NB Пояс "waist" vs. талия "waist." These synonyms have different combinatory properties. The word пояс "waist" is used to indicate the level of something, e.g. голый до пояса "naked to the waist," вода по пояс "water up to one's waist," etc. Such expressions are not used with талия "waist." On the other hand, талия is used in expressions which describe the shape of that part of the body: полная талия "a thick waist." The word пояс is not used in such cases (except for the expression тонкий в поясе "small-waisted").