Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
Руки потрудятся - и зубам будет работа.
English translation:
Get your hands to work so your teeth will have something to do.
Added to glossary by
Dorene Cornwell
May 21, 2005 05:37
18 yrs ago
Russian term
United Kingdom
Royal Experience in Translation
Native in: Russian 
, Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
Руки потрудятся - и зубам будет работа.
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Folklore
proverb
Please don't laugh! Or is it just me who finds it so enterntaining? I would appreciate your help. Thank you!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
18 hrs
Dorene Cornwell
Native in English
Thorough, sensitive, and idiomatic
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, Spanish to English, English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
Selected
Get your hands to work so your teeth will have something to do.
Get your hands to work so your teeth will have something to do.
Pretty literal but blunt like my mother would say.
Pretty literal but blunt like my mother would say.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Larissa Boutrimova
: nice
2 hrs
|
|
Thank you!
|
|
| agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
3 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Seger Bonebakker (X)
: Comes closest in flavour as well as in meaning IMO
5 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
|
| agree |
Blithe
19 hrs
|
|
Thank you.
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you so much everybody; all answers has been very helpful and good fun. I have chosen Dorene's answer because it does sounds like the original proverb and is perfect here (thank you Dorene!). My problem is that 30 out of 40 proverbs convey the same meaning: "work hard and you will be rewarded" in different words; so I tried to keep to the original as much as possible. "
+2
4 hrs
Anneta Vysotskaya
Native in Russian
Whatever you do, do it with all heart
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
Work for hands gives food for teeth
:-)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexander Delaver
5 hrs
|
|
thank you, Alexander!
|
|
| agree |
Tatiana Nero (X)
1 day 6 hrs
|
|
thank you, Tatiana!
|
+1
6 hrs
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
he who labors - will have plenty
Made-up
+2
10 hrs
Alexander Demyanov
Native in Russian
Software Engineering background
Native in: Russian
Works in: English, Russian, Russian to English, and 1 more.
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
Idle hands make a man poor; busy hands grow rich.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Larissa Boutrimova
: Есть такая пословица "Busy hands make happy hearts". С учетом контекста предлагаю изменить на "Busy hands make happy stomachs" :)
29 mins
|
|
Спасибо! И Ваш вариант вполне милый.
|
|
| agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
11 hrs
|
|
Thank you!
|
12 hrs
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
Working hands make working teeth
:)
1 day 1 hr
Andrew Vdovin
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
DELVING into DETAIL
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Russian term (edited):
���� �������� - � ����� ����� ������.
Have a hand in the work to get your teeth into the food
A rather clumsy one:
Have a hand in the work to get your teeth into the food.
Have a hand in the work to get your teeth into the food.
Discussion
"... - � ������� ����� ������."