Prison jargon is an interesting phenomenon in the Russian language. After all, the vocabulary of a given social dialect is built on the basis of literary speech, with accompanying rethinking, redesign, metaphorization and sound truncation of words. Recently, many expressions from prison slang have turned into youth slang. There is no need to talk about whether this is right or wrong. It is better to understand the meaning of certain expressions and try to understand where they come from.
Specific greeting
Most of all, modern youth are interested in what “evening in the house” means, since it can be heard more often than others. This is a thieves' greeting. Why evening? And here we notice a reference to the sphere in which the expression was born.
The fact is that it is with the onset of evening that turns into night that events begin to occur in the prison that are not controlled by the administration. For prisoners, this is a time of activity. Based on this fact, in fact, the meaning of the phrase: “Evening in the hut” follows.
What this expression means is clear. This is a greeting. But, in addition to interpretation, there is also a history of origin, as well as a lot of nuances, by studying which you can understand the meaning of the phrase as accurately as possible. After all, every slang, especially prison slang, is distinguished by incredible imagery and accuracy. Therefore, the origin of each phrase or even word is of particular interest.
A little history
When talking about what “evening in the house” means, it is worth turning to the unwritten prison laws. With the onset of darkness, after lights out, the real relationship between prisoners and “huts” (cells) begins. You can get prohibited things from hiding places, make phone calls, etc. And of course, night is the time for “adjustment,” which is the switching of cameras using rope communication.
There are practically no restrictions. The administration is resting, and searches at night are a rare occurrence. Based on this information, everyone will be able to answer the question of what “evening in the hut” means. This expression is a kind of “good morning” for prisoners, which marks the beginning of activity. By the way, there is an analogue. “Night for thieves, day for trash” - that’s how it sounds. The expression is less common in youth slang, perhaps due to the not particularly respectful shift to personalities.
“Evening in the hut”: what does it mean?
Modern youth may not always understand mysterious thieves' references. Upon closer examination, it is possible to discern some meaning in this phrase:
- The dark time of day has long been considered the time of the onset, if not of dark forces, then of the power of apostates from the law;
- It is in the evening and at night that the frequency of crimes increases several times;
- Although places of serving sentences have a very strict regime, it is not always possible to completely control their inhabitants;
- And as soon as the lights go out, it wakes up - no, not the mafia - the real life of prisoners;
- Mobile phones that had been prohibited until then are pulled out from under the covers, card games begin, etc.;
- The management knows (or should know) about this very well, but turns a blind eye to everything that happens;
- Thus, in relation to life in the zone, words can be regarded as a respectful greeting addressed from equal to equal;
- However, in a free life, such treatment can hardly promise anything good for a stranger. After all, night is truly the time of thieves.
Continuation
This phrase has it and is of particular interest. Because it sounds entirely like a poem written in a place not so remote. So, what does “Evening at home, an hour of joy” mean?
At the very beginning it was said that jargon is built on the basis of literary language. The continuation of the phrase is a clear confirmation of this. And a reference to old Russian folklore. They used to say “It’s an hour of joy!” if you wanted not only to say hello to a person, but also to express your joy at the meeting.
Also, thieves often began their letters with the phrase “An hour of joy.” The “art” of designing prison messages also has many nuances. For example, everything is sacred to a thief and his name is always emphasized. The name of the prison is Our Common House, everything is written in capital letters.
So, it’s worth returning to the main thing. “Hello” is not written in letters and is not said in life. Like "Goodbye." These phrases are replaced by the expressions “An hour of joy” and “All the best to you.”
Prison lyrics and tattoos
In addition to the catchphrases used in the zone, prison lyrics and tattoos are held in high esteem among prisoners. Lyrics provided by songs:
- The theme of mothers
- the lyrics tell how the prisoner loves and respects his mother; - Law enforcement
- negative motives; - About yourself
- as a rule, these are tirades of a pitiful nature (got to jail by accident, etc. exculpatory topics).
