meaning, indeed over there it is better, where we are not: the grass is always greener on the other side. Is it really?

Lastly, a blessing in answer to a sneeze: “Bootz zdorova kak korova ee plodorodnaya kak svinya” meaning, be healthy like a cow and as fruitful as a pig.

Sayings such as these are not unique to the Russian language and the sentiments expressed are shared by many nationalities in one form of expression or another.