otha salam atarğa
/otxa salam atarʁa/
Literal translation
to throw straw into the fire
Intended meaning
Of a superstitious gesture made when an evil person's name comes up: to signal that the one spoken of is thoroughly bad.
- Ol murdarnı atın sağınsam, otha ne tük, ne salam atmay amalım bolmawçudu, – dedi Haji-osman."Whenever I mention that murderer's name, I cannot help throwing either a hair or a straw into the fire," said Hazhi-Osman.
Variants
- otha çöp atarğa
- otha tük atarğa
Sources
Show sources
- Къарачай-малкъар тилни фразеология ангылатма сёзлюгю (2017), p. 381