The Russian language is rich in figurative concepts that give words brightness and bulge. Perhaps this is why it is difficult to translate live speech into other languages with complete preservation of expression, emotional coloring. How to explain to a foreigner who a schmuck is? A short word of only three letters conceals an abyss of meaning, while the perception can fluctuate depending on the context, facial expression, situation in which this word was made. Not all Russians understand how to correctly and appropriately use this word, as well as many other slang expressions.
Bright representative of slang - "schmuck"
Not so long ago, our country was called criminal or gangster. There is some truth to this: the popularity of criminal song lyrics, the widespread use of thieves' jargon, the use of prison “concepts” in everyday life and the corresponding building of social ties are difficult to erase in a short time. Even people who have never touched the criminal world, were heard by the thieves chanson, which sounded literally from every window. In light of this, it is not surprising that slang penetrates the everyday vocabulary.
So, who is a schmuck and how to react to this word? Typically, the definition of “schmuck” is expressed to a person who is despised for various reasons, and even without good reason, just to offend and thus get a reason for contempt. Perhaps this is the only true explanation, since in the official explanatory dictionaries this word does not occur. This word is present in the vocabulary of schoolchildren, adolescents, adults of any profession - from a nurse to a deputy.
Origin version
The most persistent version of the origin of the word “schmuck” is a mutation of the abbreviation into an independent noun with a bright derogatory meaning. Surveys show that most Internet users answer the question of who the schmuck is by any of the two most popular explanations:
- Man Interfering with Society.
- Man Morally Omitted.
The remaining versions can be considered insignificant, despite the fact that the army interpretation is also interesting. According to it, the abbreviation means "parts of material support", in which, according to the brave warriors, only people were greedy, cowardly, unreliable, deserving of contempt. All other explanations are, rather, gymnastics for the mind and an attempt to come up with their witty decoding.
Meaning of the word “schmuck”
The peculiarity of this slang concept is a certain vagueness of definitions, so the meaning is difficult to squeeze into a rigid framework. For example, at what point can a person already claim this dubious title? Where does the line go? How much can you trust the expert assessment of an aggressive person, throwing as an insult “You schmuck!”, And is there any point in taking this to heart?
By and large, the meaning of the word "schmuck" can be interpreted as a personal evaluative perception of the one who uses this expression. At the same time, one cannot ignore such an aspect as determining the status of the interlocutor in his lexicon. The meaning remains the same: schmuck - this is a kind of despised personality that does not represent anything of value, which means that it can be humiliated further, “swearing”.
Grades of acceptable slang
If we take into account the latest trend in politics and journalism, according to which all speakers should monitor their language, then it is worth revising their concepts about the admissibility of slang. Even if the interlocutor does not know exactly who the schmuck is, the expressive coloring of the word and the context can easily make him think that it is time to file an application to the court about insulting honor and dignity.
If you open a dictionary of abusive expressions of the Russian language, you have to admit that this part of the vocabulary in our language is not just rich, but incredibly multifaceted. The tiny word "schmuck" is simply lost among the other offensive words of varying severity. Moreover, if you understand how "schmuck" is translated, you have to admit that this is not obscene abuse, namely slang, and only the context, facial expressions and intonations can make it equivalent to insulting.
Features of the use of the word "schmuck"
Despite the self-sufficiency of the word “schmuck”, there are many derivatives: chmoshnik (chmoshnitsa), chmyr, chmyryugan, chmoshny, chmory (chymir), blackened or rooted. At the same time, “schmuck” is not inclined according to cases, but derivatives already allow us to build more correct verbal constructions.
Analyzing what “schmuck” means, it can be noted that sometimes the derivatives of this word are used as expressive synonyms for other, more cultural expressions. For example, often instead of “ugly” or “unfashionable” the expression “chmoshny” is used. That is, having the appearance inherent in Chmoshniki. To swear or to frown is to oppress, insult, reduce a person to the level of schmuck. It turns out that a rooted person is one who has undergone aggressive attacks, as a result of which he has lost his dignity and honor.
Insult mechanism
As in most insults, it is not necessary to have a reason or good reason to claim that a person is a schmuck. Here the simple law of verbal aggression is triggered, according to which the cause and effect change places. If the insult hits the target and brings discomfort to a person, this means that the victim thus confirms the legitimacy of aggressive statements addressed to him.
Often this kind of insult is pronounced over the eyes, that is, in the absence of an object of attack. In this case, verbal aggression has no purpose, but serves as a valve to relieve psychoemotional stress. If an employee of the State traffic inspectorate writes out a fine, then they are unlikely to begin to insult him directly in the face, but then, at a safe distance, they will award him with all possible epithets using thieves' jargon. This makes it possible to cope with anger, disappointment and the realization that he is to blame for his problem. It is not necessary to understand in detail how "schmuck" is translated if it is a casual exclamation that has the goal of discarding internal aggression using an unaddressed verbal method.
How to stop feeling chmoshnik?
If you look at yourself in the mirror and see some kind of schmuck, this may be a sign of low self-esteem, possibly provoked by someone else's verbal aggression. The word is not a sparrow, but our memory has an amazing selectivity, so a faint definition heard in your address may come up at the most inopportune moment. If you are tired, experiencing one trouble after another, your personal life does not go well, then as a protective reaction, the psyche may try to adjust the inner world to unfavorable external factors.
This is the path of least resistance, the human psyche is plastic and tries by any means to protect us from excessive efforts and destructive stress. This scheme does not always work for our benefit, so if you suddenly find that you really are peacefully perceiving the troubles streaming from above as a mandatory attribute of a chmoshnik, you should seriously take on your inner world. If you can’t cope on their own, which the chmoshnik does not have by default, then you need to contact a psychologist for help. This is not a sphere of life that can even out on its own.
Slang as a social label
Expressive expressions of negative color are not as harmless as they might seem. They can seriously poison life, provoke retaliatory aggression, and destroy mutual understanding. Slang is actually a social label. A person using thieves' jargon does not look free and bright, as rebellious teenagers hope, but simply puts on himself a stigma of low social status.
Using different slang levels can serve as a tool to facilitate communication. The lexicon serves as a signal “I am mine”, especially with regard to the marginal layers of society. However, high social categories have their own slang expressions. They should be studied as a special subspecies of foreign languages. The safest one can be considered the average faceless lexicon, the average literary norm, thanks to which you do not instantly become “your own”, but also do not demonstrate belonging to a “hostile” layer of society.