яблоку негде упасть

Russian

Alternative forms

  • я́блоку не́куда упа́сть (jábloku nékuda upástʹ) (rarer)

Etymology

Literally, “there isn't room for an apple to fall”. First attested in 1793, Karamzin, Письма русского путешественника.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈjabɫəkʊ ˈnʲeɡdʲe ʊˈpasʲtʲ]
  • Audio (Saint Petersburg):(file)

Phrase

я́блоку не́где упа́сть • (jábloku négde upástʹ)

  1. (figuratively) it's heaving, it's packed, it's overcrowded, there's not enough room to swing a cat

See also

  • как се́льди в бо́чке (kak sélʹdi v bóčke)
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