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Обманули дурака на четыре кулака!

English translation: Fooled you but good!

15:28 Jan 10, 2013
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Other
Russian term or phrase: Обманули дурака на четыре кулака!
Apparently, this is an old Russian kiddie rhyme that should ring a bell with anyone who grew up in that neck of the woods. It means that you've been had, cheated, taken advantage of, etc. in the most spectacular spiteful manner, such as in

- But you promised to marry me and buy me an ice cream!
- Ha-ha! Obmanuli (obamanuli?) duraka na chetyre kulaka!

Naturally, you can't translate this head on. Can anyone think of an idiomatic equivalent in English? The only thing in that department that comes to my mind is cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater, but that's something totally different.

Many thanks as always.
The Misha
Local time: 00:16
English translation:Fooled you but good!
Explanation:
Strange to say, I can't think of or find rhymes used with "Fooled you!" except for repeating it: "Fooled you, fooled you!" - "Fooled ya, fooled ya!"


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-10 17:29:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Since vulgarity was mentioned in the discussion section, there is one rhyme, actually... "Fooled ya / Tooled ya".
Selected response from:

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 00:16
Grading comment
Thanks, Rachel, this is the "main gun" of course that I should have thought of myself, but like I said my own mind here only goes so far. I also used "Sucker!" (special thanks to Amy) and a few other things of my own. Many thanks, anyone.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2Fooled you but good!
Rachel Douglas
3 +1(I/he/she) really pulled your leg!
Amy Lesiewicz
4to twist someone round one's lettle finger
Maria Mizguireva
Summary of reference entries provided
FYI
RitaZ

Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(I/he/she) really pulled your leg!


Explanation:
I can't think of any equivalent rhymes, but there are a few phrases you could use, including:
(I/he/she) really pulled the wool over your eyes!
You fell for the oldest trick in the book!
You sure were taken in!
Or the modern colloquial:
Sucker!

Amy Lesiewicz
United States
Local time: 00:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Amy. I think pulled your leg or sucker, or, come to think of it, pull one over, would work. I may need more than one way of saying it.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  sparta1978: +
1 day 4 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to twist someone round one's lettle finger


Explanation:
/

Maria Mizguireva
United States
Local time: 21:16
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Fooled you but good!


Explanation:
Strange to say, I can't think of or find rhymes used with "Fooled you!" except for repeating it: "Fooled you, fooled you!" - "Fooled ya, fooled ya!"


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-01-10 17:29:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Since vulgarity was mentioned in the discussion section, there is one rhyme, actually... "Fooled ya / Tooled ya".

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 00:16
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 212
Grading comment
Thanks, Rachel, this is the "main gun" of course that I should have thought of myself, but like I said my own mind here only goes so far. I also used "Sucker!" (special thanks to Amy) and a few other things of my own. Many thanks, anyone.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, that's the one I think, thanks. No wonder there's no rhyme - I tried to find one and couldn't. Tooled'ya doesn't really count, does it, even though we all know what it means. Thanks, Rachel. Ain't nothing like a native mind going all the way back. My own only goes so far.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Elena Kiper
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  cyhul
16 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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Reference comments


1 hr
Reference: FYI

Reference information:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/russian_to_english/idioms_maxims_s...

RitaZ
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thanks, Rita, much obliged. The funny thing is that I can't find any references to the nice rhyme in that answer except for that Kudoz discussion dating years back. Do you think the lady made it up herself? I mean, it still sounds great even if she did, it's just that it rings no bells. Does it for you?

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