ХОРОШ, КОГДА СПИТ ЗУБАМИ К СТЕНКЕ

English translation: ...is the best when asleep

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Russian term or phrase:	ХОРОШ, КОГДА СПИТ ЗУБАМИ К СТЕНКЕ
English translation:	...is the best when asleep
Entered by:	Anastasiia_M

18:58 Nov 12, 2015

Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Idioms

Russian term or phrase: ХОРОШ, КОГДА СПИТ ЗУБАМИ К СТЕНКЕ

Please help!

Anastasiia_M KudoZ activity Questions: 219 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 0 United States
Local time: 07:58

...is the best when asleep

Explanation:
children are the best when asleep

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Note added at 15 min (2015-11-12 19:14:12 GMT)
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Children are the best when they are asleep - would be better

Selected response from:

katerina turevich
Netherlands
Local time: 13:58

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

he/she is an angel when he/she sleeps

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.

...is the best when asleep

katerina turevich

3 +1

Good is as good does

Mikhail Kropotov

They are nice as long as you keep'em at a safe distance

Pavel Altukhov

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

13 mins confidence:

...is the best when asleep

katerina turevich
Netherlands
Local time: 13:58
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

41 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Good is as good does

Explanation:
♦ Хорош, когда спит зубами к стенке кто — ирон. о плохом человеке, которого считают (или называют) хорошим.

http://www.gramota.ru/slovari/argo/53_15414

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Note added at 43 mins (2015-11-12 19:42:29 GMT)
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I believe that by saying this, you imply that a person, judging by his/her actions, may not be as good as they are considered / made out to be.

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 13:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 63

44 mins confidence:

They are nice as long as you keep'em at a safe distance

Explanation:
n/a

Pavel Altukhov
Local time: 14:58
Native speaker of: Russian

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

he/she is an angel when he/she sleeps

Explanation:
IMO

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Note added at 16 hrs (2015-11-13 11:11:59 GMT)
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Following Vladimir's and Lilian's suggestions:

Devil by day, with his fangs retracted and facing the wall, he is an angel when asleep.

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Note added at 16 hrs (2015-11-13 11:14:57 GMT)
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Devil by day, his teeth towards the wall, he is an angel while asleep.

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
Local time: 07:58
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Polish
PRO pts in category: 22

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ХОРОШ, КОГДА СПИТ ЗУБАМИ К СТЕНКЕ

English translation: ...is the best when asleep

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ХОРОШ, КОГДА СПИТ ЗУБАМИ К СТЕНКЕ

English translation: ...is the best when asleep

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