Photo2: Locally made mosquito repellent (sääse/tõrje) products by Orto. Tõrjuma is to fend off, counter, fight, as in tule/tõrje and tule/tõrjuja (fire fighter). The spray (pihusti or “sprei“) on the right is named sääse/hirm (mosquito's fear) and claims to be looduslik (natural). A pihusti (spray) is pihustatud (sprayed) – ejected as little particles, like the expression “pihuks ja põrmuks“, to destroy into a thousand little pieces. The jahustav geel (cooling gel) on the left leevendab (eases) the sügelus (itch) of sääse/kupud (aka hammustused) – bites, and thereby bears the great name sääse/kupu/leevendi (mosquito bump (bite) soother). Or you could simply pick a tee/leht (Plantago or plantain) leaf from the roadside, and rub it on the spot which sügeleb (itches). Kids tend to say: “See kratsib”, which in fact is not correct, since it means “it scratches”. An itch (sügelus/sügelemine) begs to be scratched (kratsmine).
Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
