Concordance:A Clockwork Orange
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This is a list of the Nadsat words and other fictional terms found in the book by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange, along with their meanings in English and their lexical origins.
The Nadsat slang word is shown with its closest English meaning or meanings. Its Russian origin is shown in Cyrillic, with an approximate transliteration, if pronounced (very) differently from the Nadsat. The translation of the Russian word is also shown if it differs from the English meaning. Words of uncertain origin are marked with a '?', and words which are modified English slang (not of foreign origin) are marked with a '-'.
Contents |
| Nadsat | English | Word origin |
|---|---|---|
[edit] A |
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| appy polly loggy | apology | Highly exaggerated pronunciation of apology |
[edit] B |
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| baboochka | old woman | бабушка, babushka lit. "grandmother" |
| baddiwad | bad | Young child talk |
| banda | band | банда, banda "gang" |
| barry place | prison | From bars on windows in Prisons. |
| bedways | to bed | - |
| bezoomny | mad, crazy | безумный bezumny |
| biblio | library | библиотека, biblioteka |
| bitva | battle | битва, bitva |
| blub | weep, cry | English slang. Not exclusively nadsat. |
| Bog | God | бог, bog |
| bolnoy | sick | больной bol'noy |
| bolshy | big, great | большой bol'shoy Cf bolshie |
| boohoo, boohoohoo | to cry | from the sound that one makes while crying. Not exclusively nadsat. |
| brat, bratty | brother | брат, brat |
| bratchny | bastard | брачный (matrimonial), brachny - likely a shortened внебрачный (out-of-wedlock), vnebrachny, even though stripping it of the prefix inverts the meaning |
| britva | razor | бритва britva |
| brooko | belly | брюхо bryukho |
| brosay, brosat | to throw | бросай (throw! - imperative), brosay, бросать, "to throw" |
| bugatties | riches | богатый, bogaty. |
| bugatty | rich | богатый, bogaty. |
[edit] C |
||
| cables | blood vessels | - |
| cal | crap | кал, kal "feces", sometimes used as an invective as well |
| cancer | cigarette | Short for English slang "cancer stick" from the disease heavy smoking is most commonly associated with |
| cantora | office | контора, kontora |
| carman | карман, karman | |
| chai | tea | чай, chay Not exclusively nadsat. |
| charles, charlie | chaplain | a play on Charlie Chaplin Not exclusively nadsat. |
| chasha | cup | чашка, chashka; чаша, chasha, "large bowl" |
| chasso | guard | часовой, chasovoy |
| cheena | woman | женщина, zhenshchina |
| cheest | to wash | чистить, chistit', "to clean" |
| chelloveck | person, man, fellow | человек, chelovek, "person", "man" |
| chepooka | nonsense | чепуха, chepukha |
| choodessny | wonderful | чудесный, chudesny |
| chumble | to mumble | portmanteau "chatter" + "mumble" |
| clop | to knock | хлопать, khlopat', "clap"; German Klopfen, "knock" |
| cluve | beak | клюв, klyuv |
| collocol | bell | колокол, kolokol |
| crack | to break up, smash | — |
| crark | to howl | portmanteau "crow" + "bark" |
| crast | steal, rob, robbery | красть, krast', "to steal" |
| creech | to shout, scream | кричать, krichat' |
| cutter | money | From Cockney rhyming slang derived from 'bread-and-butter' |
[edit] D |
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| dama | lady | дама, dama; cf Dame |
| ded, dedoochka | old man | дед, ded, дедушка, dedooshka "grandfather", coll. "old man" |
| deng | money | деньги, den'gi |
| devotchka | young woman | девочка, devochka, "girl" |
| dobby | good | добрый, dobry "kind", "good" |
| dook | trace, ghost | дух, dukh, lit. "spirit"; Romany dook, "magic" |
| domy | house | дом, dom |
| dorogoy | dear, valuable | дорогой, dorogoy |
| dratsing | fighting | драться, dratsya, "to fight" |
| drencrom | drug | possibly "Adrenochrome" |
| droog | friend | друг, droog, "friend" |
| dung | to defecate | — |
| dva | two | два, dva |
[edit] E |
||
| eegra | game | игра, igra |
| eemya | name | имя, imya |
| eggiweg | egg | Juvenile mutation of "egg" |
