کلنجار رفتن

Persian edit

Etymology edit

From کلنجار (kelenjâr, crab).

Pronunciation edit

 

Readings
Classical reading? kalanjār raftan
Dari reading? kalanjār raftan
Iranian reading? kalanjâr raftan
Tajik reading? kalanjor raftan

Verb edit

کلنجار رفتن (kalanjâr raftan)

  1. 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!
  2. (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!
  3. to make great effort and make little progress

References edit

  1. Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–) “کلنجار”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press
  2. Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh (1962) “کلنجار رفتن”, in The Dictionary of Persian Colloquialism (in Persian)