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You say, for instance:

A mere month ago, it seemed they couldn't get enough of each other. My, how things have changed after one big falling-out. Now there is no/little love lost between them.

This expression might not translate easily into other languages. It is an understatement, a heavily ironic way of saying that, given a mutual dislike, animosity between two people, "any amount of love would be lost/wasted on them". Basically, they can’t stand the sight of each other, making no effort to conceal it. It's as if to say, there's only so much supply of love, like time, allotted to each person in their lifetime, so no sense in wasting any of it where it is not needed.

How is this idea commonly/idiomatically expressed in Russian?

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  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – Quassnoi
    Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 14:44

7 Answers 7

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Теперь они друг друга на дух не переносят (or не выносят).

A couple examples from the corpus:

  • Мужа своего частенько прилюдно поругивала и разве что не колотила, свёкра не переносила на дух, и он платил ей теми же облигациями.

  • Человек ничего плохого мне не сделал, а я его терпеть не могу. На дух не выношу!

  • Эсперантистов он с юности на дух не выносил, особенно после того, как его родную Сенную улицу переименовали в улицу Эсперанто.

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  • "Терпеть друг друга не могут", which is actually mentioned in your answer. Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 20:40
  • @TT_ you're right, but I tried to find an idiomatic one, per the original request. терпеть друг друга не могут means "сan't stand each other", that's just the literal description of the feeling.
    – Quassnoi
    Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 22:52
8

I'd express it as

Остыли чувства

or more ironic

Ушла любовь, завяли помидоры

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  • 3
    I think your translation is a bit more neutral than the original phrase implies. Both "остыли чувства" and "ушла любовь" indicate that the love is gone, but do not infer that two people not only stopped liking each other, but actually dislike each other now. I think "недолюбливать" or idiomatic "между ними (черная) кошка пробежала" depict more such change of feelings. Commented Jun 2, 2019 at 18:50
  • 2
    "No love lost" doesn't imply there ever was any love in the first place, it just means that two people can't stand each other.
    – AR.
    Commented Jun 2, 2019 at 19:29
  • @AR, exactly my point. The proposed Russian translations from one side suggest there was love at the first place (which is not indicated by "no love lost", even though fits the content in the example given), plus they both miss the point that currently two people dislike each other. Commented Jun 2, 2019 at 20:37
  • 1
    Originally it was "Прошла любовь, завяли помидоры".
    – Dmitriy
    Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 22:18
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(Между ними) все горшки (давно) побиты

Conveys the meaning that whatever goodwill between the two parties may have once existed is long gone. Even though it originated as a reference to a family quarrel (involving throwing pottery), I've seen it used to describe failing business/social relationships, too.

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они откровенно недолюбливают друг друга

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Talking about people who couldn't get enough of each other and then start to hate each other with time:

"От любви до ненависти один шаг"
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An attempt at ironic equivalent

Теперь они имеют друг друга в виду

Literally иметь в виду is to take into account, to (keep in) mind but the expression has received an opposite meaning to not give a damn about

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  • It is basically "they hate each other".
    – talex
    Commented Jun 4, 2019 at 13:34
  • just like "no love lost between them" Commented Jun 4, 2019 at 14:29
-2

"Прошла любовь-морковь, завяли помидоры, ботинки жмут и нам не по пути!"

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    Welcome to Russian SE. Actually you've been downvoted because you left no explanation - this phrase "прошла любовь, завяли помидоры" indeed in some contexts can be used - however it should be clarified in what exactly contexts
    – shabunc
    Commented Jun 7, 2019 at 12:57

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