Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
божий одуванчик
English translation:
frail old lady
Added to glossary by
Andrew Vdovin
May 11, 2007 12:31
17 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Russian term
DELVING into DETAIL
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
божий одуванчик
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
А самое удивительное, что за рулем мужчина лет так под 80, a рядом бабушка "божий одуванчик."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +4 | frail old lady |
Vanda Nissen
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| 3 +3 | nice old dear |
Jack Doughty
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| 3 +1 | [looking] frail as a[n]... |
Alexander Demyanov
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| 2 | old bones; crone |
Nik-On/Off
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| 2 | dotard |
Henry Schroeder
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Proposed translations
+4
22 mins
Vanda Nissen
Australia
Australia
Native in Russian
Australia
PhD in Linguistics, NAATI certified
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Danish to Russian, Russian to English, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
frail old lady
Лично у меня всегда возникают ассоциации с мисс Марпл, а именно это слово используется в Википедии при описании данной старушки.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Intrada
23 mins
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Спасибо1
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| agree |
Nataly Palamarets
: Лингво 12 именно этот вариант и дает: божий одуванчик (о старом, слабом человеке) — frail old person; pushover
1 hr
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Спасибо!
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| agree |
Dmitry Venyavkin
2 hrs
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Спасибо!
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| agree |
Olga Cartlidge
8 hrs
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Thank you, Olga!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you for your help Vanda! I also like Jack's version - but I had to choose. Thanks everybody!!!"
22 mins
Nik-On/Off
Ukraine
Ukraine
Native in Russian
Ukraine
careful, caring, and perfectionist
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
24
old bones; crone
Из фразеологического словаря
Пример:
- А знаете, вы просто трогательный человек, - сказала Вера. - Никогда бы не подумала, что вы способны помнить про наших божьих одуванчиков... (Ю.Герман, "Дорогой мой человек")
'You're a darling, you know,' Vera said... 'I'd have never though you were capable of caring so for those two old crones...'
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Note added at 24 mins (2007-05-11 12:55:58 GMT)
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thoughT
Пример:
- А знаете, вы просто трогательный человек, - сказала Вера. - Никогда бы не подумала, что вы способны помнить про наших божьих одуванчиков... (Ю.Герман, "Дорогой мой человек")
'You're a darling, you know,' Vera said... 'I'd have never though you were capable of caring so for those two old crones...'
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Note added at 24 mins (2007-05-11 12:55:58 GMT)
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thoughT
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Alexander Demyanov
: I don't think "божий одуванчик" implies any negative connotations. Please see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/crone. As for "old bones", it is basically a synonym for "old".
16 mins
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I see. Thanks
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| neutral |
Olga Cartlidge
: I agree with Alexander. Please refer to Part III of "Operatzyya Y" where Nikulin uses this expression. The old lady who worked at the warehouse as a nightwatch was described as such i.e. : someone frail, unable to stand up to the burglars, a bit naive.
8 hrs
|
+3
1 hr
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
658
nice old dear
I can't be too sure about this, it depends whether Vanda is right in thinking of it meaning someone like Miss Marple, or whether Nik On/Off's conception of an old crone is right. Old crone is derogatory, and no-one (except possibly a murderer she has revealed) would call Miss Marple an old crone. Does the Russian suggest frailty? I suppose "God's dandelion" might suggest this, I don't know, so I am offering a more general positive alternative.
An Unreliable Witness: Preserving » Establishment’s clown
... will he suddenly recant his stand-up routines of years gone by and tell us that he’s had afternoon tea with “Thatch” and she’s a nice old dear? ...
www.unreliablewitness.com/preserving/2002/06/25/establishme... - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
Why do I do this Job
She was a nice old dear and we didn't want to rush her but other people had decided. While we were sitting waiting my crewmate picked up a video box. ...
www.ambucabs.blog.co.uk/ - 64k - Cached - Similar pages
Amazon.co.uk: Beige Planet Mars (New Adventures): Books: Lance ...
