медвежья услуга

Russian

Etymology

From медве́жий (medvéžij, bear's) + услу́га (uslúga, service) - "bear's service". According to Max Vasmer, possibly after Jean de La Fontaine's fable about a bear who broke his owner's head trying to kill a fly, in Russia spread thanks to Ivan Krylov's fable "The Hermit and the Bear" (Пусты́нник и медве́дь). The moral being "an obliging fool is more dangerous than an enemy."

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [mʲɪdˈvʲeʐjə ʊsˈɫuɡə]

Noun

медве́жья услу́га • (medvéžʹja uslúga) f inan (genitive медве́жьей услу́ги, nominative plural медве́жьи услу́ги, genitive plural медве́жьих услу́г)

  1. (idiomatic) disservice, more harm than good (an ill turn or injury)

Declension

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