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Keep Your Mouth Shut!

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?›??́???????? ?€???‚: extra mouth to feed


Every once in a while I like to do a linguistic survey of various body parts. Don't get excited. Nothing illegal or immoral — just a review of Russian expressions that include, say, a hand or foot.

Or a mouth (?€???‚). If it's on the face of a 4-month-old child, it's the diminutive ?€???‚????: ?? ???????‹?‚?°?»???? ???‚???»???????‚?? ?????????? ?µ???? ?? ?€???‚????. (I tried to stick the pacifier in his sweet little mouth.) If it's in a poem or dramatic prose, it's ?????‚?°: ???»?‹???? ???€?????»???‚???µ ???· ?????‚ ?‚???????… — ?? ???°???°?? ?????? ?±?€?µ???µ???µ?? ???‚?‡?°????????! (I hear a curse from your lips, and I fall under the weight of despair!)

If it's the jaws of a monster or monstrous person, it's ???°???‚??: ???°???‚?? ?‚?????? ?????€????! (I'll rip your friggin' mouth off.) And if it's an extra mouth at the table, it's ?»?????????? ?€???‚: ?”?»?? ????????-?‚?? ?€?µ?±?‘?????? — ???‚?? ?»?????????? ?€???‚, ?° ???»?? ????????-?‚?? — ?????‚???‡?????? ?€?°???????‚??. (For some people a baby is just an extra mouth to feed, but for others it's a source of joy).

But the interesting bit about mouths is what they mean figuratively. For example, a wide-open mouth can express several emotions, usually happiness. ? ???‚ ???? ?????µ?? (literally, "mouth to the ears") means a smile from ear to ear. ?????° ?µ???? ???»?‹?±?°?µ?‚???? — ?€???‚ ???? ?????µ??. (She smiles at him, grinning from ear to ear.)

You can also combine the phrase ???? ???µ???? ?€???‚ (literally, "the whole mouth") with the verbs ?????µ???‚?????? (to laugh), ???»?‹?±?°?‚?????? (to smile), and ?·?µ???°?‚?? (to yawn) to indicate an extreme version of the action. ???? ?·?µ???°?» ???? ???µ???? ?€???‚, ?? ?? ?????????»?°, ?‡?‚?? ?????€?° ?????»?°???‹???°?‚?? ?µ???? ?????°?‚??. (He gave a huge yawn and I realized it was time to put him to bed.)

When someone is ?? ???‚???€?‹?‚?‹?? ?€?‚???? (with an open mouth) it usually means they are fascinated or amazed. ?? ???µ?€???‹?… ???????????????????… ?????µ?‡?°?‚?»?µ???????… ???????€???±???? ?€?°???????°?·?‹???°?‚?? ???µ ?±??????: ?…???????» ?? ???‚???€?‹?‚?‹?? ?€?‚????. (I won't go into detail about my first impressions of Moscow — I walked along with my mouth hanging open.)

? ???‚ ?€?°?·?µ???°?‚?? (to open your mouth) can mean opening your mouth to talk or in astonishment, but it also can mean letting your mouth hang open when you are preoccupied. ???????‚?€?? ???????° ?????‘????! ???‹ ???µ?‡???? ?€???‚ ?€?°?·?µ???°?µ????! (Look where you're going! You're always spacing out.)

Someone might ?±?????‚???? ?€???‚ ???‚???€?‹?‚?? (literally, "is afraid to open his mouth") or to the contrary, ?????????€???‚, ???µ ?·?°???€?‹???°?? ?€???‚ (literally, "speaks without closing his mouth"). The latter non-stop talker may need some harsh treatment: ?·?°?‚?‹???°?‚??/?·?°?‚???????‚?? ?€???‚ (literally, "to plug up someone's mouth"). ?????‚?????µ?????‚ ?‚?‹?????‡ ?€???±?»?µ?? — ???‚?? ???µ ?‚?µ ???µ????????, ?‡?‚???±?‹ ?????? ?·?°?‚???????‚?? ?€???‚ ???°???µ???? ???€??????. (Fifty thousand rubles isn't the kind of money that would keep our friend from talking.)

This person might ???µ?€?¶?°?‚?? ?€???‚ ???° ?·?°?????µ (literally, "to put a lock on his mouth"). ?’ ? ?????????? ?????µ?????° ?±?‹?»?? ?????????? ?????????? ?›?µ????????????, ???? ?????µ ?????? ???µ?€?¶?°?‚ ???????? ?€???‚ ???° ?·?°?????µ. (In Russia there have always been a lot of Monica Lewinskis, but their lips are sealed.) Or they might ???°?±?€?°?‚?? ???????‹ ?? ?€???‚ (literally, "fill their mouth with water"). ?“?»?°?????‹?? ?????????·?€?µ???°?µ???‹?? ???°?? ?? ?€???‚ ???????‹ ???°?±?€?°?» — ???? ???‚???°?·?‹???°?µ?‚???? ???°???°?‚?? ???????°?·?°??????. (The main suspect zipped his lip and refuses to give testimony.)

No spitting allowed.

Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.

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