From seventh to twelfth grade in our girls’ school, we played field hockey every fall in Physical Education class. One very talented defensive player, Melinda, rarely missed a shot. But when she did, she’d shake her head, her honey blonde hair would shake and she would yell: “sugar!” Another of our classmates would yell, “sugar, honey, iced tea.” * when she missed.
I never understood why they were shouting food words when they missed. And I was too embarrassed to ask. My naïveté continued although by college my passive swear word vocabulary was increasing. Still, I hesitate to use swear words especially in writing and it has always stung my ears.
Leslie explained the meaning of mat’ (Russian vulgarity) to me and the need to include a few choice expressions in the book if we were going to be true to our subject. As Leslie wrote in her note to chapter seventeen:
Mat’ refers to obscenities. It is part of everyday language for the nekulturni (uneducated) but also appreciated by the educated for its richness and elaboration of a few basic Russian words. (p. 136)
The short answer to our question—are there swear words? Yes. There are some words that may offend especially in chapter seventeen and sprinkled throughout a few other chapters. Our intention is not to shock or offend, but to reflect Soviet reality. Swearing allowed steam to escape in a very pressurized system.
*For those of you as naïve as I am, look at the word spelled by the first letter of each of those words. It’s an acrostic. I’m still swear-word-averse even in a footnote.