You know how in English someone might say, “Oh, fudge,” in order to avoid using the eff word? In Russian the word блин is also like that: it's used as a euphemism for блядь whore. Блядь is much stronger in Russian than the corresponding word in English. Avoid saying it in polite company. Back when Bill Clinton was President, the Russians altered the phrase further and would curse by saying «Блин Клинтон» “Blintz Clinton.”

Clinton was not the only US President to be specially… um… reified in the Russian language. Back in 1990 the elder Bush was enshrined in the phrase «ножки Буша» “Bush's legs,” which were frozen chicken legs imported into Russia as a result of a trade agreement between Bush and Gorbachev. There wasn't much in the stores back then, so Russians purchased and consumed ножки Буша in mass quantities. A president with chicken legs… with a visual image like that floating around, no wonder the guy didn't get re-elected.

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