A question on slang

[wildernesscat.livejournal.com]

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

Comments

[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.