крошки сметались

English translation: They wiped / collected all the crumbs from the table and ate them (the crumbs)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:крошки сметались
English translation:They wiped / collected all the crumbs from the table and ate them (the crumbs)

09:21 Jan 27, 2020
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2020-01-30 09:54:26 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / expression re food being scarce
Russian term or phrase: крошки сметались
Hello fellow Proz linguists,

I would be grateful if anyone could shed some light on the above expression. It is used by a political prisoner referring to conditions in a strict regime prison in Russia in the '80s. For more context, please see the below:

Признак "голодной" зоны в том, что на столах не оставалось хлеба. Когда люди поели, то там все чистенько, даже крошки сметались. Кормили плохо.

I thought it was likely referring to the fact that food was so scarce there wasn't even a crumb to be found in the place. But is the meaning much less figurative and simply stating that they wiped away all the crumbs?

I would appreciate any help with this! Thank you!
Nathalie Wilson
pls see below
Explanation:
They wiped / collected all the crumbs from the table and ate them (the crumbs).

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Note added at 14 mins (2020-01-27 09:36:38 GMT)
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No single crumb had to be wasted.
Selected response from:

interprivate
Local time: 23:56
Grading comment
Thank you for the clarification!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3pls see below
interprivate
4 +1even crumbs were swept up (off the table)
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
4 +1(literally) every last crumb was devoured
Vera Klink
4(all) the food was polished off to the last crumb
Michael Korovkin


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
pls see below


Explanation:
They wiped / collected all the crumbs from the table and ate them (the crumbs).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2020-01-27 09:36:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

No single crumb had to be wasted.

interprivate
Local time: 23:56
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thank you for the clarification!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rogatin: They swept down the coveted breadcrumbs to eat them all
23 mins
  -> Thank you!

agree  Kuanysh Zhakebay: The prisoners were so hungry even the bread crumbs were swept off from the table into a palm and swallowed.
1 hr
  -> Thank you!

agree  Katya Kesten
2 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
even crumbs were swept up (off the table)


Explanation:
Idiom. Yes, even with one's hands.
ccccc
stray crumbs were never allowed to lie, they were swept up immediately
https://books.google.com/books?id=x3A2dcfxjQMC&pg=PA69&lpg=P...
cccccccccccccccccc

please sweep these crumbs up.
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sweep up

ccccc
. it is no wonder that they didn't want to waste anything, even a small amount of food. Only after sweeping up the crumbs would they wash their hands.
https://www.sefaria.org/English_Explanation_of_Mishnah_Berak...

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
Local time: 19:56
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 97

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  FreEditor
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thank you, FreEditor. Have a great week!
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(literally) every last crumb was devoured


Explanation:
I agree with all that was said above. The expression is quite literal in this case, i.e. the crumbs were swept off the table into the hand and eaten. Not a single crumb was wasted. It is a sign of hungry times. My Russian grandmother experienced this in her childhood, growing up in a kolkhoz during near-famine. She always complains about throwing out food, especially bread, saying it was considered a huge sin; then she would mention how families used to collect even the bread crumbs off the table and eat them.

Vera Klink
Canada
Local time: 17:56
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  The Misha: Aha! Here's someone else brave enough to make shag vpravo-shag vlevo if need be rather than merely translate words.
15 hrs
  -> Thanks for the vote and compliment, Misha!
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1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(all) the food was polished off to the last crumb


Explanation:
....

Michael Korovkin
Italy
Local time: 00:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 174
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