Spine-gnawer, little parasite; rugrat, ankle-biter. A colorful, colloquial noun used as a humorous yet slightly annoyed term for a child, usually one’s own. It literally combines the roots of спина (“back/spine”) and грызть (“to gnaw/chew”), painting a vivid picture of a little financial and energetic vampire hanging onto a parent’s back and slowly eating away at them. While technically a mild derogatory term highlighting how exhausting and expensive kids are, it is frequently used by parents themselves with genuine affection and a heavy dose of weary humor.
Наверное, думает о том, что скоро и остальные спиногрызы достигнут совершеннолетия, и тогда можно будет справить себе следующие обновы, — бранчливо и недоверчиво предположил Юрий Сенин.
Probably thinking that soon the other brats will come of age, and then he can get himself some new gear, — Yuri Senin speculated sarcastically and distrustfully.
(Леонид Нетребо, Чёрный доктор, 2000)
Объясните мне, какого хуя, надо ремонтировать эскалаторы на переходах между станциями в то время, когда весь народ вернулся из отпусков, спиногрызы пошли в школы, долбоёбы пошли в институты?
Explain me why the fuck they do maintenance on escalators in the passages between subway stations at the time when everyone returned from holidays, the chavs go to school and the morons to university?
(andryukha @ ЖЖ, 09/2010)
