[.ca] Random House Russian-English Dictionary of Idioms (ISBN 0679405801)

Superb.:
This is a one of a kind dictionary of Russian idioms. It is a true masterpiece. I haven't seen one better. A nice and clever feature is the way the index is arranged. It is possible to find a particular idiom by keywords. No true student or professor of the Russian language will be displeased with this book. It's well worth the price.

Indispensable!:
I can't imagine I got along so long without this reference book. No matter how well you know Russian or English you need to know how to translate idioms and no general-purpose dictionary has them all and certainly not indexed as this volume is. This should be any professional translator's 2nd purchase (after a general-purpose dictionary)

Best Organized Work of Reference Ever:
When I left my employment with a government translation agency to become a freelance translator, this was the one reference work I knew was indispensable. If the usefulness a work of reference is determined by the strength of its index, this is the most useful reference work I have ever encountered. Every word in every phrase in the book can be found in the index *in the case in which it occurs in the idiom.* This is the only reference work I know that can compare with online sources in speed of finding the phrase you require. But that is not all. The translations of the Russian idioms offered are so comprehensive that, whatever the context, you will find a translation to match it. Even when I know a particular idiom, I will often look it up in Lubensky because it will offer me an alternative to the translation I had in mind. Beautifully laid out - this is not one of those reference works that give you eyestrain in the use of it - this book is a joy to use. There was translation before this book and translation after it, and I know which I prefer. Idioms are the life blood of any language - yours will be anaemic if you don't have this superb work!

A book that I've been waiting for a long, long time.:
I've studied Russian in high school, college, and graduate school and I've had to look all over (both in the states and in Russia) for a book like this one. It is wonderful! Dr. Lubensky research is incomparable and she gives clear and full examples for each idiom listed. BRAVO!

A Singular Accomplishment:
Prof. Lubensky has provided an indispensable tool for the serious translator of literary or folkloric texts. This dictionary is a necessary addition to the reference library of anyone with scholarly aspirations in the field of Russian language. It is equally necessary to anyone with a fondness for Russian literature or enthusiasm for Russian speech.