'THEY LET OUT ORANGES/SUITCASES/OTHER GOODS'

by Stamen Manolov; illustration by Gergana Shkodrova

Sat, 07/25/2026 - 12:04

Wonders of Bulgarian idioms

Strictly speaking, this is not an idiom, but specific usage of the phrasal verb "let out", one that has become obsolete. Under Communism, the Bulgarians had to survive chronic shortages of anything from tomatoes to toilet paper. To create some feel-good factor amongst the populace, the Communist Party periodically "let out" various "luxury" goods in the retail market. Ordinary citizens were only allowed to eat oranges and bananas for New Year. The situation was the same for a series of other articles, for instance suitcases. During the Communist years people could not just go out and buy a suitcase. They bought suitcases when the government "let them out" into the shops.

The verb puskam entails a certain attitude toward the act of releasing things that has in it many other attitudes impossible to translate into foreign languages. Regrettably, capitalism tossed this nice word into the dustbin of history, just like it did with other nice words such as "militiaman", meaning policeman, and "typewriteress."

Younger Bulgarians will not understand what it is like to have various goods "let out," because under democracy the shops "offer" rather than "let out" oranges and suitcases.

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