The most common tattoos:
| Tattoo | Semantic load |
| Pigeon | The desire for freedom |
| Woman | On the chest or back - feelings for your beloved, on the leg - contempt |
| Church dome | Time served |
| Cross | Belonging to the criminal sphere |
| Heart | Love for mother |
Further wishes
On the phrase: “An hour of joy!” The thieves' warm welcome does not end there. And if we’re going to discuss what “evening at home” means, then we need to pay attention to the continuation.
“Chifirok for sweetness” - that’s the phrase that comes next. It is said to wish your opponent a good experience from drinking a drink made from highly concentrated tea leaves. Chifir tastes very bitter and strong, but it is almost the only available pleasure for prisoners, and it also helps to stay in good shape. So the wish is quite understandable. After all, in Russian the word “sweetness” usually means the ability to give pleasure. Or pleasure itself.
In general, it is clear what this phrase means. The expression: “Evening hut”, by the way, often receives the phrase: “Chifirok for sweetness!” as a response. If you happen to be greeted by just such a slang option, then you can laugh it off in a similar way to support the slang component.
Synonyms
- Night for thieves, day for trash;
- Hello;
- Good afternoon
Drawing a conclusion from all of the above, it can be noted that the use of jargon in speech is a purely individual matter. Depending on the company, context and intonation, they can either add imagery to the speech, introduce playfulness and unusualness into the conversation, or ruin the impression. Carefully observing the reaction of listeners will allow you to avoid getting into trouble and be known as a witty person with a good sense of humor.
Prison jargon is an interesting phenomenon in the Russian language. After all, the vocabulary of a given social dialect is built on the basis of literary speech, with accompanying rethinking, redesign, metaphorization and sound truncation of words. Recently, many expressions from prison slang have turned into youth slang. There is no need to talk about whether this is right or wrong. It is better to understand the meaning of certain expressions and try to understand where they come from.
I'm moving my feet, I'm coming to my head!
This is how the original greeting continues, beginning with the phrase: “Evening at the house, boys!” What does this phrase mean? It can be explained as a wish for a successful business (theft operation). The phrase: “Keep your feet moving” contains a parting word not to hesitate physically in order to get away from the servants of the law. And in the part “coming to mind” there is a certain desire for inspiration for that matter. Although this word can be explained in other ways. “Parish” also refers to the intoxication and place of residence of the leader.
The expression “Mother luck, one hundred aces in hand” is also often continued. Everyone knows: prisoners are fans of playing cards, and this phrase is a wish to always have a good card.
Meaning of the phrase
The phrase “Evening in the hut” (that is, in the cell) has several meanings:
- Greeting - this is meant in cases where it is said by a beginner. In this way he greets his cellmates;
- A message to those who have committed a crime, but are hiding from justice - in this case, the continuation of the phrase is the words “Legs to go, head to come”;
- Congratulations on the end of another hard day - every day spent in the zone brings the prisoner closer to the release date;
- Wishing you a good evening - the phrase “Evening in the hut” has a continuation - “An hour of joy, a chifirok of sweetness,” implying a wish for a pleasant pastime with a mug of strong brewed tea.
The expression “An hour of joy” has been known since the century before last. Our ancestors used it instead of the word “Hello”, thereby wishing each other happiness and prosperity. As you can see, practically nothing has changed in 2022.
Other variations
In addition to all the previously mentioned specific greetings, they also often say: “Evening in the hut, life for thieves!” What does this option mean? You can't do without a backstory here.
Each thief’s greeting phrase, especially the one just mentioned, begins with the exclamation: “AUE!” This is an abbreviation. Which means that the prison life is uniform. The exclamation, depending on the context, has two meanings. It either denotes a community of thieves, or expresses positive emotions, approval and encouragement towards the prisoner.
AUE is not just an acronym. This is a whole law and principle of life in a community of thieves with its own traditions. Why “life is for thieves”? Because they must stick together against the servants of the law, the “garbage”. And this phrase also promotes respect among prisoners for each other and contempt for the law.
Wishes
If you study all the phrases that accompany the greeting “Evening at the house!”, you might think that thieves are very cordial interlocutors. In addition to everything mentioned, in their circles it is customary to wish “luck for the relatives of the prisoner.” Everything is clear here. By saying this phrase to his opponent, the thief demonstrates his respect for him and wishes happiness and good luck to the people dear to him.