A worthy ambition, but they get as far as Benny's rather abrupt realisation that the nice old dear she's befriended is the most hated person in the planet's ...
www.amazon.co.uk/Beige-Planet-Mars-New-Adventures/dp/042620... - 55k - Cached - Similar pages
All in a days work: Good Start
What a nice old dear! So, the verdict on my first full week of day work? Hard work but quite enjoyable and profitable. posted by london_cabby at 2:18 PM ...
londoncabby.blogspot.com/2006/05/good-start.html
An Unreliable Witness: Preserving » Establishment’s clown
... will he suddenly recant his stand-up routines of years gone by and tell us that he’s had afternoon tea with “Thatch” and she’s a nice old dear? ...
www.unreliablewitness.com/preserving/2002/06/25/establishme... - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
Why do I do this Job
She was a nice old dear and we didn't want to rush her but other people had decided. While we were sitting waiting my crewmate picked up a video box. ...
www.ambucabs.blog.co.uk/ - 64k - Cached - Similar pages
Amazon.co.uk: Beige Planet Mars (New Adventures): Books: Lance ...
A worthy ambition, but they get as far as Benny's rather abrupt realisation that the nice old dear she's befriended is the most hated person in the planet's ...
www.amazon.co.uk/Beige-Planet-Mars-New-Adventures/dp/042620... - 55k - Cached - Similar pages
All in a days work: Good Start
What a nice old dear! So, the verdict on my first full week of day work? Hard work but quite enjoyable and profitable. posted by london_cabby at 2:18 PM ...
londoncabby.blogspot.com/2006/05/good-start.html
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Alexander Demyanov
: Might well be the best option suggested so far. However, while "божий одуванчик" definitely doesn't have any derogatory tones (hence "crone" is out of question), I don't see it being that positive. Just a nice way to say "frail with a hint of dementia".
27 mins
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Thank you, that gives me a better idea of what it means.
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| neutral |
Olga Cartlidge
: It does indeed, but I do not think that the idea of frailty comes into this // Unlike Al, I do not think dementia comes into it at all. The term is used to describe an old woman who is gentle, frail, naive and a bit in a world of her own.
7 hrs
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"Nice old dear" more or less covers that.
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| agree |
Vladimir Dubisskiy
: no dementia here at all: "одуванчик" implies white thin hair of a frail old woman (like dandelion).
10 hrs
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Olga Arakelyan
: With Jack and with Olga. Jack's description covers the meaning of God's dandelion very well. Though it would be nice to have a similar set phrase here too.
20 hrs
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Elizabeth Adams
: I've heard people say "Q-tip." Supposedly an old woman with white hair and white sneakers looks like a Q-tip... (Q-tip = ватная палочка, the one you use to clean your ears)
1 day 1 hr
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Thank you, but what is a Q-tip?// Oh, right, we call them "cotton buds", which is a term probably as unfamiliar to you as "Q-tip" was to me!
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1 hr
Henry Schroeder
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
174
dotard
ОДУВАНЧИК, -а, м. Травянистое растение сем. сложноцветных с жёлтыми цветками и семенами на пушистых волосках, разносимых ветром. * Божий одуванчик (разг. шутл.; ирон.) — о тихом и слабом, обычно старом человеке. Старушка божий одуванчик. II прил. одуванчиковый, -ая, -ое.
Dotard according to the dictionary is a little different, closely associated with reduced mental abilities. It doesn't have any negative connotations like crone (to me, at least), which is also supported by the literary examples at the Free Dictionary: http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:tkza-WumnLcJ:www.thefre...
Another possibility would be to imply the frailness by using octogenarian or septuagenarian
Dotard according to the dictionary is a little different, closely associated with reduced mental abilities. It doesn't have any negative connotations like crone (to me, at least), which is also supported by the literary examples at the Free Dictionary: http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:tkza-WumnLcJ:www.thefre...
Another possibility would be to imply the frailness by using octogenarian or septuagenarian
+1
1 hr
Alexander Demyanov
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
112
[looking] frail as a[n]...
...autumn leaf
...dried flower
...blowball
(you name it)
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-05-11 14:19:17 GMT)
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Maybe "delicate" instead of "frail"
...dried flower
...blowball
(you name it)
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-05-11 14:19:17 GMT)
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Maybe "delicate" instead of "frail"
Discussion