World: COOL COMRADES

Russia’s hip generation proclaims its ‘ independence with a language all its own. For chuvaki, or cool kids, slang also serves a highly practical purpose: it is incomprehensible to parents who may be listening in. To Russian teenagers, flesh-royal (from royal flush) means “the most”; pravilny (literally, proper) is “square.”

Flesh-Royal: Any labukh, or musician, particularly a lobat (jazzman). One’s own tachka (literally, wheelbarrow), or car. All firmennye (gone guys) and any klevaya chuvikha (classy chick). Anyone with a kusok (one G in rubles) or enough bashli (dough) for a zhelezny (terrific) night on the town and a motor (taxi) back to the khata (pad).

Prayilny: Intouristy (literally, foreign visitors), meaning any of the locals who are dumb enough to swallow the party line. Koni (parents, literally horses), seriaki (old squares, grey ones) and gady (cops, literally reptiles). Anyone else who gets you into a lazha (jam), such as a pizhon (stoolie) or piraty (secret police), otherwise known as iskusstuovedy (literally, art experts).