What They Didn't Teach You in Russian Class ─ Slang Phrases for the Cafe, Club, Bar, Bedroom, Ball Game and More

Packed with slang words, phrases and expressions not found in any textbook, this fun-to-read handbook teaches the casual, everyday language heard in the cafes, bars and streets of Russia. No one actually speaks the formal Russian taught in school, which makes this book a must have for anyone looking to chat with the locals without sounding like a robot. Published as an attractive, small trim hardcover, this handy phrasebook makes the perfect gift for travelers and students who want to fill the gap between the Russian they are learning in class and what is really spoken in Russia.

Erin Coyne holds various degrees in Russian-related fields from Fordham University, Georgetown University, and UC Berkeley, where she is currently making depressingly slow progress on a PhD in Slavic Linguistics while teaching Russian classes on the side. In a former life, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer and later worked as an NGO program director which, for better or for worse, exiled her to nearly ten long years in the former Soviet Union. Her interests include yoga, long, alcohol-fueled train rides through Eastern Europe, and TV. Lots and lots of TV. In addition to English and Russian, Erin speaks six other languages with varying degrees of success.Igor Fisun is a native of Kiev, Ukraine, which, in moments of nationalist pride, he prefers to spell Kyiv. He is a former student of Kiev PTU where he quickly abandoned all interest in ever holding down a real job and instead embarked upon a career in freelance engraving. His native languages are Russian and Ukrainian, and he hopes someday to learn English well enough to talk his way out of a traffic ticket. His interests include cooking, Japanese art, cheap wine, and pissing people off on internet forums. He is ridiculously proud of his orchid collection.