Cheugy you say? This is a fairly new term that has catapulted into millennial mainstream language in recent years. We’re here to help you understand what it means, help define what is cheugy and what isn’t and best of all, help you avoid being cheugy!
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Image: Hypebeast
What is a Cheugy?
Cheugy is a fairly new term that is used to describe aesthetics or people or experiences that are untrendy. The term is pronounced ch-oo-gee. It points to things that are out-of-style or behind the time of a trend. Essentially, for something to be cheugy, it had to be on-trend and the height of cool at some point in its lifetime. So if you’re the type of fella who follows our of date trends, or you don’t know what’s cool and what’s not, you either aren’t subscribed to our newsletter or you’re cheugy.
The term was originally a slang term made up by a non-assuming teen in the United States. The term has now gained worldwide recognition and is a common term known by all of us that are hip and up to date, or in other terms, those of us that aren’t ‘cheugy’.
7 Ways to Spot a Cheugy
No one wants to be one, so it’s of utmost importance to recognise the tell-tale signs. The Instagram account @cheuglife has outlined a number of signs to spot someone who’s a little behind the 8-ball in 2020. Here’s a list of seven signs that will help you spot a cheugy and at the same time, help you to avoid becoming one!
1. They Eat Lasagne
Lasagne isn’t cool anymore, so, if you’re caught eating lasagne this will make you pretty cheugy. What makes Lasagne cheugy you make ask? The once-popular meal is loaded with carbs, cheeses and greasy fats. These food groups are not really in line with current clean eating and health trends (sorry). So, next time you want to dive into a cheesy slice of lasagne, as we know it can be irresistible (ask Garfield) – we suggest you do it in secret!
2. They Take Cruise Holidays and Stop at Trashy Hotels
The days of cruises are well and truly behind us, and if you’re still opting for a cruise as your holiday of choice, this is definitely a cheugy thing to be doing. The only thing that could make a cruise even more cheugy is stopping at places like Atlantis and staying in trashy hotels – yikes!
3. They Rock Baby Yoda Merchandise
If you’re out there rocking some baby Yoda merchandise, we’re sorry to say, but you’re a major cheug. How could you make it any worse? Many of those dudes and dudettes rocking the little guy haven’t even watched The Mandalorian, yet still have the audacity to wear the merch! If you’re doing both these things, you are extra cheugy.
4. They Watch the Masked Singer
We don’t care how entertaining you think this show is, if you’re watching it you are engaging in some seriously cheugy behaviour. Everything about the show screams cheugy – from the judges, the costumes, the performances and the staging.
5. Their Kitchenware is Themed
Themed kitchenware has had its time to shine, and anyone who still has it in their kitchens needs to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. The pinnacle of themed kitchenware? Rae Dunn – so cheugy it hurts. This brand needs to be put in the boxes that belong in the garage, out of sight. We’re talking to you, coffee cup that says “coffee cup” drinking cheugs.
6. They Carry A Lululemon Bag Everywhere
The bright red and shades of whites that have become the trademark for this once iconic bag have now sadly become a sight for sore eyes. So, if you’re still packing your lunch in a Lululemon bag to take to work, this makes you a major cheug. We can guarantee taking a Lululemon bag anywhere won’t impress your mates like back in the early days. It used to make heads turn, we get it! But shush now Jimmy, go practice a couple of downward-facing dogs and circular breathe it all out.
7. They Wear a Tropical Singlet
The black tree silhouettes against the orange tints of a very fabricated sunset are enough to make us scream CHEUGY! What’s even worse is if you’re rocking a singlet with this horrendous design. The tropical singlet is a cheugy guy summer start pack but whatever happened to ‘hot boy summer’? I guess someone let it down for the team… we’re looking at you, tropical singlet dudes.
A Very Cheugy History
Like any term that has developed throughout history, looking at how it has come into being is an important history lesson in culture and linguistics. Cheugy has a simple background but is interesting nonetheless. The term rose to great heights after it was introduced to the world TikTok (of course it was).
The term then generated more buzz after an article by the New York Times discussed the term. This article catapulted cheugy into millennial mainstream language. The term was originally used by white girls to describe other white girls but has since become more widespread. No this isn’t another version of the word ‘Karen’, that’s been put well into retirement.
Who Coined the Term Chuegy?
The origin of the word cheugy claims to be from Cheug-a-roo (@Gabyrasson), although this is not specifically clear. Some articles claim it was coined by a teen in 2013 and was caught on by her classmates. The Urban Dictionary definition, however, claims that the term was coined by a 23-year-old white woman. Whether Gaby Rasson is the first to cheug (as she claims) or not, it now has a firm position in the millennial vocabulary.
Cheug Life Instagram
If a term has an Instagram account dedicated to it, that’s when you know it’s hit the big time. Cheug Life (@cheuglife) is an account run by the self-proclaimed inventor of the word Gaby Rasson. It’s dedicated to informing the masses on what is cheugy and poking fun at things that encapsulate the term. All in good humour, the account also includes links to informative articles describing the term and references the terms use in media and pop culture. If you’re looking to gain a deeper understanding of the term, or just laugh, definitely check it out!
Cheugy NFT
The word has become so iconic that it has become an NFT. For those that don’t know what an NFT is, it’s a non-fungible token, similar to a cryptocurrency. The cheugy NFT was minted by Gaby Rasson, who claims to be the inventor of the word. She created the NFT on the belief that this word was going to be the next big thing and an NFT was the logical next step. Gaby now owns the word, but bids are active on the webpage.
General FAQs
Cheugy is a term used to describe aesthetics or people or experiences that are untrendy.
Someone who is cheugy is rocking a trend that is outdated.
You will know you're not cheugy if you're up to date with current trends and avoiding anything that used to be 'cool'.
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