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| Russian | English |
| дела как сажа бела | things are as bad as they can be |
| дела как сажа бела | things are as all right as soot is white |
| дела как сажа бела | things couldn't be worse (things could be better. used ironically or jocularly as a reply to the question ,,как дела?" ("how are things?")) |
| стремление видеть всё таким, как хочется, а не таким, каково есть на самом деле | wishful thinking |