15 Russian verbs derived from the names of animals

1. ‘Тюленить’ (‘tyulenit’)

To ‘seal’ around

To relax, to do nothing.

This verb originated in reference to the charming pinnipeds that spend their time leisurely on the seashore. They leave the sea to gain strength and raise their young. And to pose for photographs!

2. ‘Бычить’ (‘bychit’)

To ‘bull’ around

This word immediately reminds us that a bull is a serious animal and is terrifying when angry. Like a person glaring at an enemy.

3. ‘Петушиться’ (‘petushitsya’)

To ‘cock’ around

To seek trouble, to deliberately seek trouble.

4. ‘Съежиться’ (‘Syezhitsya’)

To ‘hedgehog’

When threatened, a hedgehog curls up into a ball, turning into a prickly ball. Humans can also shrink in the face of danger.

5. ‘Моржевать’ (‘Morzhevat’)

To ‘walrus’ around

Walruses are known to be immune to low temperatures – they live in the cold waters around the North Pole. That's why people who prefer to swim in winter are known as ‘walruses’.

6. ‘Хомячить’ (‘Khomyachit’)

To ‘hamster’ around

Eat greedily or store food for future use, like a small animal that stores food in its cheek pouches.

7. ‘Собачиться’ (‘Sobachitsya’)

To ‘dog’ around

Swear, blame one another, preferably as loudly as possible so that everyone can hear. Start quarrels over trivial matters.

8. ‘Обезьянничать’ (‘Obezyannichat’)

To ‘ape’ around

Monkeys can imitate human movements. The practice of mindlessly imitating something, such as clothing, gait or facial expressions, has come to be known as ‘aping’ around. This verb is used to emphasize a disapproving attitude toward something.

9. ‘Свинячить’ (‘Svinyachit’)

To ‘pig’ around

To make a mess.

10. ‘Насвинячиться’ (‘nasvinyachitsa’)

To ‘pig’ out

To eat a lot and messily. Also a kind of mess, but in a figurative sense. This is said when someone has clearly had too much to drink.

11. ‘Телиться’ (‘telitsya’)

To ‘calve’ around

To take a very long time to get ready to do something, to take one's time, to put things off until later.

12. ‘Крыситься’ (‘krysitsya’)

To ‘rat’ around

To be sulky, angry; to show aggression towards someone.

13. ‘Крысятничать’ (‘krysyatnichat’)

To ‘rat’ around

Again, the same animal, but the words derived from its name are different. In this case, the verb ‘to rat around’ describes a situation when a person is hiding something or committing a dirty trick on the sly.

14. ‘Осоловеть’ (‘osolovet’)

To ‘owl’ around

To be relaxed, half-asleep. Vladimir Dahl's dictionary describes this state with the word ‘osovet’, meaning to be in a semi-conscious state. The word ‘solovy’ was used to describe a person's cloudy gaze, such as when drunk.

15. ‘Шакалить’ (‘shakalit’)

To ‘jackal’ around

To beg or scrounge for something. This word is also used for someone who steals something.