Next Previous Contents

5. Glossary

of Russian terms and expressions related to the tea

beysbollka:

Baseball cap in Russian.

blyudce:

Saucer.

chai:

Tea.

chainaya lozhka:

Teaspoon.

chainik:

A teapot with a spout for making zavarka. Means also "incapable dummy" in Russian slang.

chephyr:

Tea-based narcotics, used chiefly in prisons and forced labor camps.

dushinki:

The holes at the top of the samovar that let the steam out.

kamforka:

The crown-like topping of the samovar. Its purpose is to support the chainik.

kipyatok:

Boiled, hot water. No other kind of water is suitable for tea-making.

kipyatil'nik:

Immersion heater.

kolosiak:

Bars that separate the ventilation chamber from the combustion chamber in the charcoal-burning samovar.

kran:

Faucet. As of a samovar, in this paper.

poddon:

The foundation of the samovar.

podstakannik:

A metallic glassholder with a handle for handleless glasses.

repe'ek:

The reinforcement of the faucet at its stem. Usually depicts a flower or a figurehead.

sahar:

Sugar.

samovar:

Water-boiling, steaming and portioning device described in detail in section samovar}{}.

sheika:

The "neck" of the samovar that supports the boiler tank.

shishki:

The handles of the samovar's hatch. Literally "pine cones".

sitechko:

Hemispheric metallic net for filtering out tea leaves from the zavarka.

truba:

Tube. In this context, it means the combustion chamber of the charcoal-burning samovar.

vetka:

The handle of a samovar's faucet. Literally "branch" (as of a tree).

zavarka:

Tea concentrate. This is the most characteristic attribute of Russian tea-making.


Next Previous Contents