Editing Ostap Bender (section)

==Cultural influence==
A chapter in ''The Little Golden Calf'' was called "The Great Combinator" ("Великий комбинатор", "The Great Schemer"). It was one of the choices for the title of the book. Since then the expression "the great combinator" came to refer in Russian culture either a con man or to an enterprising person.<ref>''Словарь крылатых слов и выражений'', item [http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/dic_wingwords/360/%D0%92%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9 Великий комбинатор]</ref>

One of the attractions of Bender is the witty language of the novels which produced numerous [[Catchphrase|catchphrases]]:<ref>Olga Fedina, pp. 36-39.</ref>
*"Maybe I should also give you the key to the flat where I keep my money?" ("Может быть, тебе дать ещё ключ от квартиры, где деньги лежат?") – it became a cliche rebuke to unreasonable requests.<ref name=of39>Olga Fedina, p. 39.</ref>
*"Stay strong. The West will help us." ("Крепитесь. Запад нам поможет.") – now an ironical hint that a situation is hopeless.<ref name=of39/> With the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]], the ironical meaning has become nearly literal.
*"Money in the morning, chairs in the evening." ("Утром деньги, вечером стулья.") – now a jocular hint to payment in advance.<ref name=of39/>
*"The task of helping the drowning people is in the hands of the drowning people themselves." ("Спасение утопающих — дело рук самих утопающих".) – "not our business"<ref name=of39/> Notably, this quote was cited in the situation when Russia was trying to attract foreign investors, while Russia's own capital was fleeing the country.<ref name=kevi/>
*"The ice has broken, ladies and gentlemen of the jury!" ("Лёд тронулся, господа присяжные заседатели!") – said to declare the onset of a progress in something after a period of deadlock, uncertainty, or stagnation.<ref name=of39/>
*To cover up his activities, Bender created the fake office named ''Horns and Hooves'' ("Рога и копыта"). This name in Russian is used to describe shell companies and other small dubious organizations.
{{wikiquote|The Little Golden Calf}}