pavlova

1. A transliteration of the Russian surname Па́влова (Pávlova), the feminine variant of Pavlov.Examples: "LADIES’ DOUBLES “PAVLOVAS.” […] The winners, who literally danced their way into the final, were dubbed the two Pavlovas."; "“Don’t you understand what an honour it is for you that the great Pavlova has her shoes made by you?” he asked. The old man thought awhile and then answered: “Yes, it’s a great honour that she is my client.” And reflecting further, he added: “Yes, but if I had two Pavlovas, I’d be done for.” Pavlova was often approached by shoemakers of all nationalities and in all parts of the world with an offer to supply her regularly, undertaking to provide her annually with any number for her own use free of charge, on condition that she would allow them to advertise that she had found their shoes to be the best."; "Bad as they were, one perforce felt masculinely behooven to admire their courage . . . conversely, one could not refrain from meanly wondering just where and for how long they’d been secretly practicing . . . however, applause and many encores (from bilge to crow’s nest) greeted all antics from our two Pavlovas . . . and reflectively, their presentations were far less hurtful than having to listen to the amateur squeakings of scrawny, self-imagined sopranos and contraltos who habitually appeared at well-remembered ship’s concerts in bygone years."