Alexey:I was taking a walk in the Ostrova (a quiet and most inspiring park area in St. Petersburg, near which I happen to live) yesterday, when another interesting combination occurred to me [...] Ada. Trofim Fartukov, the coachman in Ardis the Second, calls that Van: Barin, a barin, dazhe skvoz' kozhanyi fartuk ne stal by ya trogat' etu frantsuzskuyu devku ("Master, even through a leathern apron I wouldn't have thought of touching this French wench [Blanche, whom Trofim later marries]"):

JM:  I was familiar with Lucette's complaint about another coachman: ‘Il pue.’ Also related to various postings about Ada's nicknaming her half-sister "my pet".
Alexey here brought to our attention Fartukov and his words in Russian, warning Van off Blanche, containing "fartuk".
Knowing no Russian I can only wonder about another mysterious wordgame.
I wonder if we may, then " dip or redip, spider, into this " matter? Or explore two simultaneous directions of language by applying Van's theories on a Bergsonian perspective on time?
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No enduring mystery, JM. Fartuk is po-russki for APRON (nom. sing.). The coachman who happens to be called Fartukov has probably endured a lifetime of giggles* (as when English soccer fans encounter the players Nicky Butt [ManU] or Arshavin [Zenit]), but it no longer bothers him.  He uses the phrase kozhnyi fartuk (leather apron) with the merest Nabokovian wink -- just as Mr Tailor visits his tailor without causing widespread hilarity.

* "Hey Mr Apron, nice Apron you're wearing." "Piss off!"

Extreme form of this "non-joke" in Monty Python.

Eric Idle: my name's Smoktoomuch, Fred Smoketoomuch.
Cleese: well you better give it up, then -- hee hee -- nudge, nudge
EI: I don't follow ...
C: Come on, people must have been joking about your name for years ...
EI: No ... it never struck me before. Yes, I see it now; quite funny -- Smoketoomuch -- better give it up ...

skb

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