Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
пойти (о паре) в свисток
English translation:
to waste all the effort
Added to glossary by
Anton Konashenok
Nov 14, 2010 18:22
13 yrs ago
Russian term
PoveyTrans (X)
пойти (о паре) в свисток
Russian to English
Other
Slang
This is from an online chat discussing how effective online campaigns are.
Вам не кажется, что вся эта Интернет-активность она Интернетом только и ограничивается? Вот пошумели все в Сети, подписи даже пособирали, пар вышел.... в свисток. А реальных результатов, изменений не произошло...
The broad meaning is clear - to go up in smoke i.e. to come to nothing - but would like confirmation and any better suggestion to try and replicate the '...' structure within the sentence.
Thanks in advance :-)
Simeon
Вам не кажется, что вся эта Интернет-активность она Интернетом только и ограничивается? Вот пошумели все в Сети, подписи даже пособирали, пар вышел.... в свисток. А реальных результатов, изменений не произошло...
The broad meaning is clear - to go up in smoke i.e. to come to nothing - but would like confirmation and any better suggestion to try and replicate the '...' structure within the sentence.
Thanks in advance :-)
Simeon
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +2 | to waste all the effort |
Anton Konashenok
|
| 5 | vent |
Olga Rbl
|
| 4 | to blow off one's steam, |
erika rubinstein
|
| 4 | and it all turned out ... the window |
rns
|
| 4 | much ado about nothing |
Kiwiland Bear
|
Change log
Feb 20, 2011 23:07: Anton Konashenok Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
7 mins
Anton Konashenok
Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Native in Russian
&
English
Czech Republic
Competing on quality, not on price
Native in: Russian 
, English
Works in: French to English, Czech to English, Danish to English, and 10 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
24
Selected
to waste all the effort
a metaphor of a steam engine wasting all the steam in the boiler for the whistle instead of propulsion
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-11-14 20:41:34 GMT)
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As to an idiomatic way of translation, my suggestion would be "a lot of noise, not too much heat":
So, on Internet, they made a lot of noise - even circulated a petition - but not too much heat.
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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-11-14 20:41:34 GMT)
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As to an idiomatic way of translation, my suggestion would be "a lot of noise, not too much heat":
So, on Internet, they made a lot of noise - even circulated a petition - but not too much heat.
Note from asker:
| thanks - and for the explanation. It was also my reading that all the effort was in vain. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Yuri Smirnov
: Sounds sensible.
28 mins
|
|
Спасибо, Юрий
|
|
| agree |
Anna Bordanova (Semyonova)
: a lot of noise, not too much heat
12 hrs
|
|
Спасибо, Аня
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Anton!"
19 mins
erika rubinstein
Native in Russian
Interp, trans, proof, PR, research, writ
Native in: Russian , German
Works in: English to Russian, German to Russian, Russian to German, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
15
to blow off one's steam,
to let off steam
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Note added at 20 Min. (2010-11-14 18:42:49 GMT)
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Думаю, тут не совсем правильное употребление русского выражения.
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Note added at 20 Min. (2010-11-14 18:42:49 GMT)
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Думаю, тут не совсем правильное употребление русского выражения.
Note from asker:
| Thanks Erika. |
7 mins
Russian term (edited):
пар вышел.... в свисток
and it all turned out ... the window
or it all turned ... out the window
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Note added at 31 mins (2010-11-14 18:53:48 GMT)
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Well, FWIW it's in the dictionary [1] and does the '...' trick. Or so I think. But you surely know better. Perhaps 'turned' to 'went' would help it — and it all went out ... the window.
[1] out the window — gone, wasted, or no longer in existence It is as if everyone's good judgment has flown out the window. If we quit now, we might as well just toss three months' work out the window.
Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006. Reproduced with permission.
— http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/go out of the window
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Note added at 46 mins (2010-11-14 19:08:15 GMT)
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Sure. Some other thoughts:
and it all boiled down to ... nothing
and all the effort went in ... vain
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Note added at 31 mins (2010-11-14 18:53:48 GMT)
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Well, FWIW it's in the dictionary [1] and does the '...' trick. Or so I think. But you surely know better. Perhaps 'turned' to 'went' would help it — and it all went out ... the window.
[1] out the window — gone, wasted, or no longer in existence It is as if everyone's good judgment has flown out the window. If we quit now, we might as well just toss three months' work out the window.
Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006. Reproduced with permission.
— http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/go out of the window
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Note added at 46 mins (2010-11-14 19:08:15 GMT)
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Sure. Some other thoughts:
and it all boiled down to ... nothing
and all the effort went in ... vain
Note from asker:
| thanks - though im not entirely sure that the meaning here would be clear to a native speaker. |
| Got it - sorry, it's me being slow on the uptake - yes, it makes sense. Would need careful thought on the verb to get it to work. Thanks again :-) |
4 hrs
Kiwiland Bear
New Zealand
New Zealand
Native in Russian
Works in field
New Zealand
Translation with excellence
Native in: Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
much ado about nothing
.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-11-14 22:28:45 GMT)
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With an added benefit of being a classical phrase.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-11-14 22:28:45 GMT)
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With an added benefit of being a classical phrase.
5 hrs
vent
folks have vented
vent·ed, vent·ing, vents
v.tr.
1. To express (one's thoughts or feelings, for example), especially forcefully.
2. To release or discharge (steam, for example) through an opening.
3. To provide with a vent.
vent·ed, vent·ing, vents
v.tr.
1. To express (one's thoughts or feelings, for example), especially forcefully.
2. To release or discharge (steam, for example) through an opening.
3. To provide with a vent.
Discussion
With this in mind, we can find any suitable phrase to denote that some big effort yielded zero result, possibly with no relation to steam.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/5066799/Padraig-Harrin...
We need to stress here that the campaign was noisy, making huge claims, raising expectations... and it all came to nothing.