Who is called a ‘teapot’ and why?
If someone decides to master something unfamiliar, then they are a… ‘чайник’ (‘chaynik’ or a ‘teapot’). We explain how this kitchen nickname stuck with beginners.
There are at least three versions. The first one dates back to the mid-20th century, when many were into mountain climbing. Beginner climbers, having conquered their first peak, would take a mandatory photo: one hand on their hip, the other, holding an alpenstock or ice axe, raised upwards. The result was a figure very similar to a teapot. Skiers behaved in a similar manner, only the hand holding a ski pole served as the "spout".
The second version is also connected to outdoor activities. Beginner hikers would take bulky teapots with them, which would elicit smiles from their more experienced comrades. They knew that boiling water could be done in a regular camping pot. So, all they needed to know was a backpack with a teapot strapped to it was that there was a newcomer in the group.
There's also a romantic version. In the old days, if a girl rejected a potential suitor, she wouldn't say so outright. Instead, she'd give him… a pumpkin. Or something else empty, like a basket, a pot or a kettle. This was a way to let the guy know the matchmaking had failed.
The word was reintroduced in the early 1990s, when a series of translated books on computer use and programming for beginners began appearing in Russia. It didn't take long to find a suitable equivalent for the word 'dummies': ‘chainik’ was a perfect fit.
