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Бог не выдаст, свинья не съест

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Russian

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Alternative forms

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    • 1836, Александр Пушкин, “Глава VI. Пугачёвщина”, in Капитанская дочка, London: Henry S. King & Co.; English translation from Ekaterina Telfer, transl., The Captain's Daughter, 1875:
      — И, матушка! — отвечал Иван Игнатьич. — Бог милостив: солдат у нас довольно, пороху много, пушку я вычистил. Авось дадим отпор Пугачёву. Господь не выдаст, свинья не съест!
      — I, matuška! — otvečal Ivan Ignatʹič. — Bog milostiv: soldat u nas dovolʹno, poroxu mnogo, pušku ja vyčistil. Avosʹ dadim otpor Pugačóvu. Gospodʹ ne vydast, svinʹja ne sʺjest!
      "Well, my little mother!" answered Ivan Ignatitch, "God is merciful. We have a pretty good number of soldiers, plenty of powder, and I have cleaned out the gun. We may yet repulse Pougatcheff. If God does not forsake us, the pig will not eat us!"

Etymology

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Likely derived from an apocryphal Nativity story: when newborn Jesus was in the manger, a horse helped cover him in hay to hide him from Herod's men, while a pig tried to uncover him.

Literally, “if God doesn't give us up, a pig won't eat us”.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [box nʲɪ‿ˈvɨdəst | svʲɪˈnʲja nʲɪ‿ˈsjest] (phonetic respelling: Бох не вы́даст, свинья́ не съест)

Proverb

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Бог не вы́даст, свинья́ не съест • (Box ne výdast, svinʹjá ne sʺjest)

  1. never say die and hope for the best (expressing hope that one will find one's way out of a difficult or dangerous situation)
    • 1930, Г. А. Соломон, Среди красных вождей:
      Приготовься ― Бог не вы́даст, свинья́ не съест. Пиши о всех затруднениях и держи меня, по возможности, в курсе всех твоих шагов.
      Prigotovʹsja ― Box ne výdast, svinʹjá ne sʺjest. Piši o vsex zatrudnenijax i derži menja, po vozmožnosti, v kurse vsex tvoix šagov.
      Be prepared; never say die and hope for the best. Write to me about any problems and keep me, whenever possible, informed about all your steps.
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