General
baboochka
What does baboochka mean?
Used for elderly women generally, often as easy targets or unimpressed bystanders.
"The baboochkas gave Alex a false alibi for a free drink."
Origin
Coined by Burgess in A Clockwork Orange (1962) from the Russian 'babushka', 'grandmother' or 'old woman'. It completes the Nadsat set of female terms across ages: devotchka, ptitsa, baboochka.
Frequently asked questions
What does baboochka mean?
It is Nadsat for an old woman, from the Russian 'babushka', meaning grandmother.
Where did baboochka come from?
Anthony Burgess coined it for A Clockwork Orange in 1962 from the Russian 'babushka'.
How does baboochka differ from devotchka and ptitsa?
Baboochka is an old woman, ptitsa a woman generally, and devotchka a young girl.
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