کلنجار رفتن
Persian
Etymology
From کلنجار (kelenjâr, “crab”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Persian) IPA(key): /ka.lan.ˈd͡ʒaːɾ ɾaf.ˈtan/
- (Dari, formal) IPA(key): [kʰä.län.d͡ʒɑ́ːɾ räf.t̪ʰǽn]
- (Iran, formal) IPA(key): [kʰʲæ.læn.d͡ʒɒ́ːɹ ɹæf.t̪ʰǽn]
- (Tajik, formal) IPA(key): [kʰä.län.d͡ʒɔ́ɾ ɾäf.t̪ʰǽn]
| Readings | |
|---|---|
| Classical reading? | kalanjār raftan |
| Dari reading? | kalanjār raftan |
| Iranian reading? | kalanjâr raftan |
| Tajik reading? | kalanjor raftan |
Verb
کلنجار رفتن • (kalanjâr raftan)
- to fumble with your hands, just like how a crab tries to hold things with its claws
- از شدّت اضطراب کل مدّت مصاحبه رو فقط داشت با دکمههاش کلنجار میرفت!
- az šeddate ezterâb kolle moddate mosâhebe ro faqat dâšt bâ dokmehâš kalanjâr miraft!
- Due to severe stress, he/she was just fumbling at his/her buttons during the whole interview!
- (informal) to struggle, to grapple with, or to squabble
- 1962, Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh, The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism:
- کلنجار رفتن با یک مشت بنا و عمله کار حضرت فیل است!
- kalanjâr raftan ba yek mošt amale o bannâ kâre hazrate fil ast!
- Dealing with a bunch of construction workers is a total burnout!
- to make great effort and make little progress
- Synonym: درگیر بودن (dargir budan), سر و کله زدن (saro kalle zadan), وَر رفتن (var raften)
References
- Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–) “کلنجار”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press
- Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh (1962) “کلنجار رفتن”, in The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism (in Persian)