You can also add “home warmth,” the meaning of which is already clear, and also “comfort in a place of government shelter.” This phrase is found in many letters sent by comrades who have already served time to their loved ones in prison. “Government shelter” in this case is what it is.
"Related" expression
This is not all the interesting information about what the phrase “Evening hut” means. There is another option that sounds similar. Many unenlightened people may think that it means the same thing as mentioned above. But no.
“Good evening in your house” - this is the phrase. And that’s what they call burglary in thieves’ circles. “Hut” in this case does not mean a prison, but someone’s home. In which the robbers organized a successful robbery. That's why it's a good evening.
By the way, the word “hut” has several more meanings. In thieves' circles, this is not only what they call housing and a cell. This could still be a hangout. And “burning the house down” doesn’t mean burning it down at all. This means declassifying the stash. What does "dark house" mean? Unsuitable for business because it is locked. If the phrase “hut on kukan” was heard, it meant an apartment under police surveillance.
By the way, there is also a phrase: “Good evening, grain grower.” This is what robbers are called in prison circles. Which are undoubtedly different from thieves. After all, robbers commit theft by using violence or threatening the owner. While thieves do everything secretly, unnoticed and quietly.
How to answer this?
Selecting the correct answer to a particular prison greeting is a whole science. A carelessly spoken word or dropped phrase can cost a beginner dearly. After all, all literary vocabulary used in everyday life is turned inside out in prisons.
There are not many options for responding to the famous “evening” greeting:
- “Good health to you too”;
- “I welcome you too”;
- “Good evening to you too.”
Those at a higher position in the hierarchy may not respond at all.
When using the expression in ordinary civilian life, the form of the remark is completely free if the interlocutors are not former prisoners.
Representatives of the younger generation may use these words jokingly, without even realizing their true meaning. Therefore, the reaction to them can also be playful - even twirling a finger at the temple.
About attitude to jargon
Many people have a negative attitude towards such slang, and this is not news. Many citizens believe that now expressions like: “Evening in the house!” They say things for fun, without completely understanding their meaning. Of course, there are those too. These are mostly schoolchildren and very young boys who heard these expressions somewhere and began to use them to seem “cooler.”
But if we put this aside, we can understand that jargon is a separate component of the Russian language. And even, sad as it may be to say, our culture. It’s hard not to notice how coherently the full version of the greeting sounds, starting with the phrase: “Evening at the house!” It is not surprising, because it reflects the attitude of the prisoners. It is precisely such phrases that personify the tragedy of their situation. But at the same time, they also reflect the prisoners’ undisturbed ability to glorify life and enjoy it. Such expressions can be considered monuments of the thieves’ subculture, which help connect the world of freedom and imprisonment.
So, all of the above definitely makes it clear what “Evening at the house!” means. The concept of expression is really interesting. It would seem that the phrase is short, even with all the listed continuations, but there are so many references and reinterpretations in it. And awareness of this allows us to once again be convinced of the uniqueness, originality and versatility of the Russian language. Needless to say, coursework, diploma, doctoral theses and even dissertations are written on topics related to slang and jargon.
Not the same at all
There are expressions in the jargon of prisoners that contain both evening and hut, but have a completely different meaning. “Good evening to your house” is not a synonym; this is what burglary is called in thieves’ dialect. And “hut” in this meaning is not a cell, but an apartment for the victims. “Good evening” is a sign of triumph over a successful robbery.
“Hut” is a multi-valued concept. This is what they call a cell, an apartment, but there is another meaning. “Burning down the house” does not mean setting fire. This expression is used in the sense of “declassify the stash,” a synonymous series can continue with the expression “hand over deposits and passwords.” A closed hut, not subject to “removal”, that is, robbery, is called “dark” in the language of thieves. There is also the jargon “khata na kukan”. If this phrase is heard in a conversation, then we are talking about an apartment or a den, which is under the vigilant control of “garbage”, that is, guardians of order.
“Good evening, grain grower” is another example of thieves’ jargon. This is the greeting of the robbers. Thieves do not favor robbers, since they are the first to inflict physical injuries on their victims. Thieves act carefully and secretly.
