Did you know that, in addition to the word таракан (ta-ra-KAN), Russian has another word for roach? It's прусак (pru-SACK). Think back to Chukovsky's Fedorino Gore, where she is making big concessions if only her dishes will agree to come back to her:
Я почищу вас песочком,
Окачу вас кипяточком,
И вы будете опять,
Словно солнышко, сиять,
А поганых тараканов я повыведу,
Прусаков и пауков я повымету
These прусаки are small roaches, and apparently they got their name because Russians thought they came from Prussia. In America, small roaches are called German cockroaches. Supposedly the Germans call them Russian roaches. Lots of finger-pointing going on... I don't care where they're from as long as they stay out of the bathtub. That's all.
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