ECTACO Info: 10 Words Everybody Needs to Know Before Going to Russia. Part 3
It’s well known that the Russian language is rich in slang , pejoratives and vulgar words. Even the most common words can have a completely different meaning when used figuratively, which we wouldn’t encourage to you use… A friend of mine loves to use the word „забивать“. Personally I most often use this word in the figurative way, and only then does the main meaning comes into my head. The direct translation of the word is to drive in, to hammer in, to ram in. The etymology of the figurative meaning has always been a mystery to me. Speaking figuratively «забавать» means to connive (at), to wink (at), to turn a blind eye (to). «Забей!» means «don’t get it into your head». «Забей!» can be a synonym of another slang word «Не парься». It’s worth noticing that «Забей» belongs to a younger generation. E.g. my 27 years old cousin would most likely use «Не парься», and my younger sister who is 18 years old would prefer to use «Забей». My mother would say that it is not the best ...