CBC is on it, the Toronto Star is on it, CTV is totally on it. "It" being "cheugy," a term from 2013 to describe intergenerational cringe and the most try-hard aspects of millennial culture, which is having a TikTok-lead resurgence Right. Now. With cheug currently dominating headlines, we figured we'd pile onto the fun with five looks at local cheuggery.
1. Spikeball on the Halifax Common
Gaby Rasson, whose claim to coining “cheugy” extends to selling it as an NFT, says it means “untrendy, out of date or trying too hard.” For Halifax, where trends typically arrive five years late, that makes cheug an integral part of local culture. Just like grabbing your net, your ball and your bros to head to the Common for a rousing game of Spikeball—as popularized on Shark Tank in 2015. Serve, spike, cheug!
2. Visiting the Luckett Vineyard phone booth
Locals who go to Annapolis Valley’s wine country are flirting with a touristy vibe. Locals who flock to the inexplicable red phone booth plonked in Luckett Vineyards are going full cheugy. Taking cliche-aware pics in destinations province-wide is High Cheug, the equivalent of a human fanny pack. Now will be a moment to remind you that in England, red phone booths should only be entered with waterproof shoes because people piss in them so much.
3. East Coast Lifestyle shirts
The standing uniform to wear on Saturdays with your boys. A shorthand way to say you really live by the philosophy “Live. Laugh. Love.” Is any overly-posed Instagram photo at Peggys Cove complete without an ECL hoodie and leggings or board shorts? Not for a cheug.
4. “Discovering” Halifax’s north end
Telling people who live here that Halifax’s north end is *actually really cool* (thanks for the memo but most gentrifiers have been making good on this perception for the last decade) is cheug. Being nervous on Gottingen Street anyway? Major suburban cheug energy. Deciding to be a total Phil Dunphy and visit the neighbourhood in the name of designer doughnuts—and then stopping at McDonald’s for coffee, because you think it’s better than Tim’s? Black belt cheugy.
5. Local media hot takes piling on to the newest oldest thing bubbling up on everyone’s socials
What?
