noun General Slang

Baboochka

/bəˈbuːtʃkə/ · noun · slang

Nadsat for an old woman, from the Russian 'babushka' (grandmother).

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Definitions

1

Used for elderly women generally, often as easy targets or unimpressed bystanders.

“The baboochkas gave Alex a false alibi for a free drink.”
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2

In Nadsat, a baboochka is an old woman. Source word: Russian 'babushka' (бабушка), literally 'grandmother' or, colloquially, 'old woman'.

“A group of baboochkas sat drinking in the corner of the pub.”
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3

Contrasts with 'devotchka' (girl) and 'ptitsa' (woman) to fill out Nadsat's map of female ages.

“Not a devotchka but a wrinkled old baboochka.”
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Baboochka In A Sentence

The baboochka next door misses nothing on the street.
He charmed the baboochkas into vouching for him.
A frightened baboochka peered out from behind the curtains.

Origin & Usage

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.

Variants baboochkas
Tags #nadsat#clockwork-orange#fictional#literary#people

People Also Ask

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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