Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
к черту на рога
English translation:
to some god-forsaken hole
Added to glossary by
Henry Schroeder
Jan 10, 2006 13:45
18 yrs ago
Russian term
United States
20 years of experience, certified, ATA
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: German to English, Russian to English, English
к черту на рога
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This idiom appears in both the question I just asked and in another section of the text, which I will provide below.
As usual I'm very unsure of the meaning here and there was nothing in the glossaries to my surprise. Retaining the "devil" part of the idiom is not that important, since to my perceptive abilities there is no play on words.
A colonel is talking about his unit's redeployment to the south. He is speaking with the literary critic who has come to see what turned out to be his dead correspondent. The colonel was the dead man's superior.
Все думал: посидим мы с тобой, как приедешь, побеседуем с глазу на глаз, может, и пулю распишем. Вроде бы, чего лучше, вроде бы хорошо, вроде бы даже Новый год, а надо срочно сниматься с места. Лететь надо, товарищ присатель. Передислоцируют нас на юг, ***к черту на рога.***
The literary critic then asks why and the colonel responds:
- То есть как - зачем? - кротко ответил он. - Дыни будем кушать, кишми жрать, а глупостей и безобразий - их больше не будет.
Thanks
As usual I'm very unsure of the meaning here and there was nothing in the glossaries to my surprise. Retaining the "devil" part of the idiom is not that important, since to my perceptive abilities there is no play on words.
A colonel is talking about his unit's redeployment to the south. He is speaking with the literary critic who has come to see what turned out to be his dead correspondent. The colonel was the dead man's superior.
Все думал: посидим мы с тобой, как приедешь, побеседуем с глазу на глаз, может, и пулю распишем. Вроде бы, чего лучше, вроде бы хорошо, вроде бы даже Новый год, а надо срочно сниматься с места. Лететь надо, товарищ присатель. Передислоцируют нас на юг, ***к черту на рога.***
The literary critic then asks why and the colonel responds:
- То есть как - зачем? - кротко ответил он. - Дыни будем кушать, кишми жрать, а глупостей и безобразий - их больше не будет.
Thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+7
10 mins
Sabina Metcalf
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in Russian
United Kingdom
Certified interpreter and translator
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
Selected
to some god-forsaken hole
Expression "к черту на рога" means very far away. Synonims:
к черту на рога • бог знает куда • вдаль • далеко • за семь верст киселя хлебать • за тридевять земель • к черту в турки • к черту на кулички • куда ворон костей не занесет • куда ворон костей не заносил • куда ворон костей не заносит • куда макар телят не гонял • на край земли • на краю земли • на кудыкину гору • на почтительное расстояние
к черту на рога • бог знает куда • вдаль • далеко • за семь верст киселя хлебать • за тридевять земель • к черту в турки • к черту на кулички • куда ворон костей не занесет • куда ворон костей не заносил • куда ворон костей не заносит • куда макар телят не гонял • на край земли • на краю земли • на кудыкину гору • на почтительное расстояние
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Many thanks!"
5 mins
Alexander Demyanov
Native in Russian
Works in field
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
hell knows where
I.e. somewhere far away.
7 mins
Alexander Onishko
Native in Russian
Veni Vidi Vici
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, Ukrainian to English, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
21
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
for miles and miles
i.e. very far away
+2
18 mins
Larissa Dinsley
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in Russian
United Kingdom
Royal Experience in Translation
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
to the back of beyond
www.rhythms of resistance.co.uk : where we do it : BruxxelsIn truth it was from the middle of nowhere to the back of beyond, through deserted residential streets. Compared to yesterday's Union demo, today had far ...
www.rhythmsofresistance.co.uk/?lid=69 - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
WalesAfter that we all packed up and said our goodbies to the back of beyond. Back in Bath in time for a balti at 8pm and a couple of pints in the Vic. ...
www.bath.ac.uk/~su7mtb/PastTrips/wales/wales.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages
Rusedski follows Agassi and Goran to middle of nowhereNow Britain's Greg Rusedski is prepared to travel the low road to the back of beyond in the Ukraine to chase his own particular dreams. ...
uk.sports.yahoo.com/02112005/3/ rusedski-follows-agassi-goran-middle-nowhere.ht
www.rhythmsofresistance.co.uk/?lid=69 - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
WalesAfter that we all packed up and said our goodbies to the back of beyond. Back in Bath in time for a balti at 8pm and a couple of pints in the Vic. ...
www.bath.ac.uk/~su7mtb/PastTrips/wales/wales.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages
Rusedski follows Agassi and Goran to middle of nowhereNow Britain's Greg Rusedski is prepared to travel the low road to the back of beyond in the Ukraine to chase his own particular dreams. ...
uk.sports.yahoo.com/02112005/3/ rusedski-follows-agassi-goran-middle-nowhere.ht
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
David Knowles
1 hr
|
|
Thank you David.
|
|
| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
9 hrs
|
| neutral |
Dorene Cornwell
: This must be a UK thing. I have never seen or heard it by native speakers in the US
1 day 2 hrs
|
42 mins
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
to Timbucktoo
Another old variant...
- Where to?
- To Timbucktoo!
As long as rhiming is a key, I might offer an improvisation:
To the South, next to Micky Mouse...
- Where to?
- To Timbucktoo!
As long as rhiming is a key, I might offer an improvisation:
To the South, next to Micky Mouse...
