Customer Reviews

Dictionary of Russian Slang & Colloquial Expressions

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

About 50 % of the contents of the book - solid delirium! Do not speak so in Russian. There are separate successful articles. But as a whole - the one who does not know well Russian it is not recommended, as will bring of a harm.

This book contains a lot of vulgar and profane words and expressions. If this is want you want, then this is the book for you. It not only contains translations but also gives examples. But be aware that the book is Russian-English only. Therefore finding the Russian equivalent to an English word is rather troublesome. But one nice feature of this book is the fact that it tells you in which circles words are used.(youth, military, criminal, etc.)

Buyer beware that this book does in fact contain a lot of profanity and extreemely vulgar expressions. However, there are also many usefull terms and definitions that you will not find in any standard dictionary. I think that the dictionary is well organized and translates terms into well worded English equivalents. This book would be most usefull among modern young Russians and criminal crowds. I personally would be clueless to many expressions without this reference. My only complaint is that the book is rather small.

From innocuous idiomatic expressions to vulgar profanities, this book provides a wide range of vocabulary that you won't find in Russian dictionaries. A quick caveat, however: If you aren't absolutely sure how to use the slang without inadvertently offending people, double-check with a native Russian speaker before you try some of these phrases out, because this book doesn't always give you an accurate description of the level of offensiveness of the words here listed. For example, the Russian word "blin" and the Russian equivalent of the "S" word are both described as being "rude". Yet the word "blin" is quite insipid, much like the English words "shucks" or "darn", whereas the other word is very offensive.

Although this book is a reasonably well-compiled reference, I personally have found little need to study slang in depth because I just don't hear it very often, and I have no need to use it. If you find the profanities offensive and want a book without the garbage, I recommend you buy "2001 Russian and English Idioms" by Agnes Arany-Makkai.

Slang and colloquialisms change, and do so relatively quickly - for example, when was the last time you heard the term "goovy" used in everyday speech? Along these lines, _Russian Slang_ is terribly dated - the vast majority of the words have not been in use since well before the end of the cold war. While the words and their translations are fun, and the organization is good (as to whether the words are used by criminals, members of the military, by teens, etc), it really is not that useful.

I agree with "polyglossum" down below. This is a good book for someone who possibly is from russia and moved here when younger and has forgotten many things, but not for someone who is unfamiliar to the language or is a student of it. The words will confuse you and make you sound ridiculous. Some words are very, VERY applicable to today's russia, but many are so outdated or absurd that they make me laugh.

This book is great for translating Russian to English. Very difficult to translate English to Russian, as there is no section in the book on this. The phrases and words used are very common, and helpful in understanding Russian friends

This book contains many amusing and useful slang and colloquial expressions, but I was taken aback by what appeared to be an inappropriate emphasis on offensive speech. I can imagine some expressions being useful if one hoped to acquire free accommodation in a Russian jail. The book would have been better if it had been limited to slang and colloquialisms, as the title suggests. Remove the profanity, and it becomes pretty good, if somewhat shorter.

This dictionary is rather comprehensive, including words from Mafia, youth, and prison slang. When I went to Russia, I had a very hard time remembering slang, and especially figuring it out at times. If I had only bought this book before my trip! Since I was communicating mainly with young people of the Zaural region of Russia, they didn't use as much of the a la mode slang of Moscow or Petersburg. The author gives ample explanations of the words, where they come from, their level of vulgarity, and what they normally mean. I haven't seen any other slang dictionaries, so I'd have to say that this is an excellent choice for a student going to Russia.

At last! A comprehensive dictionary of Russian street slang and vulgarities that provides real-life *examples* in context. Thanks to the fact that one author is Russian and the other English-speaking, this book is not marred by the usual problems of outdated usage or clumsy translations. True, it could be more comprehensive, but it provides the most commonly encountered expressions that simply cannot be found elsewhere. Highly recommended.