Whatcoubeh
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Young people in class started pronouncing the word “quoicoubeh”, which became a phenomenon.
What ? Have you already forgotten “quoicoubeh”? Even if the fashion effect has faded, parents and teachers certainly remember it. Theoretically, this insignificant reply that we throw to the person who answers us “what?” » was popularized on TikTok in December 2022 by Frenchman Cameron Djassougue, known as LaVache (@camskolavache). But it was in 2023 that it was really adopted by young people to the point of arousing media curiosity on both sides of the Atlantic.
Valérie Simard, The Press
Air Fryer
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Hot air fryer or air fryer
The hot air fryer, which cooks food more quickly than a traditional oven, continues to gain fans this year. “Air fryer fan(s)” (a real Facebook group, with nearly 127,000 members) are everywhere. Slight setback for this new favorite of chefs last February: the manufacturer Cosori recalled more than two million devices sold on the continent (Canada, United States and Mexico), due to a risk of fire.
Silvia Galipeau, The Press
PSPP
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois, and Pascal Paradis, MP for Jean-Talon
We are no longer talking about Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, but about PSPP. The leader of the Parti Québécois has had a solid year, starting with a record support of 98.51% at his party’s convention on March 11. His popularity continued to rise when the Parti Québécois wrested the riding of Jean-Talon from the Coalition Avenir Québec in a by-election in October. And what an advantage for everyone to call it PSPP: we no longer hesitate between the names Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Pierre St-Paul Plamondon!
Marie Tison, The Press
ChatGPT
PHOTO MATT ROURKE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
ChatGPT has been acclaimed, criticized, booed, dissected…
Developed at the end of 2022, it is really in 2023 that ChatGPT is out of the bag! The conversational robot that runs on artificial intelligence (AI) has been acclaimed, criticized, ridiculed, dissected… As proof, the software’s profile is the most consulted on Wikipedia by Internet users in 2023. The awareness of the The need for guidelines was imposed by the gang, because as the other would say, great power implies great responsibilities.
Sylvain Sarrazin, The Press
Charles III
PHOTO OLI SCARFF, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
On Saturday May 6, at Westminster Abbey, Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. He thus officially entered history… and into our vocabulary, almost 70 years after the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on June 2, 1953. Charles III took the oath by placing his hand on the Bible during a very formal ceremony which brought together numerous heads of state and government from around the world.
Olivia Levy, The Press
Ecoanxiety
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Smog caused by smoke enveloped many cities in June.
The succession of freezing rain, floods and forest fires has raised the level of eco-anxiety for many in 2023. While experts affirmed that Quebec would face more intense climatic episodes in Looking ahead, smog caused by smoke enveloped many cities in June. At the beginning of July, a statement from director Xavier Dolan to the Spanish daily El Mundo made a big noise. Did he really say he wanted to build a house in the country with his friends and watch the world burn? Never, he replied.
Valérie Simard, The Press
Barbenheimer
PHOTO SCOTT GARFITT, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie star in the film barbie.
This portmanteau word which caused so much discussion in July is the result of a huge publicity stunt. Objective: promote the release of two mega-productions – barbie And Oppenheimer – by creating a false rivalry. Internet users gave it their all, including memes, drawings and video montages, many even debating the ideal order to see the two films on the same day, for a total of nearly 300 minutes of viewing. !
Silvia Galipeau, The Press
X
PHOTO DADO RUVIC, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Elon Musk renamed his Twitter network after X.
Are you still saying Twitter? You are so 2022! Elon said X, everyone has to repeat after him. In the summer of 2023, the eccentric billionaire who bought the social network at great expense last year suddenly renamed it, knocking out the original blue bird. And it’s an understatement to say that with Musk at the helm, the platform has lost its feathers, being stripped of more than half of its advertising revenue and facing controversy over the circulation of racist and anti-Semitic messages.
Sylvain Sarrazin, The Press
Swiftie
PHOTO RICARDO MORAES, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Taylor Swift fans wait outside before a concert by their idol.
At the risk of repeating myself, Taylor Swift is without a shadow of a doubt the artist who has been the most talked about this year. She probably would never have achieved it without her army of “Swifties”. Through strength in numbers, her admirers have demonstrated that they can fill stadiums night after night, influence politics and even invest in the most prestigious universities: Harvard offers a course on the singer’s musical universe!
Léa Carrier, The Press
Flip phone
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The flip phone or flip phone reappeared this year.
Out of the mothballs, the flip phone made an unexpected comeback this year, brought back by teenagers nostalgic for a time before social media and tech companies who sensed a bargain. Again this year, new and improved models entered the market: Samsung’s Galaxy Flip5 and its more affordable rival, Motorola’s Razr 40.
Léa Carrier, The Press