+2
1 hr
Deborah Hoffman
Native in English
Works in field
also an attorney with AML background
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
to who the hell knows where
Just what I would say conversationally. "They're gonna deploy us to the south, to who the hell knows where..."
"I just talked to my bunk mate from basic training and he's getting shipped out to who-the-hell-knows-where for training and then his final destination."
http://www.andrewandruss.net/andrew/archives/Period3/
"But I'm still having the regular "Oh my god. What am I getting myself INTO!?" moments, as he's moved from Boot, to A, and will be moving from "A" to who-the-hell-knows-where-"
http://sarahsmiley.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?p=3...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 19 mins (2006-01-10 15:04:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
If you wanted to leave the "hell" out of it (it seems stronger to me in English than черт does in Russian), you could try "to God only knows where."
"Queen of finance is still apprehensive to give me the ok on that, maybe after I get back from my August deployment to God only knows where"
http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC...
"Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I sat and waited for a call from my son who is currently deployed to god only knows where."
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QA53OQk1cqd8IVfxIssJJW6VLKn9R...
"I just talked to my bunk mate from basic training and he's getting shipped out to who-the-hell-knows-where for training and then his final destination."
http://www.andrewandruss.net/andrew/archives/Period3/
"But I'm still having the regular "Oh my god. What am I getting myself INTO!?" moments, as he's moved from Boot, to A, and will be moving from "A" to who-the-hell-knows-where-"
http://sarahsmiley.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?p=3...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 19 mins (2006-01-10 15:04:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
If you wanted to leave the "hell" out of it (it seems stronger to me in English than черт does in Russian), you could try "to God only knows where."
"Queen of finance is still apprehensive to give me the ok on that, maybe after I get back from my August deployment to God only knows where"
http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC...
"Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I sat and waited for a call from my son who is currently deployed to god only knows where."
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-QA53OQk1cqd8IVfxIssJJW6VLKn9R...
1 hr
Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Germany
Native in Russian
Works in field
Germany
US-educated, precise & thorough
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
63
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
the armpit of the earth
I've thought about this for quite a while and so here goes.
It seems like the colonel has a general idea of where they may be deployed to. Therefore it would be strange to call a more-or-less specific place "the world's end" or even "God knows where" (both of which are very appropriate **generally**).
I think the speaker really means to say that it's a place that no one would like to be in. Hence my suggestion. Hope this helps!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 30 mins (2006-01-10 15:15:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"to some hell-hole" might also convey the message
It seems like the colonel has a general idea of where they may be deployed to. Therefore it would be strange to call a more-or-less specific place "the world's end" or even "God knows where" (both of which are very appropriate **generally**).
I think the speaker really means to say that it's a place that no one would like to be in. Hence my suggestion. Hope this helps!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 30 mins (2006-01-10 15:15:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"to some hell-hole" might also convey the message
+3
1 hr
Andrew Vdovin
Native in Russian
Works in field
DELVING into DETAIL
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
to the devil and beyond
'Oh, no!' exclaimed Margarita, shocking the passers-by. 'I agree to everything, I agree to perform this comedy of rubbing in the ointment, agree to go to the devil and beyond!
(Master and Margarita).
(Master and Margarita).
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Erzsébet Czopyk
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
: possible...
8 hrs
|
| agree |
-Lika-
2 days 14 hrs
|
3 hrs
Vitali Stanisheuski
Belarus
Belarus
Native in Russian
Works in field
Belarus
No-nonsense approach
Native in: Belarusian , Russian (Variant: Standard-Russia)
Works in: English to Russian, English to Belarusian, German to Russian, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
to jumping-off place
Нашел в словарях вариант "jumping-off place"
Может понравится...
jumping-off place
...
3) отдаленное место, дальняя даль; край света it's a jumping-off place — это у черта на куличках
Может понравится...
jumping-off place
...
3) отдаленное место, дальняя даль; край света it's a jumping-off place — это у черта на куличках
3 hrs
Dorene Cornwell
Native in English
Works in field
Thorough, sensitive, and idiomatic
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, Spanish to English, English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Russian term (edited):
� ����� �� ����
way the hell out in the middle of nowhere
way the hell out in the middle of nowhere
or even
way the fuck out in the middle of nowhere
I'd probably stick to the first viersion, but I can imagine situations where I would use the second.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 5 mins (2006-01-10 17:50:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
off in the middle of fucking nowhere
out in the middle of the fucking sticks
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs 3 mins (2006-01-11 07:48:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
way the hell out in the sticks
or even
way the fuck out in the middle of nowhere
I'd probably stick to the first viersion, but I can imagine situations where I would use the second.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 5 mins (2006-01-10 17:50:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
off in the middle of fucking nowhere
out in the middle of the fucking sticks
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs 3 mins (2006-01-11 07:48:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
way the hell out in the sticks
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Erzsébet Czopyk
: к черту на рога - это не грубо, перевод в такой форме считаю неверной и неподходящей к тексту.
3 hrs
|
|
Thank you for your opinion. In Russian people go to the devil; in English they go to hell. Hence the idiom
|
|
| agree |
Simon Gregory
: Yes. The last one is the best. "к черту на рога"-в далекую неуютную горную страну, а "к черту на кулички"- в отдаленную гадкую болотистую местность , Да и грубость отражает недовольство точнее.
13 hrs
|
|
Thank you!
|
|
| neutral |
Mikhail Kropotov
: Agree with Erzsйbet
19 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
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