баланда

Borrowed from Lithuanian balánda (“orach, Atriplex spp.”).^[1] The colloquial and slang meanings are probably implying a poor taste of meal cooked with this plant.

• IPA^(key): [bɐˈɫandə]

бала́нда • (balánda) f inan (genitive бала́нды, nominative plural бала́нды, genitive plural бала́нд, diminutive бала́ндочка, augmentative бала́ндища)

1. (nautical, obsolete) skillygalee
2. (colloquial) very thin, usually tasteless soup, prison swill
3. (prison slang) meal
4. (figuratively, colloquial, rare) idle talk, nonsense, unnecessary or disingenuous chatter

• бала́ндать impf (balándatʹ), бала́ндаться impf (balándatʹsja)

• Shansky, N. M. (1965) “баланда”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 1, number 2 (Б), Moscow: Moscow University Press, page 21
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баланда I”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 123
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баланда II”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 124
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баландать”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 125
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баландаться”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 125

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “баландаться”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.