| em | mother | From initial. |
| eunuch jelly | gutless coward | |
[edit] F |
||
| fag | tire | English slang. Not exclusively nadsat. |
| faggy | tired | |
| fashed | bothered, annoyed, tired | Scots |
| filly | to play or fool around with | dim. of "fiddle", cf Filly (horse) |
| firegold | strong drink | ? "firewater" |
| fist | to punch | from Engl. fist, Cf удар кулаком, БИТЬ кулаком |
| flip | wild | ? |
| forella | trout | форель, forel |
| fuzzy | scratchy | |
[edit] G |
||
| gazetta | newspaper | газета, gazeta, cf "gazette" |
| glazz, glazzies, glazzballs | eye, eyes (also used to refer to nipples) | глаз, glaz |
| gloopy | stupid | глупый, glupy |
| godman | priest, chaplain | |
| golly | unit of money | rhyming slang, "lolly," or "polly" |
| goloss | voice | голос, golos |
| goober | lip | губа, guba |
| gooly | to walk | гулять, gulyat' |
| gorlo | throat | горло |
| govoreet | speak | говорить, govorit' |
| grahzny | dirty | грязный, gryazny |
| grazzy | soiled | грязь, gryaz', "dirt", грязный, gryazny, "dirty" |
| gromky | loud | громкий |
| groody | breast | грудь, grud', "breast", груди, grudi, "breasts" |
| gruppa | group | группа, gruppa |
| guff | laugh | guffaw |
| gulliver | head | голова, golova |
| guttiwuts | guts | Children’s speech |
[edit] H |
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| hen-korm | chickenfeed | Engl. hen + корм, korm, lit. "feed (noun)", but cf corn |
| horn | to cry out | — |
| horrorshow | good, well, excellent | хорошо, khorosho, "well", "good" (also pun on "horror" + "show") |
[edit] I |
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| in-out in-out, the old in and out | sexual intercourse/rape | — |
| interessovat | to interest | интересовать, interesovat |
| itty | to go | идти, idti, "to go" |
[edit] J |
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| jammiwam | jam | Juvenile mutation of the word "jam" |
| jeezny | life | жизнь, zhizn' |
[edit] K |
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| kartoffel | potatoes | картофель, kartofel which itself is derived from German Kartoffel, "potato" |
| kashl | cough | кашель, kashel |
| keeshkas | guts | кишка, kishka, "gut" |
| kleb | bread | хлеб, khleb |
| klootch | key | ключ, klyuch |
| knives | drugs | |
| knopka | button | кнопка |
| knopkavat | buttoning | кнопка |
| kopat | to 'dig' (appreciate) | копать, "to dig" (literally) |
| korova | cow | корова |
| koshka, kot | cat, tomcat | кошка, кот |
| koshtoom | clothing | костюм, kostyum "suit" |
| krovvy | blood | кровь, krov' |
| kupet | to buy | купить, kupit' |
[edit] L |
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| lapa | paw | лапа |
| lewdies | people | люди, lyudi |
| lighter | old woman, crone | Unknown, possibly "blighter" or "fire lighter" |
| litso | face | лицо |
| lomtick | piece, bit | ломтик, lomtik, "slice" |
| luna | moon | луна |
| loveted | caught | ловить, lovit', "to catch" |
| lubbilubbing | making love | любить, lyubit', "to love", люблю, lyublyu, "(I) love" |
| luscious glory | hair | rhyming slang, possibly "upper storey" (or, more likely, a reference to 'crowning glory') |
[edit] M |
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| malchick | boy | мальчик |
| malenky | little, tiny | маленький |
| maslo | butter | масло |
| merzky | filthy | мерзкий, lit. "vile" |
| messel | thought, fancy | мысль, mysl' |
| mesto | place | место |
| mewler (or: mowler) | to mew | — |
| millicents | police | from милиционер, militsioner, lit. "a militsiya officer", influenced by the given name Millicent. Cf militia |
| minoota | minute | минута, minuta |
| molodoy | young | молодой |
| moloko | milk | молоко |
| Moloko plus | milk laced with drugs | (see notes) [1] |
| moodge | man | муж, muzh, "husband", archaic, high-flown "man" |
| morder | snout | морда, morda |
| mounch | snack | munch |
| munchy-wunching | munching | |
| mozg | brain | мозг |
[edit] N |
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| nachinat | to begin | начинать, nachinat' |
| nadmenny | arrogant | надменный |
