Nov 2, 2005 20:45
18 yrs ago
7 viewers *
Russian term
professional writer and translator
Native in: English 
, Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian
выше головы не прыгнешь
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Guys, please remind me how that American expression goes that says something like "one can't jump higher than his own head", meaning that you can't do what is impossible. Has anyone heard it? What's the exact wording? I am drawing a blank and google isn't helping.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Nov 2, 2005 21:27: Natalie changed "Term asked" from "Jump higher than your head" to "�� ����� �� �����"
Proposed translations
+6
6 mins
Selected
I found this on Google.com (suitable for E>R)
//but the link doesn't work//:
і182/09/Opinion
... Among the other possible contenders was the even more common, vyshe golovy ne prygnesh' (you can't jump higher than your head). ...
www2.sptimes.ru/archive/times/181-182/wordwrth.html - 4k - Supplemental Result -
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Note added at 2005-11-02 21:02:00 (GMT)
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Lubensky\'s R>E Dictionary of Idioms offers this for that expression:
A person can only do so much.
\"I can\'t work miracles\" is about the same idea
і182/09/Opinion
... Among the other possible contenders was the even more common, vyshe golovy ne prygnesh' (you can't jump higher than your head). ...
www2.sptimes.ru/archive/times/181-182/wordwrth.html - 4k - Supplemental Result -
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Note added at 2005-11-02 21:02:00 (GMT)
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Lubensky\'s R>E Dictionary of Idioms offers this for that expression:
A person can only do so much.
\"I can\'t work miracles\" is about the same idea
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Inga Jurkeviciute
: Выше головы не прыгнешь. You can’t jump higher than your own head. (You can do only as much as you can, you cannot work miracles.)
3 mins
|
| agree |
SirReaL
: Right. The question should have been asked using Russian for the source
20 mins
|
| agree |
Ewa Odrobinska
: I like it the best, too :) Both expressions given above are a perfect equivalent
59 mins
|
| agree |
Alexander Demyanov
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Maruf Rahimov
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Blithe
19 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I used "We can't work miracles". Thank you to all. "
3 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
80
Russian term (edited):
Jump higher than your head
In over your head?
Maybe I should leave this to the Americans. but I have never heard such an expression. However, you can be "in over your head", meaning to be in a situation with which you are incapable of coping.
Did you mean this to be an English-English question?
Did you mean this to be an English-English question?
+1
6 mins
Nik-On/Off
Ukraine
Ukraine
Native in Russian
Ukraine
careful, caring, and perfectionist
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
Russian term (edited):
Jump higher than your head
one is not bound to see more than he can
a man can do no more than he can;
it's impossible to hoist oneself by one's own boots straps;
one is not bound to see more than he can;
there is no building a bridge across the ocean;
you can't bite off more than you can chew;
you can't jump over your own head;
http://tinyurl.com/anjm7
it's impossible to hoist oneself by one's own boots straps;
one is not bound to see more than he can;
there is no building a bridge across the ocean;
you can't bite off more than you can chew;
you can't jump over your own head;
http://tinyurl.com/anjm7
8 mins
Russian term (edited):
Jump higher than your head
eg. "something is over my head" , see explanation below
One meaning for the expression "over my head" is that I didn't understand something because it was a bit beyond my intellectual reach. To be "in over your head" means essentially the same thing, an allusion to drowning.
In newsroom politics, "going over my head" means that somebody spoke to my editor about something I think they should have come to me about. Going to my boss instead of me (or after me) makes me look bad.
It happens when someone goes to the boss' boss with a beef or issue.
Let me know if is was something you was looking for or if I understood what you need correctly.
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Note added at 9 mins (2005-11-02 20:55:35 GMT)
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This is the article where I got these explanations from: http://www.freep.com/jobspage/toolkit/overhead.htm
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-11-02 21:03:36 GMT)
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if I am not capable of doing something = it's way over my head.
In newsroom politics, "going over my head" means that somebody spoke to my editor about something I think they should have come to me about. Going to my boss instead of me (or after me) makes me look bad.
It happens when someone goes to the boss' boss with a beef or issue.
Let me know if is was something you was looking for or if I understood what you need correctly.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2005-11-02 20:55:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
This is the article where I got these explanations from: http://www.freep.com/jobspage/toolkit/overhead.htm
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-11-02 21:03:36 GMT)
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if I am not capable of doing something = it's way over my head.
4 hrs
Russian term (edited):
�� ����� �� �����
one can't tumble over oneself
pgsql.ru: ERE dict:tumble
... to tumble over oneself прыгнуть выше головы; ...
www.pgsql.ru:8001/db/dict/index.html?q=tumble
... to tumble over oneself прыгнуть выше головы; ...
www.pgsql.ru:8001/db/dict/index.html?q=tumble
+1
9 hrs
Andrew Vdovin
Native in Russian
Works in field
DELVING into DETAIL
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian, Russian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Russian term (edited):
�� ����� �� �����
You can't stand a head taller than you are
ИЛИ:
You can't bite off more than you can chew
There’s a limit to what you can do
You can't stand head and shoulders above yourelf
One can do only so much and no more
It's impossible to hoist yourself by your own boots straps
There is no building a bridge across the ocean
You can't bite off more than you can chew
There’s a limit to what you can do
You can't stand head and shoulders above yourelf
One can do only so much and no more
It's impossible to hoist yourself by your own boots straps
There is no building a bridge across the ocean
12 hrs
Russian term (edited):
�� ����� �� �����
don't bite off more than you can chew; do not overstep your boundaries
self-explanatory
Discussion
Gary, I need to translate that exact Russian expression" "vyshe golovy ne prygnesh'". I thought there was a very similar American equivalent. "In over your head" has a completely different meaning, though.