А между тем я здесь ничего не делаю - à la lettre ничего.

Видно
такова судьба моя, чтобы ничего не дать в “Русский вестник”. Ем
ужасно ... Сплю очень хорошо...и ... никакого сочинения в голове не
имеется. Я начал было одну главу следующими ... словами: “В один
прекрасный день” - потом вымарал “прекрасный” - потом вымарал
“один” - потом вымарал всё и написал крупными буквами: „ЁБАНА
МАТЬ!“ да на том и покончил. Но я думаю, “Русский вестник” этим
не удовлетворится.

I have been doing absolutely nothing - à la lettre nothing. Perhaps it’s my

fate that I won’t be able to write1 for Russky Vestnik2. I eat badly … sleep
a lot … and there are absolutely no creative thoughts in my head. The
other day I made an attempt to write. I wrote “On one beautiful day,”...
Then I crossed out the word “beautiful,” then “one,” then I erased them
all and wrote in all capital letters “I FUCKED YOUR MOM.” That was it
for the writing. I don’t think it will suffice for Russky Vestnik.

— Excerpt from a letter by Ivan Turgenev, XIX century Russian

writer, author of the novel “Fathers and Sons.”
Translation by Elmira Kuznetsova.

1 A short story.
2 Russian literary magazine.
 Copyright 2020
E. Kuznetsova & J. R. Pollard
jritapollard@gmail.com
jesspollard.squarespace.com
@curselikearussian
Printed in Canada
На хую я вертел!
[na huyu ya vertel]

Literal translation: “I spin it on my dick.”

Meaning: That’s how little I care about it.

4
Ебушки-воробушки
[yobushki-varobyshki]

Literal translation: A deviation of the word “fuck”

that aptly rhymes with “воробушки,” a diminutive
of “sparrows.”
Meaning: Fuckety-fuck!

5
Блядский цирк!
[blyatskiy tsirk]

Literal translation: “Whore’s circus.”

Meaning: What a fucking mess!

6
И понеслась пизда
по кочкам
[e paneslas pizda pa kochkam]

Literal translation: “Off went the cunt, jumping

from hill to hill.”
Meaning: The situation has spiralled out of control.

7
Ебать-копать
[yebat-kapat]

Literal translation: “To fuck - to dig.”

Meaning: Fuckety-fuck.

8
Мать твою слева
за ногу
[mat tvayu sleva zanagu]

Literal translation: “Your mom, to the left, by the leg.”

Meaning: “I am doing a bad thing to your mother.”

9
Че? - Хуй через плечо!
[chyo? - huy cherez plecho!]

Literal translation: (in a dialogue) “What?” - “Sling a

dick over the shoulder!”
Meaning: “What?” - “Nothing.”

10
Не пришей пизде
бубенчик
[ne prishey pizde bubenchik]

Literal translation: “Don’t sew a bell to the cunt.”

Meaning: You need it like a fish needs a bicycle.

11
 A selection of curses for
workspace productivity,
establishing emotional connection,
and everyday life.