Dictionary of Russian Slang and Colloquial Expressions

I agree with "polyglossum" down below. This is a good book for someone who possibly is from russia and moved here when younger and has forgotten many things, but not for someone who is unfamiliar to the language or is a student of it. The words will confuse you and make you sound ridiculous. Some words are very, VERY applicable to today's russia, but many are so outdated or absurd that they make me laugh.

This dictionary is rather comprehensive, including words from Mafia, youth, and prison slang. When I went to Russia, I had a very hard time remembering slang, and especially figuring it out at times. If I had only bought this book before my trip! Since I was communicating mainly with young people of the Zaural region of Russia, they didn't use as much of the a la mode slang of Moscow or Petersburg. The author gives ample explanations of the words, where they come from, their level of vulgarity, and what they normally mean. I haven't seen any other slang dictionaries, so I'd have to say that this is an excellent choice for a student going to Russia.

From innocuous idiomatic expressions to vulgar profanities, this book provides a wide range of vocabulary that you won't find in Russian dictionaries. A quick caveat, however: If you aren't absolutely sure how to use the slang without inadvertently offending people, double-check with a native Russian speaker before you try some of these phrases out, because this book doesn't always give you an accurate description of the level of offensiveness of the words here listed. For example, the Russian word "blin" and the Russian equivalent of the "S" word are both described as being "rude". Yet the word "blin" is quite insipid, much like the English words "shucks" or "darn", whereas the other word is very offensive.Although this book is a reasonably well-compiled reference, I personally have found little need to study slang in depth because I just don't hear it very often, and I have no need to use it. If you find the profanities offensive and want a book without the garbage, I recommend you buy "2001 Russian and English Idioms" by Agnes Arany-Makkai.

This book contains a lot of vulgar and profane words and expressions. If this is want you want, then this is the book for you. It not only contains translations but also gives examples. But be aware that the book is Russian-English only. Therefore finding the Russian equivalent to an English word is rather troublesome. But one nice feature of this book is the fact that it tells you in which circles words are used.(youth, military, criminal, etc.)

At last! A comprehensive dictionary of Russian street slang and vulgarities that provides real-life *examples* in context. Thanks to the fact that one author is Russian and the other English-speaking, this book is not marred by the usual problems of outdated usage or clumsy translations. True, it could be more comprehensive, but it provides the most commonly encountered expressions that simply cannot be found elsewhere. Highly recommended.