на безрыбье и рак рыба

More from "Russian idioms"

• на своём горбу

  by the sweat of one's brow

• утереть нос

  lit: to wipe one's nose to prove a superiority, to win a victory over someone

• ума не приложу

  I have no idea, I haven't the slightest idea, I'm at my wits end

• не прошло и полгода

  even half a year haven't passed yet (since you started doing something and finally finished)

• бабушка надвое сказала

  ~ there's many a slip between the cup and the lip (idiomatic expression, lit. - the grandmother told in two)

• тараканы в голове

  lit: cockroaches in the head We say that everyone has his own cockroaches in the head. The more cockroaches there is, the more strange the person is.

• раскатать губу

  to feel one's mouth watering, to get ready to grab, to think that something is up for grabs (lit: to roll out / roll up the lip)

• тебя только за смертью посылать

  approximately: you are good only when sent to call the death (i.e. it takes you too long to do things, ~ I could grow old)

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