Russian Word of the Day

In Tucson there is a road named “Ajo Way” which, along with the town named “Ajo,” is one of the shibboleths of Arizona life: newcomers pronounce it ah-joe, whereas natives and long-timers pronounce it ah-kho, where the jay is pronounced like the cee aitch in the Scottish pronunciation of Loch Ness. But even native Arizonans often don't know that ajo is Spanish for garlic.

The Russian word for garlic is чеснок. If you go to a big vegetable market in Russia, you are likely to find pickled garlic маринованный чеснок, as well as pickled onions, beets, cucumbers, mushrooms and cabbage. The first Russian family I met had a seven-year old daughter Марьяна who I once watched eat clove after clove of pickled garlic as if they were M&Ms. No accounting for taste, eh?

One of the words that means 'to eat' is кушать. Theoretically one can say мы кушали пиццу 'we ate pizza.' But this word is not one that usually comes from the lips of a grown man. It's a word used by Mama and Gramma when calling people to the table by saying идите кушать, or they might ask if you want to eat by saying вы кушать будете? But even when Mama and Gramma say it there is something domestic, affectionate or cuteish about it.

There is also an old fashioned language rule that says you should never use the verb кушать in the first person.

If you want to ask if someone wants to eat, the most neutral way is to say Будешь есть/завтракать/обедать/ужинать? Cruder versions are Будешь жрать? Будешь хавать? (The хавать version is a Belarusian influence.)