Arellanes.com: A Hašek Question

December 10, 2003

A Hašek Question

Calling all Hašekologists!

A question about Jaroslav Hašek, that is (not Dominik, ya lummoxes), author of "The Good Soldier Švejk," came in the mail yesterday:

A quick question, if I could. I don't speak Czech and
I don't know anybody who does, so I was hoping you
could help me. In the introduction of The Good Soldier
Svejk Cecil Parrott wrote:

“He (Hasek) decided to fool the authorities by taking
a room at U Valšů, which was notorious for being
half-hotel and half-brothel, and registering himself
there as a Russian. The name he wrote in the visitors’
book sounded Russian enough, but when read backwards
in Czech it became “Kiss my ass.”’

Do you know what Hasek wrote...? Best I can come up
with is: Políbí prdel, for the fake last name of
'Ledrpibilop'. Is there another possibility?

Thanks for your help.

I wasn't entirely helpful the first time around, only suggesting that the correct term is polib mi prdel. So I passed it to my go-to guy for serious Czech questions, Alex Z., who drew a blank and passed it on to G.A. Černý and another couple of friends. Černý suggested "Vyliz me rit," which sounds more Russian in reverse: "Zilyv Emtir."

So the question goes out to you, dear readers: Do you know what pseudonym Hašek used that, when spelled backwards, means "kiss my ass" and sounds Russian? How's that for a question for "Milionář," eh?

Posted by douglas at December 10, 2003 08:24 AM | TrackBack