phrase
mlatiti praznu slamu
to talk in circles, to talk to no purpose
переливать из пустого в порожнее, толочь воду в ступе
With stress
mlátiti prȃznu slȁmu
In Cyrillic
млатити празну сламу
In phrasebooks
Next to it in the phrasebook
- bácati dȑvlje i kàmēnjeto hurl abuse, to sling mud (literally ‘to throw wood and stones’)
- pȁsti s krȕšketo be clueless (literally, to have fallen off a pear tree)
- obèćati bȑda i dolìneto promise the earth (literally, mountains and valleys)
- trȅsla se gòra, ròdio se mȉšthe mountain laboured and brought forth a mouse
- ìmati pȕtra na glávito have something to answer for (literally ‘butter on one’s head’)
- Ahìlova pétaan Achilles’ heel (bookish)
- Sìzifov pòsaoa Sisyphean task (bookish)
- krokodílskē sȕzecrocodile tears
- òstati krátkīh rukávāto come away empty-handed (literally, with short sleeves)
- fȁlī mu dàska u glávihe has a screw loose (literally, a plank missing; colloquial and…