What is behind the craze for nonsense made-up words in french?

QUOICOUBEH, LA GRINT: TWO MADE-UP WORDS BEING PICKED UP BY YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS FRANCE Younger generations use more and more made-up words from trends on social media or rap songs, often

leaving older generations who denounce their silliness or stupidity befuddled. The best example is _quoicoubeh_, a made-up word shouted by students from Generation Z (people born after 1995)

that has taken most of France’s classrooms and playgrounds by storm in 2023. READ MORE: SEVEN ALTERNATIVE FRENCH WORDS TO MAKE YOU SOUND MORE NATIVE JOKE USED TO DEFY TEACHERS, PARENTS AND

EVEN THE PRESIDENT It was popularised by TikToker @CAMSKOLAVACHE in late 2022. It consists of asking someone a question by mumbling words to make it incomprehensible, forcing the person

being asked to say ‘_quoi_’ (what?) before replying back_ quoicoubeh_. It is only a newer version of a joke past generations did with _coiffeur _(hairdresser) with the person saying ‘_quoi_’

before replying back ‘_ffeur_’, the only difference being that _quoicoubeh _does not mean anything. _Quoicoubeh_ has been interpreted as both a joke to poke fun but also as a way to defy

teachers, parents and authority figures – going right up to the Elysée Palace since YouTuber Fililala did it to President Emmanuel Macron. The gag has also thrown up other words such as

_apanyae_, the word shouted after someone says ‘_hein_’? (eh? or what?). READ MORE: ‘JOURBON!’: WHAT IS FRANCE’S BACKWARDS SLANG VERLAN? MADE-UP WORDS CAN MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE DICTIONARY

While quoicoubeh has not been listed in any French dictionary yet, ‘made-up words’ can make their way to dictionaries – such as for ‘_nooice_’ which was included in Urban dictionary, a

crowdsourced English-language online dictionary for slang words and phrases. ‘_Nooice_’ was popularised by popular American comic duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, known under the

stage name Key and Peele. “_Nooice_ just simply means something that is incredible beyond words. What we have done is given a word to that which cannot be expressed. If you see something

that is too amazing for words, you just go ‘_nooice_’,” said Keegan-Michael Key on American talk show Conan in 2018. HELP RAPPERS GET NOTICED Made-up words are also being used as a marketing

tactic by rappers in the hope that they get noticed nationwide, increasing their visibility. Last September, the youth started picking up on the words ‘_skeu skeu_’ and ‘_la grint_’ from

two relatively unknown rappers who released songs. The first one has had people argue on X (formerly Twitter) about its significance. “It came out of my head just like that. It can mean

anything,” said rapper Jogga to Le Parisien, who has included a dance move to start a trend on TikTok and maximise visibility. The second comes from the same observation and was popularised

by rapper Nono La Grinta in his song _Délit_. Mister V, one of France’s most followed Youtubers, has poked fun at these particular rappers making up words in a satirical clip that features

several rappers. One of them is called Invento, a rapper that only speaks with made-up words that he and his crew understand. Invento’s song could, however, be linked to a modern

_Jabberwocky_, a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll composed in 1871, which demonstrates that the skeleton of a story can be drawn out despite the constant alignment of made-up words. READ MORE:

10 FRENCH SONGS THAT HAVE SPARKED DEBATE OVER THE YEARS MOST LISTENED-TO FRANCOPHONE ARTIST USES MADE-UP WORDS Made-up words have proven very rewarding in the case of Aya Nakamura, the most

listened-to francophone artist in the world. Part of Ms Nakamura’s success was built on words from her very own vocabulary such as _pookie_ (someone who can’t be trusted), _djadja_ (a man

who lies),_ tu dead ça_ (doing something very well) and _catchana_ (a sex position). Last July, teenager YouTuber Pink Lily turned the _quoicoubeh_ phenomenon into a song, reaching almost

10million views in six months. RELATED ARTICLES WHY PARIS METRO BUSKING CAN BE A CAREER SPRINGBOARD FOR MUSICIANS ‘MY VIDEOS HELP PEOPLE FIND THE BEST DEALS IN FRENCH DISCOUNT SHOPS’

PRESIDENT OPENS 'FIRST-EVER’ CENTRE DEDICATED TO FRENCH LANGUAGE