Jan 10, 2013 15:28
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Russian term
Обманули дурака на четыре кулака!
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Other
Apparently, this is an old Russian kiddie rhyme that should ring a bell with anyone who grew up in that neck of the woods. It means that you've been had, cheated, taken advantage of, etc. in the most spectacular spiteful manner, such as in
- But you promised to marry me and buy me an ice cream!
- Ha-ha! Obmanuli (obamanuli?) duraka na chetyre kulaka!
Naturally, you can't translate this head on. Can anyone think of an idiomatic equivalent in English? The only thing in that department that comes to my mind is cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater, but that's something totally different.
Many thanks as always.
- But you promised to marry me and buy me an ice cream!
- Ha-ha! Obmanuli (obamanuli?) duraka na chetyre kulaka!
Naturally, you can't translate this head on. Can anyone think of an idiomatic equivalent in English? The only thing in that department that comes to my mind is cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater, but that's something totally different.
Many thanks as always.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | Fooled you but good! |
Rachel Douglas
|
| 3 +1 | (I/he/she) really pulled your leg! |
Amy Lesiewicz
|
| 4 | to twist someone round one's lettle finger |
Maria Mizguireva
|
Proposed translations
+2
45 mins
Rachel Douglas
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
Excellent English from Russian originals
Native in: English (Variants: British, Australian, US)
Works in: Russian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
212
Selected
Fooled you but good!
Strange to say, I can't think of or find rhymes used with "Fooled you!" except for repeating it: "Fooled you, fooled you!" - "Fooled ya, fooled ya!"
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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-10 17:29:39 GMT)
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Since vulgarity was mentioned in the discussion section, there is one rhyme, actually... "Fooled ya / Tooled ya".
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Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-10 17:29:39 GMT)
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Since vulgarity was mentioned in the discussion section, there is one rhyme, actually... "Fooled ya / Tooled ya".
Note from asker:
| Yes, that's the one I think, thanks. No wonder there's no rhyme - I tried to find one and couldn't. Tooled'ya doesn't really count, does it, even though we all know what it means. Thanks, Rachel. Ain't nothing like a native mind going all the way back. My own only goes so far. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Rachel, this is the "main gun" of course that I should have thought of myself, but like I said my own mind here only goes so far. I also used "Sucker!" (special thanks to Amy) and a few other things of my own. Many thanks, anyone. "
+1
32 mins
Amy Lesiewicz
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
the bond between science and language
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK, US South, US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand) 
Works in: Russian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
94
(I/he/she) really pulled your leg!
I can't think of any equivalent rhymes, but there are a few phrases you could use, including:
(I/he/she) really pulled the wool over your eyes!
You fell for the oldest trick in the book!
You sure were taken in!
Or the modern colloquial:
Sucker!
(I/he/she) really pulled the wool over your eyes!
You fell for the oldest trick in the book!
You sure were taken in!
Or the modern colloquial:
Sucker!
Note from asker:
| Thanks, Amy. I think pulled your leg or sucker, or, come to think of it, pull one over, would work. I may need more than one way of saying it. |
1 hr
Maria Mizguireva
United States
United States
Native in Russian
United States
Eng-Russian. Accounting, Finance
Native in: Russian (Variant: Standard-Russia) 
Works in: English to Russian
to twist someone round one's lettle finger
/
Reference comments
1 hr
Reference:
FYI
Note from asker:
| Thanks, Rita, much obliged. The funny thing is that I can't find any references to the nice rhyme in that answer except for that Kudoz discussion dating years back. Do you think the lady made it up herself? I mean, it still sounds great even if she did, it's just that it rings no bells. Does it for you? |
Discussion
The existing translation is what was provided in the previous kudoz answer:
Fooled you once,
Fooled you twice.
Tell your Mum
I fooled you nice.
Here is the link to that translation:
http://www.lib.ru/PROZA/KATAEW/katayev_beleet_parus_odinoki_...