Начал во здравие, кончил за упокой

English translation: started with laughter and ended with tears

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:Начал во здравие, кончил за упокой
English translation:started with laughter and ended with tears
Entered by: Lena Grainger

18:22 Mar 17, 2006
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Folklore / Поговорки
Russian term or phrase: Начал во здравие, кончил за упокой
Без контекста, увы.
Не обижайтесь, если я не сразу выберу, кому кудозы достанутся - у меня новая работа с совершенно дурацким графиком, так что не знаю, когда я в следующий раз сюда попаду.
Lena Grainger
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:31
started with laughter and ended with tears
Explanation:
or:
went from the sublime to the ridiculous

(with thanks to Lubensky's Russian English Dictionary of Idioms)
Selected response from:

David Knowles
Local time: 06:31
Grading comment
Suits perfectly, thanks!
Please tell me - does this saying exist in English or did you make it up? It wouldn't make a difference to the translation, just curious.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2started with laughter and ended with tears
David Knowles
3 +1started speaking with delight and finished with a sorry sight
Kirill Semenov
3Made a good beginning, but a bad ending
Sergei_A


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
started speaking with delight and finished with a sorry sight


Explanation:
www.multitran.ru

;-)

Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 08:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Andrey Belousov (X): я - за рифму
2 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Made a good beginning, but a bad ending


Explanation:


Sergei_A
Local time: 02:31
Native speaker of: Russian
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
started with laughter and ended with tears


Explanation:
or:
went from the sublime to the ridiculous

(with thanks to Lubensky's Russian English Dictionary of Idioms)

David Knowles
Local time: 06:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
Suits perfectly, thanks!
Please tell me - does this saying exist in English or did you make it up? It wouldn't make a difference to the translation, just curious.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sabina Metcalf
49 mins

agree  Yuri Geifman: I really like the second suggestion
1 hr
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