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умничать по полной

English translation: match wits

00:48 Sep 15, 2013
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Russian term or phrase: умничать по полной
I have the idea that this means to play practical jokes on each other. However, all my other sources say it just means to show off one's intelligence. For some reason, I think it's about playing tricks/practical jokes.

The context:
В нарды играли по ночам, грустили вместе и молчали на берегу, умничали по полной, смотрели кино, слушали музыку, варили еду.

Describes their usual activities together. So is my idea correct at all?
Sarah McDowell
Canada
Local time: 11:12
English translation:match wits
Explanation:
Like in the Barenaked Ladies song: "we try to match wits."

Your sources are entirely correct: it does mean "showing off" in an intellectual manner.
Selected response from:

Kateryna Zorya
Ukraine
Local time: 19:12
Grading comment
Спасибо!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3we had intellectual conversations / talked about all kinds of fancy things
Mikhail Kropotov
5 +1match wits
Kateryna Zorya
4 +1engaged in sophisticated, intellectual discussions
LilianNekipelov
4wax exceedingly clever
Michael Korovkin
3participate in intellectual sparring
Sofia Gutkin
3try to be too clever
Dmitry Murzakov
3engaged in philosophizing
katerina turevich
3play smart alecks
Andrew Vdovin


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
we had intellectual conversations / talked about all kinds of fancy things


Explanation:
That is the meaning I discern from your passage.

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 18:12
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 376

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  MariyaN (X)
8 mins
agree  Rachel Douglas
21 hrs
agree  danya
1 day 7 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
participate in intellectual sparring


Explanation:
I agree with Mikhail's explanation, but I'm not sure how best to phrase it here.

This reminds me of The Doctor and how he always talks about "being clever" :)

Sofia Gutkin
Australia
Local time: 02:12
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 12
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
wax exceedingly clever


Explanation:
..., waxed exceedingly clever (together), watched the movies, etc...

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Note added at 6 hrs (2013-09-15 06:51:52 GMT)
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oh, I got an idea: you may simply put "philosophized" / "went philosophical"

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 18:12
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 174
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
try to be too clever


Explanation:
Как вариант.

Dmitry Murzakov
Russian Federation
Local time: 20:12
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 8
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
engaged in philosophizing


Explanation:
"engaged in philosophizing"
both quite potent words

the action you have to catch is one which occurs most often during student years (or while fishing), when people, normally without any solid background in philosophy, engage in light philosophical banter.
There is a tiny little bit of a derisive note in it.




katerina turevich
Netherlands
Local time: 18:12
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 13
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
engaged in sophisticated, intellectual discussions


Explanation:
My option.


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Note added at 9 hrs (2013-09-15 10:24:04 GMT)
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Conducted -- if you prefer.


LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 12:12
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tatiana Lammers
5 hrs
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
match wits


Explanation:
Like in the Barenaked Ladies song: "we try to match wits."

Your sources are entirely correct: it does mean "showing off" in an intellectual manner.

Kateryna Zorya
Ukraine
Local time: 19:12
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 6
Grading comment
Спасибо!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mikhail Kropotov: Nice!
6 hrs
  -> Thank you! :-)
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1 day 1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
play smart alecks


Explanation:
For his part, Foley often played smart alecks and smarmy types, essaying one of his more popular recurring characters - the charming and polite axe murderer ...
ca.movies.yahoo.com/person/.../biography.html‎

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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2013-09-16 02:24:23 GMT)
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OR:
trying to prove who's smarter
There were too many things that I could not ignore. Like an earlier poster said it was like a daily pissing contest trying to prove who's smarter.".
www.businessinsider.com/inside-bridgewater-w...‎

Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 23:12
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 88
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