Cheugy

 

Do you know what "cheugy" means? When and how did you find out? 

I wonder why every generation seems to have its own word for basically the same idea. Where does this need come from, to create a new word to put a finger on the same feeling? 

Kitschy, chintzy, tacky, schmaltzy, cheesy, corny. 

Variations on the same general idea? 

A velour Juicy tracksuit by any other name would be just as ___________. 

You fill in the blank, depending upon your generation. (Said from someone who had more than a few Juicy tracksuits, back in my Y2K day.) 

Cheugy. Pronounced chew-GEE. (With a hard G, as in gross--another word we sometimes used for tacky, back in my day.) If you're curious, this article in the New York Times breaks down the particular nuances of cheuginess. 

You say cheugy, I might say cheesy. But aren't these qualifiers still all in the same extended, hyper-American family? (Like cross-generational, cross-cultural linguistic cousins.) What do you think?



Comments

  1. LissaMay 24, 2021 at 8:21 PM

    Hi Disce verum, I have never heard of Cheugy (or Kitschy, chintzy, tacky, schmaltzy). The article you shared was interesting and helpful in defining the term, I think I understand it as a mix of outdated and a little cringey. The article mentions that sometimes, things that are cheugy until they're not when come back into style. The article gives the example of low rise jeans, but I have noticed that flare yoga pants have come back too (and I would have considered those to be cheugy). I often feel out of touch with the new lingo or words. Most come from social media trends, lately, a lot has been from TikTok and I often feel lost. I would be interested to find a site or blog that keeps me up to speed on the terms and trends, if you stumble upon a site or blog like that, let me know!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Disce verumMay 26, 2021 at 9:57 AM

    I love your comments, Lissa. Flare yoga pants on the rebound, yikes. Before reading the NYT article, I would have definitely placed those in the cheugy category. (Same with low-rise jeans, which still fill me with mild terror.) It's interesting how language is being used on TikTok and Instagram to separate and cordon off insiders (non-"cheugs") from outsiders ("cheugs"). For more, take a peek at @cheuglife on Instagram and TikTok!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LissaMay 30, 2021 at 8:21 AM

      Wow that word has its own instagram and TikTok, no way! I am not a fan of the return of low rise jeans either. So much to learn!

      Delete
  3. VanessaMay 29, 2021 at 7:26 PM

    I learned cheugy earlier this year, but have yet to actually use it myself. My 'old person' topic that I reckoning with this week is ... well, let's have some suspense. I'll blog about it tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete

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