тьфу-тьфу-тьфу

English translation: I spit three times for luck

23:01 Jan 30, 2010

Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Other

Russian term or phrase: тьфу-тьфу-тьфу

Черная кошка все-таки перебежала мне дорогу.
«Тьфу-тьфу-тьфу!» Сплюнула три раза, как и полагается.

I know what you are thinking but I have to translate it. Thank you so much. :)

Eng-Rus/Rus-Eng KudoZ activity Questions: 62 (none open) (6 closed without grading) Answers: 96 United States
Local time: 10:34

English translation:I spit three times for luck

Explanation:
Imho, it's not necessary to replicate the spitting sound; this conveys the action and purpose of the custom.

Selected response from:

Deborah Hoffman
Local time: 10:34

Grading comment

thanks for the idea.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +5

Spit trice to ward off the bad luck

Michael Korovkin

3 +4

pooh, pooh, pooh

Maria Fokin

I spit three times for luck

Deborah Hoffman

"Shoo the devil!"

Alexandra Taggart

Answers

30 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

pooh, pooh, pooh

Explanation:
Many superstitions have been a part of Jewish life through the ages. One is to spit three times in reaction to something especially good or evil. This is done by literally spitting or figuratively by saying “pooh, pooh, pooh.” Over time the saying of “pooh, pooh, pooh” substituted spitting due to its offensive custom.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/spitting...

Maria Fokin
Italy
Local time: 16:34
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 20

5 hrs confidence:

I spit three times for luck

Explanation:
Imho, it's not necessary to replicate the spitting sound; this conveys the action and purpose of the custom.

Deborah Hoffman
Local time: 10:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

thanks for the idea.

9 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

Spit trice to ward off the bad luck

Explanation:
Just to say "spit three times" would tell very little to the anglophone reader

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 16:34
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 108

17 hrs confidence:

"Shoo the devil!"

Explanation:
He spits on his left to shoo the devil, which is always on your left according to superstition, the devil accompanies black cats.

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Note added at 17 hrs (2010-01-31 16:16:17 GMT)
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SHOO

Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:34
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian
PRO pts in category: 31

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тьфу-тьфу-тьфу

English translation: I spit three times for luck

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