Punks appeared in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK in the late 1960s. They promoted anarchy, protested against government, social norms and generally accepted behavior. In the USSR, the subculture came in the 70s. Soviet punks not only adopted music, spiritual leaders, hairstyles and clothing styles from Western like-minded people, but also came up with their own greeting, which every self-respecting punk knows: “Punks, hoy!”. What does it mean? At first glance, “hoi” is a simple slang word taken “from the ceiling”. In fact, its origin is rooted in the distant past. It is also associated with the creative activities of Russian rock musicians.
What does punks mean the word “hoy”?
This is the word that Russian punks greet each other. It means "Hello", "Good afternoon." At rock concerts, at parties, and at rock clubs, you can often hear the crowd chanting “Punks, Hoi!”. What this means can be understood only by understanding the etymology of the phrase.
A bit of history
According to the most popular version, “hoi” is a derivative of “Oi!”. It was used by English cockneys and hard workers to hail comrades. Their "Oi! Jerry! " was a kind of winged expression, an analogue of the Russian “Hey, Vasya!”. Over time, this word became the cry of the movement “Oi”, which was one of the varieties of punk rock and was used in the work of “Oi” groups. It carried no semantic load, but made the songs special and recognizable. "Oi! Oi! Oi! ” meant the same thing as “Hey! Hey! Hey! ”
So why do punks shout “Hoi!” Rather than “Oh!”? It is known that in the 70s, Western culture had a huge impact on the Soviet one. They say that Yegor Letov, the leader of the Civil Defense group, adopted this greeting from Western skinheads and added the consonant “x” to it, saying that “in Russia everything begins with this letter”.
What does it mean, “Punks, hoi!” You can figure it out if you delve into the story. One of the first anarchists in Europe was the pirates. In the 17th century, filibusters went to sea on a ship whose French name read “Hoy”. They also greeted their captain with the phrase “A - Hoy!”, Where “A” means “Ave!” - "Long live!". The pirate hoi meant respect and salute.
In the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels there is a mention of the Iroquois Indians, whose battle cry was in tune with the greeting of Russian punks. By the way, the traditional hairstyle with shaved temples and hair set in "Iroquois" was also borrowed from Native Americans.
Use in songs
The phrase “Punks, hoi!”, The meaning and meaning of which was little thought of in the 70s, was used by many Russian rock musicians in their songs. Her authorship is attributed to Yegor Letov. Perhaps because in his texts she met most often. For example, in the song “About the Fool”, it reflects his determination “and to answer all questions:“ Always alive! Hoi! ” Also, the word is found in a song about a children's doctor who said "nishtyak", where the mysterious Klalafuda pronounces this word, and in many others.
Often this word can be found in the songs of “The King and the Jester”, “Gaza” and “Leningrad”. The leader of the Gaza Strip group, Yuri Klinsky, is known to us under the stage name “Yura Khoy”.
"Hoi" Boris Grebenshchikov
The word “hoi” was used by Boris Grebenshchikov, though in a completely different meaning. He never shouted from the scene “Punks, hoi!” A feature of the work of BG consisted of a deep philosophical subtext and a mass of allegories. One of his songs was titled Take Care of Your Hoi. It would seem that there is a direct reference to the Russian folk word of three letters, but at one of the concerts Grebenshchikov refuted these assumptions. Before the song began, he gave an explanation, which confused the audience even more. He talked about the difference between rock and roll in rock and roll, which, unlike other rock musicians, he and his band have been playing roll for a long time. Rather, they played before. And now we have moved to a new level of real music. According to the musician, she can only be played on two musical instruments. One of them is called ngadla, and the other is called hoy. Then he said that the audience is not yet ready to hear this music, and he will not play it. Earlier, the BG decoded the word “hoy” in the dictionary of “dark words”, which was an appendix to the album “Tabu”. In it, he called "hoy" "spiritual creative energy." In a word, it is not clear what kind of mysterious “hoy” Boris Grebenshchikov had in mind, but it was clearly something very sacred and important.
"Punks, hoi!" - What does this phrase mean in the dictionary of youth slang?
“Hoy” is a greeting, a warlike cry, can also be used in the meaning “long live!”. Synonyms of the word are considered such slang words as "high", "aloha", "high" and others.
By the way, the consonance with the English "hi" gives the right to the existence of another version of the origin of the word. Soviet youth in the 70s in the conditions of the Iron Curtain, trying to at least a little taste the benefits of Western civilization, like a sponge absorbed all the information that leaked from abroad. Not having a good enough level of English, young people distorted the phrase "Hi!" and “How are you?” turning them into a short and understandable “hoi”. By the way, this treatment of English is also characteristic of Cockney, a certain group of Londoners with a special emphasis. They swallowed the endings, combined several words into one, pronounced separate sounds in their own way.
Mikhail Gorshenev
For youth subcultures, it is difficult to survive the death of idols, in connection with which they are trying in every possible way to perpetuate their dear figure with any kind of creativity from writing poetry and portraits to composing simple phrases. For example, “Punks, hoy, Potty is alive!”. What does it mean?
One of the leaders of the King and the Jester punk band, Mikhail Gorshenev (or Gorshok, as the fans called him) died in 2013, before he reached the age of forty. His death shocked most fans. His image, music, behavior on stage was a reference for Russian punks. His hair sticking out in different directions and missing front teeth became his hallmark. Songs "KiSha" are known even to those who have nothing to do with punk culture. Thus, the phrase "Punks, hoi, Pot of living!" matters as a tribute to and respect for the beloved musician.
Interesting Facts
- Translated from Dutch and Portuguese, “hoi” and “oi” mean “hello”.
- Music performer Professor Lebedinsky wrote a comic song called “I Am Her Hoy,” which is popularly known as “I dance drunk on the table.”
- The leader of the Gaza Strip, Yuri Khoy, said that he received this nickname because he constantly shouted “Punks, hoy!” At concerts. This means that contrary to popular belief, it was not his pseudonym that influenced the appearance of the phrase, but vice versa.
- Punks everywhere try to leave their "mark". They often paint walls, whether at home, porches or their own apartments. Image very similar to the photo, "Punks, hoi!" in the form of graffiti can be seen in large numbers on the Internet.
The phrase "Punks, hoi!" - This is a vivid example of how something, at first glance insignificant, can rally thousands of people. Regardless of how it appeared, in addition to its direct meaning, it carries a much deeper meaning. In this short but decisive “Hoy!” Pronounced loudly and in one breath, the whole essence of punk culture is expressed: impudence, pressure and mom anarchy.