| nadsat | teenage | from -надцать, -nadtsat, '-teen' suffix; e.g., одиннадцать, двенадцать, тринадцать, etc. |
| nagoy | naked | нагой, "nude", high-flown for "naked" |
| nazz | fool | назад, nazad, "backward" |
| neezhnies | underpants | нижнее, nizhneye, "lower" (adjective); нижнее бельё, nizhneye belyo, "underwear" |
| nochy | night | ночь, noch' |
| nogas | feet, legs | нога, noga |
| nozh | knife | нож |
| nuking | smelling | нюхать, nyukhat' |
[edit] O |
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| oddy knocky | on one's own | одинокий, odinokiy, lit. "lonesome" |
| odin | one | один |
| okno | window | окно |
| oobivat | to kill | убивать, ubivat' |
| ookadeet | to leave | уходить, ukhodit' |
| ooko | ear | ухо, ukho |
| oomny | brainy | умный, umny, "clever" |
| oozhassny | terrible | ужасный, uzhasny |
| oozy | chain | узы, "shackles" |
| orange | man, person | Malay "orang", whence "orang utan", "orang pendek" |
| osoosh | to wipe | осушать, osushat', "to dry" |
| otchkies | eyeglasses | очки, ochki |
[edit] P |
||
| pan-handle | erection | — |
| pee and em | father and mother | "pa and ma," "pater and mater" |
| peet | to drink | пить pit' |
| pishcha | food | пища, pishcha |
| platch | to cry | плач, plach |
| platties | clothes | платье, platye |
| pletcho | shoulder | плечо, plecho |
| plenny | prisoner | пленный, plenny, lit. "captive" |
| plesk | splash | плеск |
| plosh | to splash | onomatopoeia "kerplosh" |
| plott | body | плоть, plot', "flesh" |
| podooshka | pillow | подушка, podushka |
| pol | sex | пол, "gender" |
| polezny | useful | полезный |
| polly | in phrase "pretty polly" = money | rhyming slang for "lolly" |
| polyclef | skeleton key | clef is French for "key"; poly- is Greek, meaning "many" |
| pony | to understand | понимать, ponimat', "to understand" |
| poogly | frightened | испуганный, "frightened", пугливый, puglivy, "easily scared" |
| pooshka | gun | пушка, pushka, literally "cannon", slang "gun" |
| pop-disc | a record, pop album | - |
| prestoopnik | criminal | преступник, prestupnik |
| pretty polly | money | Rhyming slang for "lolly" |
| privodeet | to lead somewhere | приводить, privodit' |
| prod | to produce | produce, but cf продукция, produktsiya |
| ptitsa | girl | птица, ptitsa, "bird" (common slang in Britain for a young woman), cf chick |
| pyahnitsa | drunk | пьяница, pyanitsa |
[edit] R |
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| rabbit | work | работа, rabota |
| radosty | joy | радость, radost, "joy" |
| raskazz | story | рассказ, rasskaz |
| rassoodock | mind | рассудок, rassudok |
| raz | time | раз, lit. "time" as in "one time, two times" |
| razdraz | annoy | раздражать, razdrazhat' |
| razrez | to rip, ripping | разрез, razrez, "a cut", разрезать, razrezat', "to cut" |
| rookerful | handful | рука, ruka, "hand" |
| rookers | arms, hands | руки, ruki |
| rot | mouth | рот |
| rozz | policeman | rozzer is Cockney slang for "policeman" |
[edit] S |
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| sabog | shoe | сапог, sapog, "boot", cf French sabot, shoe |
| sakar | sugar | сахар, sakhar, cf saccharine |
| sammy | generous | "(Good) Samaritan" (Bible Story); Russian "samoye", the most |
| sarky | sarcastic | English slang, not exclusively nadsat. |
| scoteena | beast, cow | скотина, skotina, "brute" |
| shaika | gang | шайка, shayka |
| sharp | female | — |
| sharries | buttocks | шары, shary, "spheres/marbles" |
| shest | barrier | шест, "pole" |
| shilarny | concern | Possibly Irish, unknown lit. meaning |
| shive | slice | Probably from shiv |
| shiyah | neck | шея, sheya |
| shlem | helmet | шлем |
| shlaga | club | German "Schläger", meaning 'club' or 'bat' (lit. 'hitter') |
| shlagnicked | clubbed | "shlaga" + -ник (Russian diminutive) |
| shlapa | hat | шляпа, shlyapa |
| shoom | noise | шум, shum |
| shoot | fool | шут, shut, "clown", "jester" |
| shvat | take | схватить, skhvatit, "grab" |
| silver-like | shiny | |
| sinny | cinema, film | French slang "ciné", Russian "кино", "kino" |
| skazat | to say | сказать, skazat' |
| skolliwoll | school | Juvenile mutation of the word "school" |
| skorry | quick, quickly | скорый skory |
