Glossary of Nadsat Language

 

Words that do not appear to be of Russian origin are distinguished by asterisks. (For help with the Russian, I am indebted to the kindness of my colleague Nora Montesinos and a number of correspondents.)

 

*appy polly loggy – apology

baboochka – old woman

*baddiwad – bad

banda – band

bezoomny – mad

biblio – library

bitva – battle

Bog – God

bolnoy – sick

bolshy – big,

great brat, bratty – brother

bratchny – bastard

britva – razor

brooko – belly

brosay – to throw

bugatty – rich c

al – feces

*cancer – cigarette

cantora – office

carman – pocket

chai – tea

choodesny – wonderful

*chumble – to mumble

clop – to knock

cluve – beak

collocoll – bell

*crack – to break up or 'bust'

*crark – to yowl?

crast – to steal or rob;

robbery creech – to shout or scream

*cutter – money

dama – lady

ded – old man

deng – money

devotchka – girl

dobby – good

*dook – trace, ghost

domy – house

dorogoy – dear, valuable

dratsing – fighting

*drencrom – drug

*charles, charlie – chaplain

droog – friend

chasha – cup

*dung – to defecate

chasso – guard

dva – two

cheena – woman

eegra – game

cheest – to wash

eemya – name

chelloveck – person, man,

*eggiweg – egg

fellow

*filly – to play or fool with

chepooka – nonsense

*firegold – drink

*fist – to punch

*flip – wild?

forella – 'trout'

gazetta – newspaper

glazz – eye

gloopy – stupid

*golly – unit of money

goloss – voice

goober – lip

gooly – to walk

gorlo – throat

govoreet – to speak or talk

grahzny – dirty

loveted – caught

lubbilubbing – making love

*luscious glory – hair

malchick – boy

malenky – little, tiny

maslo – butter

merzky – filthy

messel – thought, fancy

mesto – place

millicent – policeman

minoota – minute

molodoy – young

moloko – milk

grazzy – soiled

gromky – loud

groody – breast

gruppa – group

*guff – guffaw

gulliver – head

*guttiwuts – guts

*hen-korm – chickenfeed

*horn – to cry out

horrorshow – good, well

*in-out in-out – copulation

interessovat – to interest

itty – to go

*jammiwam – jam

jeezny – life

kartoffel – potato

keeshkas – guts

kleb – bread

klootch – key

knopka – button

kopat – to 'dig'

koshka – cat

kot – tomcat

krovvy – blood

kupet – to buy

lapa – paw

lewdies – people

*lighter – crone?

litso – face

lomtick, piece, bit

platties – clothes

pletcho – shoulder

plenny – prisoner

plesk – splash

*plosh – to splash

plott – body

podooshka – pillow

pol – sex

polezny – useful

*polyclef – skeleton key

pony – to understand

poogly – frightened

pooshka – 'cannon'

prestoopnick – criminal

privodeet – to lead somewhere

*pretty polly – money

prod – to produce

ptitsa – 'chick'

moodge – man

morder – snout

*mounch – snack

mozg – brain

nachinat – to begin

nadmenny – arrogant

nadsat – teenage

nagoy – naked

*nazz – fool

neezhnies – underpants

nochy – night

hoga – foot, leg

nozh – knife

nuking – smelling oddy

knocky – lonesome

odin – one

okno – window

oobivat – to kill

ookadeet – to leave

ooko – ear

oomny – brainy

oozhassny – terrible

oozy – chain

osoosh – to wipe

otchkies – eyeglasses

*pan-handle – erection

*pee and em – parents

peet – to drink

pishcha – food

platch – to cry

*shlaga – club

shlapa – hat

shoom – noise

shoot – fool

*sinny – cinema

skazat – to say

*skolliwoll – school

skorry – quick, quickly

*skriking – scratching

skvat – to grab

sladky – sweet

sloochat – to happen

sloosh, slooshy – to hear, to listen

slovo – word

smeck – laugh

smot – to look

sneety – dream

*snoutie – tobacco?

pyahnitsa – drunk

rabbit – work, job

radosty – joy

raskazz – story

rassoodock – mind

raz – time

razdraz – upset

razrez – to rip, ripping

rook, rooker – hand, arm

rot – mouth

rozz – policeman

sabog – shoe

sakar – sugar

sammy – generous

*sarky – sarcastic

scoteena – 'cow'

shaika – gang

*sharp – female

sharries – buttocks

shest – barrier

*shilarny – concern

*shive – slice

shiyah – neck

shlem – helmet

viddy – to see or look

voloss – hair von – smell

vred – to harm or damage

yahma – hole

*yahoodies – Jews

yahzick – tongue

*yarbles – testicles

*snuff it – to die

sobirat – to pick up

*sod – to fornicate, fornicator

soomka – 'bag'

soviet – advice, order

spat – to sleep

*splodge, splosh – splash

*spoogy – terrified

*Staja – State Jail

starry – ancient

strack – horror

*synthemesc – drug

tally – waist

*tashtook – handkerchief

*tass – cup

tolchock – to hit or push; blow, beating

toofles – slippers

tree – three

vareet – to 'cook up'

*vaysay – washroom

veck – (see chelloveck)

*vellocet – drug

veshch – thing

yeckate – to drive

*warble – song

zammechat – remarkable

zasnoot – sleep

zheena – wife

zoobies – teeth

zvonock – bellpull

zvook – sound

 

Anthony Burgess

 

Anthony Burgess was born in Manchester in 1917 and was a graduate of the University there. After six years in the Army he worked as an instructor for the Central Advisory Council for Forces Education, as a lecturer in Phonetics and as a grammar school master. From 1954 till 1960 he was an education officer in the Colonial Service, stationed in Malaya and Brunei. He has been called one of the very few literary geniuses of our time. Certainly he borrowed from no other literary source than himself. That source produced thirty-two novels, a volume of verse, two plays, and sixteen works of nonfiction-together with countless music compositions, including symphonies, operas, and jazz. His most recent work was A Mouthful of Air: Language, Languages…Especially English. Anthony Burgess died in 1993.