A question on slang

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

"Rulez" and "зажигает" are one and the same?

Comments

[romikchef]

Synonyms.
Rulez is just synonym for "the best!".
And only person can зажигать.
You can use "рулит" always instead of "зажигает", but can't on the contrary.

[draiboleath.livejournal.com]

No.

"Rules" - "круто"
"зажигает" - "making fun"

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

Your translation of "зажигает" is inconsistent with the other writers' opinions. Could you used it in a Russian sentence + translate please?

[kidd79.livejournal.com]

Here are differences (as i see):
1) "Зажигает" is only used for animates. You may not say: "Твоя тачка зажигает!" ("Your car [or computer - depends on context] rocks!").
2) "Rulez" (may be used also in following forms: "rulz", "rulzzz", as well as in cyrillic transcription: "рулез", "рулз", "руууулеззз", and so on) is used as interjection*, so it mostly stands alone in the sentences ("Rulezzz!", "Руууулезззз!!!!" and so on), while "зажигает" (infinitive of it is "зажигать") is never used in simple sentences - it always requires subject ("Вася зажигает!", but never "Зажигает!" even if your interlocutor knows well who are you talking about).

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

... animates ...

What about this?

(from natyn_yolt)

[kidd79.livejournal.com]

Whe you use "зажигать" in regard of a lighter or a match, it's not a slang use of that word, but it's direct meaning.

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression, that this was the coded phrase "Комсомольская Правда зажигает". Is it not?

[kidd79.livejournal.com]

Oh.. you think so..

Well, i think i could explain - when you say "Комсомольская Правда зажигает", you mean exactly not that it's the newspaper itself who rocks, but staff of the newspaper who does.

In other words, when you say "Комсомольская Правда зажигает", you do not mean "Комсомольская Правда is cool/great newspaper" or "Комсомольская Правда is a newspaper which really kicks ass" (if that's what you want to say, you shall say "Комсомольская Правда - рульная/рулезная газета" or "Комсомольская Правда рулит").

But saying "Комсомольская Правда зажигает" you mean "Комсомольская Правда's people have published a great article which really makes fun" or something like that.

Hope this makes some sence :)

Please do not forget - we are talking about slang, which is not formalized and the same words in different circumstances may have totally different meanings.

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

Okay, I think I get it. Now when you normally say "кто-то зажигает", don't you have to follow it by a quote, or a description? Like, what he/she actually does/says?

[kidd79.livejournal.com]

Usually, it is evident from the context.

[welgar.livejournal.com]

"Rulez" is historically a FIDOnet slang word, which (quite obviously) comes from "rules". It means that something is cool, fashionable etc. You may use it both with and without a subject:
Полный рулез! - Absolutely cool!
Твоя тачка рулит. - Your car's great.

As an antonym for "rulez" you may use "sucks" or the Russian translation for it - "сосёт". There is also a noun "суксь", which meaning is obvious.

The slang meaning for "зажигать" is "to have fun", "to hang out" etc. So if someone is, say, dancing at a disco, you may say: "он/она зажигает".

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

What about the lighter pic I posted a bit higher up the page? What's the meaning of this?

[welgar.livejournal.com]

They just play words. The literal meaning of "зажигать" is "to light, to ignite".
BTW, lighter is "зажигалка".

[romikchef]

"Rulez" and sucks were there far before time you joined FIDOnet and learned these new words ;-)

[ziegel.livejournal.com]

You are wrong. I joined Fidonet in 1996. It was quite so. Can you find example illustrating you theory?

[stuartsick.livejournal.com]

I think "зажигать" means "rock on"