| skriking | scratching | portmanteau of "strike" + "scratch" |
| skvat | to grab | схватить, skhvatit |
| sladkvat | sweetest | сладкий, sladkiy |
| sladky | sweet | сладкий, sladkiy |
| sloochat | to happen | случаться, sluchatsya |
| sloosh, slooshy | to hear, to listen | слушать, slushat, "listen", слышать, slyshat, "hear" |
| slovo | word | слово |
| smeck | laugh | смех, smekh, "laughter" |
| smot | to look | смотреть, smotret' |
| sneety | dream | сниться, snitsya, "to be seen in a dream" |
| snoutie | tobacco | From "snout" Engl. prison slang for "tobacco" or "cigarette" |
| snuff it | commit suicide | From the phrase used to put out a lit candle (to snuff it). Not exclusively nadsat. |
| sobirat | to pick up | собирать, sobirat' |
| sod | to fornicate/bugger, fornicator/bugger | Engl. slang; from sodomy, not exclusively nadsat. |
| soomka | old woman | сумка, sumka, "bag", as in the English slang for old woman |
| sooka | whore | сука, sooka, lit. "bitch", as in the common slang for a whorish or unsavoury woman |
| soviet | advice, order | совет, soviet, lit. "a piece of advice" |
| spat, spatchka | to sleep | спать, spat' |
| splodge, splosh | splash | — |
| spoogy | terrified | испуганный, ispuganny |
| Staja | cell, State Jail | formed from the beginning of the words "STAte JAil"; cf German Stalag |
| Steaky Wake | Beef Steak | a childish pronunciation of the word steak. |
| starry | ancient, old | старый, stary |
| strack | horror | страх, strakh, "fear" |
| stripey hole | prison | From appearance of bars. |
| synthemesc | drug | possibly "synthetic mescaline" |
[edit] T |
||
| tally | waist | талия, taliya |
| tashtook | handkerchief | from German Taschentuch, lit. "pocket-cloth" |
| tass | cup | from French tasse or German Tasse |
| this nochy | tonight | |
| tick-tocker | heart | from the sound of a heartbeat, often "ticker" in English slang. |
| timps | drums | from English timpani |
| tolchock | push, hit | толчок |
| toofles | slippers | туфли, tufli, "shoes" |
| tree | three | три, tri |
[edit] V |
||
| vareet | to cook up | варить, varit', lit. "to cook by boiling" |
| vaysay | washroom | from French pronunciation of w.-c., "water closet" |
| veck | person, man, fellow | человек, chelovek, "person", "man" |
| vehina | wine | вино, vino |
| vellocet | drug | Probably fabricated; '-cet' is a common ending of painkillers (e.g., percocet, ultracet).
Possibly from speed (velocity), which is slang for the drug amphetamine. Possibly suggested by the British motorcycle manufacturers Velocette. |
| venail | ? (used as tolchocking and venailing) | ? |
| veshch | thing | вещь, veshch' |
| viddy | see | видеть, videt', "to see" |
| vino | wine (also used as blood) | вино |
| voloss | hair | волос, volos, "a hair"; волосы, volosy, "hair" |
| von | smell | вонь, "stench" |
| vred | to harm or damage | вред, "harm" |
[edit] W |
||
| warbles | songs, records | From the English word "warble", that is, to sing. (As in the birds known as "warblers") |
[edit] Y |
||
| yahma | hole | яма, yama |
| yahoodies | Jews | Arabic "يهود", "yahudi"; from Hebrew יהודי yehudi, a man of the tribe of Judah, Jew; not exclusively nadsat |
| yahzick | tongue | язык, yazyk |
| yarbles, yarblockos | testicles | яблоко, yabloko, "apple" |
| yeckate | to drive | ехать, yekhat', "to go (by vehicle)" |
[edit] Z |
||
| zammechat | remarkable | замечательно, zamechatel'no, "remarkably", "remarkable" |
| zasnoot | sleep | заснуть, zasnut', "to fall asleep" |
| zheena | wife | жена, zhena |
| zoobies | teeth | зубы, zuby |
| zvonock | bellpull, doorbell | звонок, zvonok, "doorbell" |
| zvook | sound | звук, zvuk |
- Notes:
- ^ The drugs in question are drencrom (which possibly refers to adrenochrome), synthemesc (which possibly refers to synthetic mescaline, mescaline being extracted from peyote, a Mexican hallucinatory cactus used in rituals), or vellocet (-cet is a common ending for painkillers, and vello may refer to velocity). Burgess uses the concoction in A Clockwork Orange to make the protagonist Alex become increasingly violent near the beginning of the novel.
