As the blog title states, русский лад is “(the) Russian manner,” though there are other ways it could be translated, for instance, Russian harmony. But the question is why I chose such a title for this blog and what it’s all about. Basically I will be exploring the Russian language through interesting expressions or words and sometimes tying culture and other aspects of things Slavic in as well. And русский лад is one such expressions that, to me, is an endearing expression that draws forth some sort of sentiment or emotion or nostalgia of the Russian “way” or “lifestyle/tradition.” There’s another way of, in some sense, expressing this: “по-русски,” which is generally translated “in Russian” (as in the phrase: я говорю по-русски (I speak (in the) Russian (language)), but is just as well translated, and in certain cases more appropriately translated as “according to the Russian way” or “in a Russian manner.” But I’ve chosen русский лад for the above sentimental/cultural reasons.

As a root, лад- means “smooth,” that is, it has no bumps or disharmony, is in tune or concord with its surroundings, is in accordance with something (“according to,” as above). From this root we get verbs, such as гладить: to iron, press; заглаживать: to smooth, efface, expiate, make up, make amends; разглаживать (разгладить): to smooth; улаживать (уладить): to arrange, settle, make up. We get the adjective гладкий: smooth, even. And we get the noun разлад: discord. And maybe the most common derivative these modern days of “ok” and other such ambiguities: ладно (adverb), in harmony, in (full) agreement; well, successfully; all right!, agreed!; okay; agreed?

And here are some common phrases:
без ладу и складу with no rhyme or reason;
быть не в ладу be out of tune with (с кем-л.);
идти на лад be on the mend;
лад в семье domestic harmony;
на французский лад after the mode of France;
снова да ладом the same old story;
петь не в лад sing out of tune
плагальный лад plagal mode
пойти на лад take a favorable turn, take a turn for the better;
не в ладах at variance, at odds
не в ладу с out of tune with
ни в склад ни в лад no rhyme or reason
ни складу, ни ладу neither rhyme nor reason (дословно: Ни рифмы, ни смысла);
на иной лад in a different manner, in a different way
на новый лад in a new way
на разные лады in various ways
на свой лад in one’s own way, after one’s own fashion