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Articles by Michele A. Berdy's The Word's Worth (Discontinued)
the word's worth
It's Not Surprising That It's Not Simple
Being wise, being simple-minded, being obvious, and being easy have a lot in common in Russian.
5 Min read
the word's worth
Plug It, Mute It, or Hear It
The words for things that shut out sound and let you hear it are the same in Russian. Of course they are.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Alexei Navalny and the Secret List of Forbidden Words
It's hard to know where general language ends and criminal slang begins.
5 Min read
the word's worth
And Yet It's Nevertheless All the Same, After All
The joy of particles (not).
4 Min read
the word's worth
A Guide to Giving a Bribe in Russian
What you say when you bribe depends on whether you want something or they want something.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Who is Gulya and Why Do We Care About Her Nose?
The preposition "c" has some weird constructions.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Spitting, Eating Your Teeth and Other Weird Gestures
When a person eats his teeth, is that bad or good? Or even possible?
5 Min read
the word's worth
Take Your Pick: Mutiny, Coup, Uprising or Nothing
Last week's events are still a puzzle, so we looked at what participants had to say. It didn't help.
5 Min read
the word's worth
Wait — What Russian Month is This?
If you thought you knew the names of the months in Russian, think again.
5 Min read
the word's worth
What's in a Name? With Russian Holidays - Everything
This week Russia celebrated Russia Day. If you have no idea what that holiday is, join the population.
6 Min read
the word's worth
A Gathering of Witches, Dues, Herbs and Classmates
Сбор and сборы are unusual words: sometimes the singular and plural forms have unrelated meanings.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Buy a Brilliant and Applaud an Artist
Oh, those false friends... every translator's nightmare.
5 Min read
the words worth
Why Do Russians Write Music and Paintings?
Spoiler: They don't. The verb писать is terribly misunderstood.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Tricks of the Trade
Using the right verb and the right case to express changing and exchanging is a big headache.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Under the Mighty Oak I Sit, Stupidly
Sitting on stumps, falling out of trees and stepping in rotten logs figure prominently in Russian expressions.
5 Min read
the word's worth
The Cat Cried and Ran By
Cats are popular pets In Russia but unpopular in folk expressions.
6 Min read
The Word's Worth
Serving and Not Serving in the Military
The confusing terminology of conscripts, reservists and draft dodgers.
4 Min read
the word's worth
Two Words, Three Letters and Ten Meanings
Oh, the joy of little Russian words.
4 Min read
the word's worth
How a Saint Becomes a Sinner
How some Russian words change meaning in and out of church.
5 Min read
the word's worth
Of Courtyards, Grifters and Days Off
All about things and people that pass by, pass through, and ought to pass off forever.
5 Min read
the word's worth
Of Ear Noodles and Maniacal Printers
How you can spend a day translating three words.
5 Min read
The Word's Worth
Please Don't Hit On Me, Bug Me, or Harass Me
How everyone, from gangsters to presidents, keeps people calm and in their place.
4 Min read
The word's worth
A Pocketful of Somethings
How can I say something? Let me count the ways.
4 Min read
The Word's Worth
A Year of the Language of War
The Russian language has been transformed in strange and contradictory ways.
5 Min read
The Word's Worth
The Ears Have It
За ухо: (to put something) behind your ear A couple decades ago I wrote a short column about some of the odd and entertaining Russian expressions...
4 Min read
The Word's Worth
Travels, Trips and Tours
Trips with goals, aimless travels, and all-inclusive tourist packages.
the word's worth
Starting Anew or Again or Freshly Baked
A few thoughts on new being old or next or just the same old thing over and over again.
the word's worth
Mark My Words: How to Remember and Forget
How to remember and how to forget are good skills to have whatever your language.
the word's worth
The Hopeless Quest for Language Purity
Общеупотребимые слова: commonly used words Every year or so some state organization at some level in Russia demands or proposes or...
the word's worth
Words of the Year 2022
The annual Words of the Year compendium is dark, bleak and brutal.
The Word's Worth
Angry? Welcome to the Zoo!
Fierce, furious and furry - that's you when you're mad.
