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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Он говорит, как из бочки

English translation: mumbles like he's comatose

16:04 Dec 6, 2010
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / говорить, как из бочки
Russian term or phrase: Он говорит, как из бочки
What would be the idiom to describe somebody who is so indistinctive you can't make anything out of what he is saying,
like, speaking "from the bottom of the barrel?"

("Bottom of the barrel" though has a different meaning in English. )
Olga Rbl
United States
Local time: 22:32
English translation:mumbles like he's comatose
Explanation:
Something playful like that.
Selected response from:

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 22:32
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2mumbles like he's comatose
Mark Berelekhis
4 +1He sounds like he's talking under water
Rachel Douglas
4 +1He talks/speaks as if he has marbles in his mouth
Judith Hehir
4his (gravelly) voice tunneled up from the depth of his belly
Alexandra Taggart
4he sounds like he is in a tunnel
Eric Candle
2he speakes in a subdued voice
tschingite


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
He sounds like he's talking under water


Explanation:
You could keep the original image and say "He sounds like he's talking from the bottom of a barrel," but that's awfully close to the expression "bottom of the barrel," meaning the last, low-quality item.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2010-12-06 16:14:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh, sorry - I just saw that you had already noted that you're aware of what "bottom of the barrel" means.

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 22:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 84

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cyhul
10 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
mumbles like he's comatose


Explanation:
Something playful like that.

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 22:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 136
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angela Greenfield: mumbles unintelligible garble of sounds
10 hrs
  -> Rings true -- I have a friend just like that :D
agree  Vitals
19 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
He talks/speaks as if he has marbles in his mouth


Explanation:
common way of putting it

Judith Hehir
United States
Local time: 22:32
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Leigh Mosley: I think this is the most common expression
1 day 20 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
he speakes in a subdued voice


Explanation:
"говорить как из бочки" means to speak rather dull, to have a flat voice;
this proverb hardly deals with mumble and fumble

tschingite
Russian Federation
Local time: 05:32
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in TatarTatar
PRO pts in category: 4
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
his (gravelly) voice tunneled up from the depth of his belly


Explanation:
Like of a bull who roars when hungry.

Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Local time: 05:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Mark Berelekhis: Bulls can roar? :O :O :O
56 mins
  -> Yes Mark. Cows moo, but bulls roar - that is correct English. Both of them bellow.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
he sounds like he is in a tunnel


Explanation:
with a loud echo sound

Eric Candle
Local time: 22:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 8
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