This is CRINGE!

【Language & Culture Series】

Hey guys, Language and Culture series is back again! 💥

This is CRINGE!

Recently, there's been quite a discussion about an interview 🎙 with the renowned British actress Millie Bobby Brown. In the interview, Millie mentioned that she has never been one to snap pictures of her meals 🤳🍛, and said this behavior is "ridiculous" and "cringe." This sparked a lively debate in the comments section, with some agreeing 🙂 and others disagreeing 🙃. But today we are not going to debate. I’d like to introduce the word "cringe" that she used in the video to you! What exactly does it signify? Let's delve deeper into this English slang today!

The term “cringe” traces its root back to the 1570s, originating from the old word crenge, crenche. They meant a sudden movement, typically bending or flinching, driven by servility, fear, or pain. For instance, one might say “A dog cringes in the corner,” suggesting that the dog is in a fearful and pitiable state. Afterwards, the new term “cringeworthy” emerged in 1990 as an adjective to describe feelings of embarrassment. Nowadays, people commonly use “cringe” directly in spoken language to describe something or someone eliciting embarrassment. Because you can imagine that when something embarrasses or disgusts you, you would instinctively, shrink your body, clench your fists, and contort your face as if you’ve just tasted something sour. Therefore, when Millie expresses her thoughts on photographing food before eating, she is meaning this behavior makes her feel embarrassed and strange.

So how can we use this word in our life and accurate form?

“Cringe” can function as both a verb or an adjective. Additionally, the usage of “cringey” and “cringeworthy” is the same as the adjective “cringe”; they can all represent the feeling of embarrassment. Below is the example:

1. It makes me cringe to see my mom dancing!

2. This movie was so cringe. Why did it make a robber turn into a unicorn!?

3. It was a bit cringey when he got her name wrong (Cambridge).

Through today’s exploration of the English slang “cringe,” I hope you’ve gained a deeper understanding about this fascinating word! Also hopefully, you won’t find yourself in an embarrassing moment where you have to use this word LOL. On another note, what are your thoughts about Millie’s stance of taking pictures of food before meals? Honestly, I’m a person who snaps pictures of my meals almost every time😅, but I also agree we need to focus more on the moment of enjoying the meal instead of recording it. Whatever viewpoint you support, just do what it feels right! See you next time!❤️‍🔥

Reference: 

Millie’s interview: https://www.tiktok.com/@glamourmag/video/7290571370327641390

Dictionaries: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cringe

https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cringe

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/cringe

https://www.etymonline.com/word/cringe