The Word's Worth
Get Ready for Seasons Greetings
Take two little words - хлеб (bread) and соль (salt) - put them together and get something grand.
The Word's Worth
Russian Pandemonium Pop Quiz
How do you say chaos in Russian? Let me count the ways.
The Word's Worth
The New Russian Revolutionary Language
NewSpeak, new letters and a new level of crude language used by the Russian elite.
The Word's Worth
To Err is Human in Every Language
Don't err on the side of ignoring your errors in Russian.
The Word's Worth
Why is There a Dog in Your Email?
And what do you call those funny quotation marks in Russian?
The Word's Worth
Гойда! They Shouted. Say What?
A call for action that is not a cute ye olde russky way of saying "let's go."
The Word's Worth
Newspeak for the Russian New Economic Policy
Everything is fine, just fine, in the Russian economy (so they say).
The Word's Worth
Newspeak in the New Russia
What they say and what they mean are two very different things.
The Word's Worth
Good King... Who?
Why did King Charles III get a different name in Russian?
the word's worth
What's In a (Dog's) Name?
If you had a Russian dog or a dog in Russia, what would you name it?
parts of speech
Take That, You Confusing Preposition!
The preposition "на" is the super glue of Russian sentences.
The Word's Worth
Annoying Russian Questions
Russians get tired of answering "how are you?" So they get creative. And sometimes snarky.
bad to good
All the World in One Russian Word
When the first step is the hardest — also evil, clever, daring, wild, turbulent, smart, artistic, and jaunty.
new speak
Warning: Do Not Say This in Russian
When language changes, we don't like it. But language doesn't care.
eat up
Chowing Down the Russian Way
Judging by the language, eating the Russian way means really digging in.
Healthy lifestyle
The Russian Sedentary Diet
Losing weight the Russian way involves sitting - what could be better?
gurgle and grumble
The Art of Russian Mumbling, Grumbling, and Babbling
Everyone needs to know how to grumble, lisp, burble, gurgle, growl and bellyache.
news
Stop In, Go Behind and Lose Your Mind
How you can go around the corner, go crazy, pop in and like something with just one Russian verb.
news
Getting Stronger Every Day in Every Way
Here's a little something to keep your strength up in dark times.
news
Thinking Outside the Box the Russian Way
How to shell a nut without a nutcracker and other acts of national ingenuity.
news
Russian Gaffes, Goofs, and Assorted Blunders
Do Russians have a word for when you mess up, misstep, blunder or put your foot in it? Of course!
news
How to Fail Spectacularly in Russian
How to flop, bomb, fail, go down the tubes, go belly up and fall flat on your face. In Russian, of course.
news
On Wars, Ducks, Fakes and Anniversaries
Happy 20th anniversary to The Word's Worth, now in exile.
news
A Russian Sleeping Beauty
When the Russian media goes a bit wild after a presidential press conference, I begin investigating.
news
The Looming But Not Inevitable (Translation) Disaster
Talking about future possibilities and inevitabilities in Russian is a mouthful.
news
Getting a Bright Idea in Russian
Welcome to another chapter of "Weird Russian Words." This one will inspire you!
news
A Russian Fig is Not a Fig
A short, expression-filled column about a little word that packs a big punch.
news
How Don't I Care? Let Me Count The Ways
It turns out you can say you don't care in dozens of ways in Russian - some even in polite company.
news
Words of the Year 2021
The Words of the Year and Decade are not cheerful in 2021. Такой год - такие слова...
news
How to Add On, Try On, Pretend and Drive Everyone Crazy in Russian
There is a newish filler word going around that driving the older generation crazy.
news
I Love Moscow in the Winter
Some of the less-than-magical qualities of winter in Moscow.
news
When Pigs Fly in Russian
How to say "yes" that really means "no" in Russian. No way. Forget it. In your dreams, man.
news
Let's Talk Turkey
Would you rather be called a turkey in Russian or English? Not an easy decision...
news
The Russian Approach to Coming Closer
This week I look at two pairs of verbs of motion and get a bit overexcited.
news
This is How We Roll in Russian
What stocking up, throwing a fit, and rolling up your sleeves have in common.
news
Who Is To Blame For Everything in Russian?
