Between Dog & Wolf 148-163
Akin to the game Cup and Ball, it is a stick with a ball attached to it by a string, the aim is to manoeuvre the ball such that it lands on the stick through a hole in the side of the ball.
pg. 149 — Bissextile
Synonym for a leap year. Here used to describe lips so the pun is that the drink does not touch every fourth mouth.
pg. 152 — Postscriptum
Usually abbreviated to P.S in writing it represents an afterthought after the person has finished writing.
pg. 154 — Gorodnishche
A very rural part of Russia, surrounded by steep cliffs and forests. This is the place Pyotr was sent by Pavel.
pg. 154 — Stilo
Close to the French "stylo" meaning pen in English. Stilo means a generic beam or needle. Here it is used to describe a person who is probably skinny and lanky.
pg. 159 — Potpoorie
A misspelling of potpourri, a collection of dried petals and spices laid out in a room to give it some subtle aroma.
pg. 159 — Randevoos
A misspelling of rendezvous. Here meant to convey that the meeting of men seeking the dame is usually met with disaster.
pg. 160 — Farisees
A misspelling of Pharisees, a member of an ancient Jewish sect that strictly follows law and tradition. They often think very highly of themselves.
pg. 161 — Aladdin Rakhmatullin
A former member of the town that fell through thin ice and drowned. They are described as being lonely beneath the ice because their body was never retrieved.
pg. 162 — Jackaloo
Another word for wolf that they use in the region.
pg. 162 — Chuchmek mountains
Chuchmek is a racial epithet aimed at Central Asians. Chuchmek mountains refers to the vast collections of mountains in this area.
