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Glite Dictionary
Crimea river

Crimea river

9.9
To make fun of someone who complains by saying their problem is not important
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : ¡llora un río!
  • When she started complaining about her workload again, he just rolled his eyes and said, 'Crimea river.'

Examples

  • If you're looking for sympathy, you won't get it here—Crimea river!

  • Oh, you lost your phone? Crimea river!

  • Every time he grumbles about his misfortunes, someone inevitably replies with 'Crimea river.'

  • Whenever she complains about her job, I just say, 'Crimea river!'

  • Every time he grumbles about his misfortunes, someone inevitably replies with 'Crimea river.'

  • When she started complaining about her workload again, he just rolled his eyes and said, 'Crimea river.'

  • Oh, you lost your phone? Crimea river!

Synonyms

cry me a river
vsCrimea river
  • Informal
1 9.6

Tell someone you do not feel sorry for their complaints

is a humorous pun that replaces words to make a joke
to cry a river
vsCrimea river
  • Informal
1 8.7

Complain a lot in a dramatic way about something that upsets you

is used to dismiss others' complaints rather than to express unhappiness

How Dismissive

to care a hang
  • Archaic
1 9.9
Crimea river
  • Informal
9.9

Surface Forms

Crimea river main

Morphology

Crimea + river

The meaning ('mockingly dismiss complaints') cannot be derived from the literal constituents 'Crimea' (a place name) and 'river' (a watercourse); the phrase is a phonetic pun on the idiom 'cry me a river' and relies on soundplay and familiarity with that idiom. Understanding it requires prior exposure to the original idiom or cultural/phonological awareness, so a B1 learner knowing the words would not infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Crimea river is a joke that mixes the saying cry me a river and the place Crimea, turning Crimea and river into a pun. So people say Crimea river to mock someone's complaints, meaning 'I don't care'.