баланда

Borrowed from Lithuanian balánda (“orach, Atriplex spp.”). The colloquial and slang meanings are probably implying a poor taste of meal cooked with this plant.

• IPA^(key):

бала́нда • (balánda) f inan (genitive бала́нды, nominative plural бала́нды, genitive plural бала́нд, diminutive бала́ндочка, augmentative бала́ндища)

1. (nautical, obsolete) skillygalee
2. (colloquial) very thin, usually tasteless soup, prison swill
3. (prison slang) meal
4. (figuratively, colloquial, rare) idle talk, nonsense, unnecessary or disingenuous chatter

• бала́ндать impf (balándatʹ), бала́ндаться impf (balándatʹsja)

• Shansky, N. M. (1965) “баланда”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), volume 1, number 2 (Б), Moscow: Moscow University Press, page 21
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баланда I”, in Русский этимологический словарь (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 123
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баланда II”, in Русский этимологический словарь (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 124
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баландать”, in Русский этимологический словарь (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 125
• Anikin, A. E. (2008) “баландаться”, in Русский этимологический словарь (in Russian), issue 2 (ба – бдынъ), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 125

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “баландаться”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.