Semechki

The phrase Semechki is a roasted sunflower seeds name in Russian which is associated with the meme of a stereotypical squatting Russian young man in an adidas tracksuit with vodka in one hand and Semechki in the other.

Because the sunflower seeds are in a natural case like pumpkin seeds when people eat it, make a lot of mess and the seeds are relatively smaller than their case, so you get a lots of rubbish from eating them.

When you get the seed out from its casing, usually by using your mouth and your teeth, you just spit the remains on the ground or in an ashtray.

The exact origin of the term is unknown, however it can be safe to say, that it originates from pre-internet times, as it is a normal Russian word, that can be found in a dictionary.

The spread/popularity of the phrase Semechki started with the Slav Squat memes on the internet.

The typical Slavic young behaviour is, where they can be seen squatting around on the streets, drinking alcohol and eating sunflower seeds (Semechki) while practicing gang like behaviour on the streets.

Being drunk and starting fights with other gangs on the street and is in some countries associated with low intelligence, however, this type of behaviour rings well with today’s youth, hence it is very popular all over the internet, which has led the phrase Semechki to be learned and used by the western audiences.

• Urban Dictionary – Semechki