Alexander Kayumov Jun 13, 2018:

Well, hard to say without more context. :)) Like what names do other countries in the text have? What about people and their names? What's the overall style of the text? Etc.

But at first glance it seems that this country having a disparaging name is pretty important to the author. So I would try translating - although, for the life of me, I don't yet know HOW. :))

It wouldn't by any chance happen to be a thinly veiled version of Ukraine?.. I mean, there's a lot of THAT kind of fiction going around these past few years. :(

PS. Or maybe just have a footnote somewhere explaining the meaning of the name. But that's a bit inelegant.

Sarah McDowell (asker) Jun 13, 2018:

Hi Alexander, yes, I know that's a play on "в жопу" but I have just transliterated the name into English. Do you think I should translate it in such a way that it will convey this meaning?

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

Yes, I do understand it's the name of a country, from the context (and, I think, I remember a previous question involving it). But you do realize it's a play on "в жопу", right?..

So I thought translating it would present a rather interesting challenge. :)

Sarah McDowell (asker) Jun 12, 2018:

Взопу is the name of a country. I have translated it as the Republic of Vzopu. This is a fantasy novel, by the way.

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

How are you translating "Взопа", by the way???

Sarah McDowell (asker) Jun 12, 2018:

Sure I like your suggestion. Sorry about providing the context right away. I didn't want to post half a page of text here due to confidentiality reasons.

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

Good! :) Should I post that as an answer?

We were all thinking in a wrong direction without the context (especially seeing as this expression is really not widespread at all).

Sarah McDowell (asker) Jun 12, 2018:

I like your suggestion Alexander, "What are we, in grade school?"

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

Perhaps something like :

Poison your own people and pin that on the geologists from *however you are translating THAT*? Nah, what are we, in grade school?

At least it kind of conveys the "elementary school" sense. :)

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

Ok, well, that's clearly not what most of us have been talking about, this is a disparaging sense.

Sarah McDowell (asker) Jun 12, 2018:

More context The one guy (C) disagrees with what the other guy (X) says.

"...Ну, чтобы объявить войну Взопу. Нужно устроить какую-нибудь провокацию.
-Может повторим то, что мы делали пять лет назад? – спросил Х.
-Ну что вы, - сказал С. – Травить собственное население и обвинять в этом геологов из Взопу? Третий класс, вторая четверть.
-А как?

Vladyslav Golovaty Jun 12, 2018:

patently obvious so obvious that no one could disagree;
patently clear is less good

Victoria Batarchuk Jun 12, 2018:

If it is said about someone's behaviour, it means just "childish".

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

I think a bit more context might be helpful here. ;)

Does the speaker, for example, mean that the suggestion he is reacting to is TOO SILLY or TOO EASY or TOO OBVIOUS?..

Turdimurod Rakhmanov Jun 12, 2018:

OR
child's play

Turdimurod Rakhmanov Jun 12, 2018:

easy as pie,
easy-peasy lemon-squeezy
It's a cinch

mrrafe Jun 12, 2018:

But "piece of cake" has more of a connotation that it's easy for the speaker because he's so skilled or clever that nothing is difficult for him - not so much that the problem itself is easy.

The idiom appears here:
третий класс, вторая четверть...
... and yes you are doomed. you are dismissed.
http://www.baraban.org/go/showthread.php?t=17624&page=5

Turdimurod Rakhmanov Jun 12, 2018:

A piece of cake A piece of cake. For ex: that exam was a piece of cake

mrrafe Jun 12, 2018:

101 Yes, 101 could be right - meaning everyone knows it, it's the most basic level of knowledge. Diplomacy 101. But depending on the context, this may be something even more rudimentary than 101 - not just everyone, but even a child knows it.

Alexander Kayumov Jun 12, 2018:

I don't think it's an idiom per se... I certainly have never heard it.

It's analogous to "something 101", albeit referencing elementary school rather than college. :)

mrrafe Jun 12, 2018:

The speaker means it's a problem suitable for third graders in the second quarter, but I can't think of any US Eng idiom that's close. We might say it's kindergarten level (not an idiom), or "child's play."

James Duncan Jun 12, 2018:

This is a reference to the third year in school and the second term, deemed easy.