The Word's Worth

Stuck-Up, High Maintenance and Oh So Demanding 06.08.2021 8:34 ↓

I'm stuck on being stuck-up. So many ways to be very annoying.

Hazard a Guess on the Meaning of Азарт 23.07.2021 13:11 ↓

What do you do with untranslatable words? Well, you translate them as best you can.

Good and Bad Manners the Frenchified and Russian Way 16.07.2021 12:48 ↓

Is моветон having a moment? Why yes, it is. It's on everyone's lips. So what the heck is it?

Getting Married and/or Rejected in Russian 09.07.2021 11:46 ↓

Marriage can be confusing, but wait until you hear about Russian marital confusion!

Clean Up Your Act the Russian Way 02.07.2021 11:14 ↓

How to wash that bum right out of your hair and other tricks of the Russian launderer's trade.

How to Survive a Russian Heat Wave 25.06.2021 9:00 ↓

Don't drink hot coffee. Don't work (brain fog). Wear nighties to the store. And moan about the heat.

How to Interpret a President 20.06.2021 10:13 ↓

Everyone's an interpreter! Or at least, everyone loves to criticize interpreters...

The Many Faces of Живопырка 11.06.2021 9:20 ↓

A magical word that seems to acquire new meanings wherever it goes.

On, Near, About and Round About in Russian 04.06.2021 10:38 ↓

Another in my series of Mastering Russian Prepositions, this one is all about being near.

Maybe I May Be But Probably I'm Not 28.05.2021 10:29 ↓

Maybe seems like such an easy concept. Может быть I'm wrong? Or is that быть может?

No Way, No How, No Matter What 21.05.2021 9:26 ↓

What do courts and approaches and truth have to do with no one, nothing and no?

The No's Have It in Russian 14.05.2021 10:31 ↓

How many ways can you say "no" in Russian? You have no idea...

Cleaning House the Russian Way 09.04.2021 11:04 ↓

All you need are four verbs to satisfy all your cleaning, washing, polishing and murderous needs.

My Sweet Little Buggie-Wuggie 02.04.2021 8:39 ↓

In her column The Word's Worth, Moscow Times Arts Editor Michele Berdy covers the intricacies of the Russian language — from the fascinating to the frustrating and everything in between. The Moscow Times is Russia’s leading independent English-language media outlet. From our Moscow newsroom, we provide readers across the world with breaking news, engaging stories and balanced journalism about the...

The Monster Under the Bed 26.03.2021 8:54 ↓

How to talk about human monsters in Russian - or how to avoid hearing about them.

Singin' in the Rain the Russian Way 19.03.2021 10:48 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

Procrastinating the Russian Way 12.03.2021 12:51 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

Watch What You Call That Old Woman 05.03.2021 11:55 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

Of Men, Galoshes and Horseradish 26.02.2021 9:43 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

All That Glitters is Russian Gold 19.02.2021 11:04 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

The Language of UnFreedom from the Gulag 12.02.2021 9:40 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

Two Hundred More Ways to Get Russian Wrong 05.02.2021 11:22 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

Insurrection and Sedition in Russian Translation 29.01.2021 11:32 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Moscow 2020 25.12.2020 5:08 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.

2020 Words of the Year 18.12.2020 11:09 ↓

In The Russian Word’s Worth, Michele Berdy allows herself the pleasure of a good, long rant.