гореть синим пламенем

Literally “to burn with a blue flame”. Carbon monoxide burns blue and is toxic, and is formed when a fire burns without airflow, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning or death.

• IPA^(key): [ɡɐˈrʲet͡sʲ ˈsʲinʲɪm ˈpɫamʲɪnʲɪm]

горе́ть си́ним пла́менем • (gorétʹ sínim plámenem) impf (perfective сгоре́ть си́ним пла́менем or вы́гореть си́ним пла́менем)

1. (figuratively, low colloquial) burn in hell, go to hell expresses dissatisfaction with someone or something, a desire to get rid of someone or something

   Perfective: сгоре́ть си́ним пла́менем (sgorétʹ sínim plámenem)

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see гореть (goretʹ),‎ синий (sinij),‎ пламя (plamja).

   Perfective: вы́гореть си́ним пла́менем (výgoretʹ sínim plámenem)

• The phrase is most often found in the second-person singular imperfective imperative, though can more rarely occur in other forms, including the plural imperative, first-person plural, perfective, and participles. However, the past tense is generally avoided.
• Many variations are possible, including alternate imperative constructions formed with пусть (pustʹ) or да (da) (which are comparable to English let), the addition of a subject (eg. всё (vsjo)) or a location (eg. в аду́ (v adú)), and replacement of the adjective with я́сным (jásnym) or of the noun with огнём (ognjóm). Some possible examples as an interjection include:
  • да гори́т всё оно́ я́сным огнём (da gorít vsjo onó jásnym ognjóm, “damn it all to hell”, literally “let it all burn with a clear flame”)
  • пусть гори́т он си́ним пла́менем (pustʹ gorít on sínim plámenem, “damn him”, literally “let him burn with a blue flame”)
  • гори́те лю́ди в аду́ си́ним пла́менем (goríte ljúdi v adú sínim plámenem, “burn in hell, you people”, literally “burn in hell with a blue flame, you people”)