Jul 7, 2011 14:17
12 yrs ago
Russian term
also an attorney with AML background
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, English
бывшая прислуга «за все»
Russian to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Whose favors included more than serving beer?
К сожалению, его жена – дочь кабатчика, бывшая прислугой «за все», еще до того как она попала к дяде Боре, – была глупа, неразвита и вульгарна, хотя по-своему красива.
К сожалению, его жена – дочь кабатчика, бывшая прислугой «за все», еще до того как она попала к дяде Боре, – была глупа, неразвита и вульгарна, хотя по-своему красива.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | all-round skivvy |
Piotrnikitin
|
| 4 | Ex-maid for all |
Aljoska
|
| 3 +1 | former maid of all work |
Oleksiy Markunin
|
| 3 | former dogsbody |
Blair Sheridan
|
Proposed translations
+2
17 mins
Piotrnikitin
Serbia
Serbia
Native in Russian
&
English
Works in field
Serbia
Making LEGAL sense...
Native in: English 
, Russian
Works in: Russian to English, Dutch to English, English to Russian, and 9 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
36
Selected
all-round skivvy
I have come across this in ильф и петров, золотой теленок:
-- Я больше не буду! -- взмолился Паниковский. -- Я нервный!
-- Встаньте на колени, -- сказал Остап. Паниковский так поспешно опустился на колени, словно ему подрубили ноги.
-- Хорошо! -- сказал Остап. -- Ваша поза меня удовлетворяет. Вы приняты условно, до первого нарушения дисциплины, с возложением на вас обязанностей прислуги за все.
I think this where the expression actually comes from. It means a servant with no rights whatsoever, an ironic word for slave basically. I would translate this as "all-round skivvy", but I am consious that "skivvy" may be too British for you.
-- Я больше не буду! -- взмолился Паниковский. -- Я нервный!
-- Встаньте на колени, -- сказал Остап. Паниковский так поспешно опустился на колени, словно ему подрубили ноги.
-- Хорошо! -- сказал Остап. -- Ваша поза меня удовлетворяет. Вы приняты условно, до первого нарушения дисциплины, с возложением на вас обязанностей прислуги за все.
I think this where the expression actually comes from. It means a servant with no rights whatsoever, an ironic word for slave basically. I would translate this as "all-round skivvy", but I am consious that "skivvy" may be too British for you.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
15 mins
Ex-maid for all
Hi Deborah,
I think that the meaning is "ex-maid for all". I don't know if you can say this in English, but I think you understood what's the meaning.
:-)
I think that the meaning is "ex-maid for all". I don't know if you can say this in English, but I think you understood what's the meaning.
:-)
40 mins
Blair Sheridan
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Works in field
Canada
16 years of translation excellence
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, French to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
former dogsbody
I love that word "dogsbody" and it seems to fit, but perhaps more for Baldrick, than a woman :-)
+1
1 hr
Oleksiy Markunin
Canada
Canada
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
Canada
I'm the one to translate for you
Native in: Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, Ukrainian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
48
former maid of all work
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maid of all work
Or even "slavey" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/slavey
However, it's British
Or even "slavey" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/slavey
However, it's British
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Piotrnikitin
: maid of all work is probably a valid translation, but it does lack some of the derogatory sence of "прислуга за все"
18 hrs
|
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Thanks for your opinion..)
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