All news
Who are skuf and altushka and what can cause cringe: a dictionary of the most fashionable youth slang in 2024
Lexicographers constantly monitor everyday speech for new words, or neologisms. What do they look like? How long do they last?
- Various fields are developing, such as science, technology, fashion, design and technology. And they all introduce new words and terms into the Russian language, and into English in general. There are many of them and little is known to the general public. Then some areas become more active, the media begin to actively use the vocabulary, and the words become commonly used, - Galina Mandrikova, Doctor of Linguistic Sciences, Head of the Faculty of Humanities at the Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU NETI), told KP. - For example, the rapid development of artificial intelligence gave rise to the word "neural network". Although it does not appear now, since this year it has been commercialized and can be considered a new word. At a recent university seminar, we discussed novels written using neural networks. The same applies to ATVs (read more on pp. 16-17 - ed.). Who does not know them now? New memes and photos appear every day, even the State Duma talks about them. And the word itself is funny, and linguistically it does not correspond to the image of a cute dog or cat, so it is easy to remember. Let's see how long it lives.
Among the best new products is the word "phygital", which is currently gaining popularity thanks to the "Games of the Future" that recently took place in Kazan. Galina Mikhailovna predicts that this word will definitely remain popular, since it is a very bright event. The game was first invented and held in Russia and is an excellent prank aimed at young people, which will continue in 2025. ...
On the wave of success, nude make-up, barely noticeable on the face, is becoming popular. Nude nail polish, clothes, shoes... and all the "nude" things as an obvious genre of art.
- The word "skuf", which originally meant clean youth, has also become popular among the public. It sounds too distant and dismissive to describe a pot-bellied man lying on a couch drinking beer. And "skuf" is a massive word that seems harmless because it is incomprehensible, - the expert continues. - "It's upsetting" and "It's upsetting" have become fashionable. And you often hear the word "spoiler". It used to be said in connection with movie premieres (Random revelations about what will happen in the finale. - Ed.). But now that the meaning has expanded, we can also talk about gossip. Isn't that a spoiler? It's not a universal word. It's a word used in English. But fashion is. Let's also add merchandising (goods with corporate symbols - Ed.), feedback and hackathons (brainstorming in the form of competitions). As long as there are project activities, correspondence via the Internet and messengers, various events, this word will be alive. Let's organize a hackathon, not a conference - that's what I think!
- New - old, well forgotten. It turns out that this also applies to neologisms.
- Military terminology has become more rigid because of the Northern Military District, whose history goes back hundreds of years. Before, even my colleagues didn’t understand what “behind the ribbon” meant. Now everyone knows. It’s the front line. New words have appeared. There are many abbreviations: UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), LBS (combat contact ship), etc. However, “front” is rarely used.
- A significant portion of the new words are not included in regular dictionaries. Are these people speechless?
- You can say so. The fate of new words is different. A word can become new for a while, and then become borrowed. or part of slang (youth, professional, etc.). Trendy words like "quadrober" and "skuf" can last for a while, and then be forgotten. There were emo, gopniks and other subcultures, where are they? The phenomenon ceased to exist, and the word disappeared with it. For example, a gift certificate. And some words do not stick. Buy a hot dog. It remained a neologism for a long time, and although it is so difficult to name it now, it never entered into common usage. Ask residents of small towns, elderly people. They will say that they hear it for the first time. For many grandmothers, "ketchup" is barbarism. Because tomato paste is better. In general, everything is not simple.
- Foreign studies have shown that women are the driving force behind up to 90% of language changes. Does this conclusion resonate with you?
- It's hard to assess. On the one hand, we know that women are more advanced in the humanities than men. They have a larger vocabulary. However, you also use jargon less often. This allows women to make their language more diverse. On the other hand, Western research can be somewhat biased due to feminist tendencies. Therefore, a conversation about the influence of gender requires our own research. But women are indeed more interesting in terms of language.
If Meladze were at the peak of fashion now, his famous songs would be like this:
I am horrified that you have entered my Skufian life.
Krinzhovo, you left her.
So why did I become friends with Altush?
We surveyed colleagues and friends and scoured the Internet to compile the best dictionary of words for beginners.
Altushka is a girl from the "alt" subculture who tries to be different from others. For example, dye your hair blue or pink.
Delulu is a fallacy and an illusion. In English there is also a fallacy, a connection invented by someone.
A donation is a monetary contribution to a writer in appreciation of his or her hard work.
Droppers are young people who receive money on their bank cards from victims of telephone scams. The dropper then passes the money on to the scammer. Comes from the English word drop – to throw away.
Quadrovers are teenagers who wear masks and animal tails to imitate their behavior.
To imitate means to imitate someone, to associate oneself with something. From the English kin – related, similar.
Cringe refers to the shame or discomfort that occurs when another person behaves in a comical or inappropriate manner. Same as the Spanish shame. There are verbs cringe, cringe.
Normis, like everyone else, is a person who does not stand out from the crowd and adheres to typical ideas about life.
Pick Me Girls - women who try to attract men's attention. Pick Me in English - Pick Me.
Pon is short for understanding. You can add evaluative adjectives such as angry phone, Japanese phone, happy phone, etc.
Our explainers are people who are ready to explain anything you don't understand, be it a new meme, a trending video or slang.
Red flags are warning signs about your relationship with another person. From English red flag – red flag.
Skuf is a man over 30 who is overweight, has a beer belly, and (but not always) is receding. He is grumpy, earns little, and likes to eat and lie around in front of the TV.
Tap - Press your finger on the touch screen. Tab in English. It became popular thanks to the Telegram game Hamster Kombat.
A plate eater is a girl you date just to get free food.
Fidgetal is a new sport that combines traditional and virtual competitions. In English, physical and digital. For example, a football player first kicks the ball on a simulator, and then on a regular court.
I'm in an era... I say this to show what I'm concentrating on now. In the cold season, I rest. In the lonely age, you don't look for a serious relationship.