suwdan çıqğan tawuqça
/suwdan tʃɯqʁan tawuqtʃa/
Literal translation
like a chicken that has come out of the water
Intended meaning
Of a person: confused, at a loss and unnerved, and wretched or unkempt in appearance.
- Biz alanı tapsaq, alay-bılay eterek degen bazıqboyunla suwdan çıqğan tawuqlay bolğan edile.Those thick-necked braggarts who had said "if we find them we'll do this and that to them" ended up like chickens pulled out of the water.
- Allah ayıp etmesin ansı, suwdan çıqğan tawuqça, bıllayla da qatın alırğa küreşedile.May God not count it a fault to say it, but even such sorry specimens, like chickens out of the water, are trying to take a wife.
Variants
- suwdan çığarılğan tawuqça
- suwdan çıqğan çabaqça
Sources
Show sources
- Къарачай-малкъар тилни фразеология ангылатма сёзлюгю (2017), p. 416
- Малкъар тилни школ фразеология сёзлюгю (1994), PDF page 181