But first of all, brothers, there was this veshch of finding some devotchka or other who would be a mother to this son. I would have to start on that tomorrow, I kept thinking. That was something like new to do. That was something I would have to get started on, a new like chapter beginning.
That’s what it’s going to be then, brothers, as I come to the like end of this tale. You have been everywhere with your little droog Alex, suffering with him, and you have viddied some of the most grahzny bratchnies old Bog ever made, all on to your old droog Alex. And all it was was that I was young. But now as I end this story, brothers, I am not young, not no longer, oh no. Alex like groweth up, oh yes. But where I itty now, O my brothers, is all on my oddy knocky, where you cannot go. Tomorrow is all like sweet flowers and the turning vonny earth and the stars and the old Luna up there and your old droog Alex all on his oddy knocky seeking like a mate. And all that cal. A terrible grahzny vonny world, really, O my brothers. And so farewell from your little droog. And to all others in this story profound shooms of lipmusic brrrrrr. And they can kiss my sharries. But you, O my brothers, remember sometimes thy little Alex that was. Amen. And all that cal.
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.