The novel mentions «distant boondocks» — parts of London the girls need a taxi to reach. This word has a remarkable history, beginning in the tropical mountains of the Philippines and ending in modern American slang.
The Word’s Origins
The word «boondocks» comes from the Tagalog (Filipino) word bundók, meaning «mountain.» In the Philippines, the word denoted not just mountainous regions but remote inland territory generally — typically hard to reach and hilly, as opposed to the major cities and towns of the lowlands and coast.
The term entered American English through U.S. servicemen who fought in the Philippine–American War (1899–1902). Originally the word carried a note of confusion and bewilderment — exactly what American soldiers felt confronting guerrilla warfare in the Philippine highlands.
How the Meaning Evolved
Over time, «boondocks» in American slang came to mean any rural or isolated area, regardless of terrain. It took on the sense of «middle of nowhere,» a «backwater» — a place city dwellers consider backward and unsophisticated.
The shortened form «boonies» became widely used, especially during the Vietnam War, when American soldiers applied it to Vietnam’s rural areas. That meaning stuck, reinforced by war films such as Brian De Palma’s Casualties of War (1989).
Equivalents in Other Languages
Interestingly, similar concepts exist across many languages and cultures:
- In Australia: «the sticks,» «the backblocks,» «Woop Woop»
- In New Zealand: «the wop-wops»
- In South Africa: «bundu» (unrelated to «boondocks»)
- In Canada: «out in the weeds»
- In California: «out in the tules»
Russian Parallels
Russian has plenty of words and phrases conveying a similar sense of remoteness and disconnection from civilization:
- «Glush» («the backwoods») — the closest equivalent, denoting remote, sparsely populated territory.
- «Medvezhy ugol» («bear’s corner») — a place far from any cultural center.
- «Zadvorki» («the back lots») — peripheral, insignificant places.
- «Tmutarakan» — an ironic name for some faraway place.
Context in the Novel
In the context of the novel, set in 1994, the use of the word «boondocks» by protagonist Roman Peskov reflects the influence of American culture on post-Soviet Russia at the time — a period of active penetration of Western realities into Russian language and consciousness, when American words and concepts were becoming part of the speech of educated people, especially those with contacts among foreigners.
The hero’s choice of this particular word for London’s outlying districts highlights his familiarity with American slang and creates a distinct stylistic effect — a blend of Russian, English, and American linguistic experience characteristic of the 1990s.