My family, like many others, has always had words or phrases that we've used which are all but incomprehensible to others. Stada Baba is one such. It is basically an
old lady and comes from my mother's Serbian side of the family.
I may not be a Stada Baba chronologically, but psychologically I think the label may fit.
From one young stada baba to another, ain't it great to be wise before your time!
ReplyDeleteI was always told it meant "old grandma". In a very bad way! Such as you are as active as a Stada Baba, so go out and play.
ReplyDeleteIt's like calling (a woman usually) an old goat
ReplyDeleteI once called our landlady this "Stada Baba" holding my father's hand as we left our apartment, I thought it was her name since my father referred to her this way. Oh my, how embarrassing for my father. He just quietly continued to walk to the car with me and we went to visit my Busha [Grandmother].
ReplyDeletekees.stada@home.nl
ReplyDeleteI've seen it written in other online postings stara baba. Could it be that's the way it is spelled and we just heard it wrong?
ReplyDeleteThe r must be pronounce like a d if you can’t roll your Rs. Similarly, the name Mari is pronounced Mădī, not Mary. I think if you can roll your Rs it’s pronounced Marrrrrrī.😁
Deleteie “Oj mariska pedgla”
my grandmother spoke a goral (highlander) dialect a d Baba meant Grandma.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were both Polish. I used to get called that when I was little; I loved being around the adults to hear their conversations. I was told that it was akin to being the "nosy neighbor." The connotation is not flattering. I laughed when I heard it recently because I now live next door to real one!
ReplyDeleteSame here, little pitcher who had big ears (water vessels "pitchers" that are small have disproportionately big handles "ears" - I explain, because that saying took me years before I finally understood what was meant by my mother as she used it to alert my presence to the other adults in the conversation of interest.) It was my grandmother that gave me the moniker stada baba. She would say looked like a stada baba too when I wore my hair scarf for Polish Catholic church. I'd like to think the later reference was more of a term of endearment as I donned my babushka.
DeleteI've heard that term before when I was growing up. lots of people at school were of Polish and Slovak descent.
ReplyDeleteSo funny to hear stada baba again. I'm Polish/Slovak descent and Gramma always called me one . 😂
ReplyDelete