droogs

Droog is a term from the fictional slang Nadsat used in Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange. It refers to a male friend or companion, particularly a member of a close-knit street gang. In the narrative, Alex and his droogs form a circle of delinquent peers, and the plural form is droogs. The word is presented as part of the characters’ distinctive speech rather than as standard English.

Etymology and linguistic context: The term derives from the Russian word друг (drug), meaning “friend” or “ally.” Burgess created Nadsat by blending Russian with English and other influences, so droog is encountered as a stylized address among male peers. In translations and adaptations, it is kept as a distinctive slang term rather than a common everyday word.

In the story: Alex’s gang includes several named droogs, such as Dim, Georgie, and Pete, who participate in a range of activities from petty theft to violence. The word signals camaraderie, loyalty, and a shared subcultural identity, while also marking a division between in-group members and others. The usage of droog appears in phrases like “my droog” to refer to a comrade within the gang.

Cultural impact: The term gained prominence through both the novel and its film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick, becoming a recognizable reference to Nadsat and to youth subcultures associated with rebellion. Beyond literary contexts, droog is sometimes used in discussions, criticism, or homage to evoke the aesthetic of A Clockwork Orange, though it remains a niche, genre-specific term outside those works.

See also: Nadsat; A Clockwork Orange; Slang.