RussiaIn Russian stylistics class last week, the topic of bribery arose when we were talking over a point of grammar. For the next 15 minutes, rather than continue our discussion of how to write an official business letter in Russian, we talked about bribery in Russia and the many words related to it. One such phrase is "vzyatka borziymi schenkami," or "bribe with wolfhound puppies." It means bribe with fancy, expensive things, and its etymology comes from the days when most important officials hunted and, as a result, highly valued hunting dogs. I jokingly asked my stylistics teacher whether she takes such bribes. "No, I'm not stupid like that," she said, her face slightly wistful but completely serious.
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