# Хули (!)



## Holy Dinah

Hello,

Хули seems like it has several meanings, so I'm just starting with the easiest one for me to understand: a replacement for what/why in questions (А хули делать? - What should we do?; Хули ты это делаешь? - Why are you doing that?). I'm wondering, does this count as swearing? (I.e., does it come from  хуй somehow, or just from the verb хулить?) If it comes from хулить (to abuse, to revile), how does this end up being an equivalent of "what/why" in questions?

Thanks!


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## Ptak

What the hell... / Why the hell... ?

(Quite rude).


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## niceguy_

Holy Dinah said:


> I'm wondering, does this count as swearing? (I.e., does it come from  хуй somehow, or just from the verb хулить?) If it comes from хулить (to abuse, to revile), how does this end up being an equivalent of "what/why" in questions?



It comes from "хуй" and it is an extremely rude way to say "Why...?", "What...?", "What for...?" in interrogative sentences and sometimes "Not a big deal!" in exclamations.

Examples: 
_Why/What for >  Хули ты это сделал? (Why/What for did you do it?)
What > Хули тут происходит? (What a fuck is going on here?)

- У нас завтра много работы. 
- А хули! (shortened "А хули там делать!") in the meaning "not a big deal". _

If I were you I'd never use this kind of words in your speech, unless a situation requires them. Note that in many cases taboo words from a foreigner may sound funny and you may fail to look aggressive.


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## Etcetera

Sigurd Hoel, a famous Norwegian writer, is known in Russia as Сигурд Хёль, although his surname sounds much more like Хули. As you understand, no sane publisher would print a book signed by an author with such a surname...


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## Q-cumber

Holy Dinah said:


> Hello,
> 
> Хули seems like it has several meanings, so I'm just starting with the easiest one for me to understand: a replacement for what/why in questions (А хули делать? - What should we do?; Хули ты это делаешь? - Why are you doing that?). I'm wondering, does this count as swearing? (I.e., does it come from  хуй somehow, or just from the verb хулить?) If it comes from хулить (to abuse, to revile), how does this end up being an equivalent of "what/why" in questions?
> 
> Thanks!



*Хулить* (to decry) origins of *хула* (animadversion, slander). These words are somewhat outdated, yet pretty decent.

Хули is a redneck word...to be avoided.


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## Nanon

Etcetera said:


> Sigurd Hoel, a famous Norwegian writer, is known in Russia as Сигурд Хёль, although his surname sounds much more like Хули. As you understand, no sane publisher would print a book signed by an author with such a surname...



... but print it on the cover (although in a stylised form), not as the name of the author but for reasons described in the book... yes, they do!!!


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## Kolan

There is a town of *Hull* in Quebec, next to Ottawa, which is pronounced *[халл]* in English, but *[оль]* in French. Some Russians, like me, however, prefer to call it город *Хуль. *


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## Nanon

There is a town of Hull in East Yorkshire, England. Some locals pronounce that name close to the way you pronounce it, Kolan!


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## Kolan

Nanon said:


> There is a town of Hull in East Yorkshire, England. Some locals pronounce that name close to the way you pronounce it, Kolan!


Пламенный привет английской *Хули *от нашего ! Будете проездом, не забудьте


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## Nanon

Обязательно передам! 
Хотя на самом деле тут не -ль, а английский "dark l". То есть - звучит не то, как [хол], не то, как [хул].
Как местные говорят, "the Yorkshire accent can be confusing sometimes" (British understatement!)


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## Maroseika

In Russian tradition Hull is pronounced as Хал or Гулль.


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## Nanon

You are right, Maroseika. According to Jones' pronouncing dictionary, it should be [hʌl]. But I am talking about the Yorkshire accent, not the received pronunciation...


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## Kolan

maroseika said:


> in russian tradition hull is pronounced as Хал or Гулль.


Конечно же, не Хуль. Это мы так, прикалываемся про себя.:d Чтобы как-то отличать русское квебекское от прочего канадского. Типа как Хадсон/Гудзон будет _Худсон_.


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## Holy Dinah

Thanks for the answers, they're very helpful. So the idiomatic expression "хули в Туле" would mean...what exactly? Something unflattering about Tula? (Poor Tula, I don't know why it's getting picked on. It's not like it's Hull...) 



> There is a town of *Hull* in Quebec, next to Ottawa, which is pronounced *[халл]* in English, but *[оль]* in French. Some Russians, like me, however, prefer to call it город *Хуль.*


Ahem. I'll have you know I work in Hull, and I can tell you, with great outrage...that you completely forgot to mention how close it sounds to *Hell*. D Just teasin', Hullsters.)



> .. but print it on the cover (although in a stylised form), not as the name of the author but for reasons described in the book... yes, they do!!!


 OK, the bulb goes off! This would explain why I was seeing it online used as a name or a user name. This is one reason I couldn't figure out if it was мат or not (but now it's clear).


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## Ptak

Holy Dinah said:


> Thanks for the answers, they're very helpful. So the idiomatic expression "хули в Туле" would mean...what exactly? Something unflattering about Tula? (Poor Tula, I don't know why it's getting picked on.)


Because they make rhyme, of course! 

But as for me, I've never heard this "idiomatic expression"... I don't think it means anything except just a... erm... "joke". It just makes rhyme.


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## Kolan

Holy Dinah said:


> how close it sounds to *Hell*. D Just teasin', *Hullsters*.)


In Russian they be may then either *хульцы* (like _nation_) or *хуляки* (like *туляки*), or *хуляне* (like *куряне*).


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