Apologizing seems easy in Russian, but there are some tricky bits.
news
Neither Russian Fish nor Russian Fowl
When do you use ни and when do you use не? I made up some (silly sounding) rules to help you out.
news
Two Minuses Make a Plus in Russian
Today I focus on one of my favorite things about Russian - the double negative.
news
Drunk as a Skunk in Russia? Never!
Why you really must learn a new vocabulary of similes in Russian.
news
In Russian, Too Much is Better Than Too Little
Here are some serious and hilarious ways to take care and be on the very safe side in Russian.
news
When Your Heart Speaks in Russian
What's up with verbs like подсказать, подбросить, подслушать and подскочить?
news
The Road to Recovery in Russian
As Covid rages on but treatment improves, it's time to hone our vocabulary of getting better.
news
Stuck-Up, High Maintenance and Oh So Demanding
I'm stuck on being stuck-up. So many ways to be very annoying.
news
Of Snobs, Show-Offs, and Arrogant Jerks
Curiosity about the origins of the word "snob" sent me down a rabbit hole - or make that rat hole.
news
Hazard a Guess on the Meaning of Азарт
What do you do with untranslatable words? Well, you translate them as best you can.
news
Good and Bad Manners the Frenchified and Russian Way
Is моветон having a moment? Why yes, it is. It's on everyone's lips. So what the heck is it?
news
Getting Married and/or Rejected in Russian
Marriage can be confusing, but wait until you hear about Russian marital confusion!
news
Clean Up Your Act the Russian Way
How to wash that bum right out of your hair and other tricks of the Russian launderer's trade.
news
How to Survive a Russian Heat Wave
Don't drink hot coffee. Don't work (brain fog). Wear nighties to the store. And moan about the heat.
news
How to Interpret a President
Everyone's an interpreter! Or at least, everyone loves to criticize interpreters...
news
The Many Faces of Живопырка
A magical word that seems to acquire new meanings wherever it goes.
news
On, Near, About and Round About in Russian
Another in my series of Mastering Russian Prepositions, this one is all about being near.
news
Maybe I May Be But Probably I'm Not
Maybe seems like such an easy concept. Может быть I'm wrong? Or is that быть может?
news
No Way, No How, No Matter What
What do courts and approaches and truth have to do with no one, nothing and no?
news
The Nos Have It in Russian
How many ways can you say "no" in Russian? You have no idea...
news
Cleaning House the Russian Way
All you need are four verbs to satisfy all your cleaning, washing, polishing and murderous needs.
news
My Sweet Little Buggie-Wuggie
When you see someone small and cute, start piling on the sibilants.
news
The Monster Under the Bed
How to talk about human monsters in Russian - or how to avoid hearing about them.
news
Singin' in the Rain the Russian Way
Prepositions. I know, I know. They're miserable. I try to make them a little bit more palatable.
news
Procrastinating the Russian Way
Russians have so many delightful ways to dawdle, dilly-dally and delay, you may never work again.
news
Watch What You Call That Old Woman
Why are there are more names in Russian for nasty old women than for nasty old men?
news
Of Men, Galoshes and Horseradish
There are lots of Russian words, nice and not, to describe the older gentlemen in our lives.
news
All That Glitters is Russian Gold
Lots of things glitter and glimmer with sparkles of gold and silver in Russian. For example - air.
news
The Language of UnFreedom from the Gulag
An exhibition at the Gulag History Museum and a new dictionary reveal the other reality of the USSR.
news
Two Hundred More Ways to Get Russian Wrong
Lock or castle, cotton or clapping - it's all a matter of where the stress falls. Russian is very stressful.
news
Insurrection and Sedition in Russian Translation
Rebellions can be good or bad. Depends on who's rebelling and who or what they are rebelling against.
news
How to Protest, From A to Zip Tie Cuffs
The weather might be cool, but people are hot to protest. Here's how to talk about it.
news
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Moscow 2020
A special column for a special day.
news
2020 Words of the Year
This is the Year That Was in words and phrases.