Published at 1:25 am. Updated at 7:00 a.m.
Whatcoubeh
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
Young people in class began saying 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. In theory, this insignificant answer that we give to the person who answers us: “What?” » was popularized on TikTok in December 2022 by the Frenchman Cameron Djassougue, known as LaVache (@camskolavache). But it wasn't until 2023 that it was so embraced by young people that it piqued media curiosity on both sides of the Atlantic.
Valérie Simard, La Presse
Air fryer
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Air fryer or hot air fryer
The hot air fryer, which cooks food faster than a conventional oven, is also enjoying great popularity this year. Air Fryer Fans (an actual Facebook group with nearly 127,000 members) are everywhere. A slight setback for this new favorite of chefs last February: the manufacturer Cosori recalled more than two million devices sold on the continent (Canada, USA and Mexico) due to the risk of fire.
Silvia Galipeau, La Presse
PSPP
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
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 98.51% support 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 byelection 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, La Presse
ChatGPT
PHOTO MATT ROURKE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE
ChatGPT was celebrated, criticized, booed, dissected…
ChatGPT was developed in late 2022 and won't be out of the bag until 2023! The conversational robot running on artificial intelligence (AI) has been celebrated, criticized, mocked, dissected… As proof of this, in 2023, the software's profile is the most consulted on Wikipedia by Internet users. Awareness of the need for guidelines was created by the gang because as the other would say, great power means great responsibility.
Sylvain Sarrazin, La Presse
Charles III
PHOTO OLI SCHAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVE
Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
On Saturday, May 6th, Charles III was born. in Westminster Abbey King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. With this he officially entered history… and 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 attended by numerous heads of state and government from around the world.
Olivia Levy, La Presse
Eco-anxiety
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Smog caused by smoke enveloped many cities in June.
The succession of freezing rain, floods and wildfires in 2023 has increased the level of environmental anxiety for many. While experts confirmed that Quebec would face more intense climatic episodes in 2023, smog from smoke enveloped many cities in June. At the beginning of July, a statement by director Xavier Dolan to the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo caused a stir. 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, La Presse
Barbenheimer
PHOTO SCOTT GARFITT, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie star in the film Barbie.
This made-up word, which caused so much discussion in July, is the result of a huge publicity stunt. Goal: to promote the release of two mega-productions – Barbie and Oppenheimer – by creating a false rivalry. Netizens did their best, including memes, drawings and video montages, and many even debated the ideal order to watch the two films on the same day, totaling almost 300 minutes of viewing. !
Silvia Galipeau, La Presse
X
PHOTO DADO RUVIC, Portal ARCHIVE
Elon Musk has renamed his Twitter network after X.
Do you still say Twitter? You are so 2022! Elon told X, everyone has to repeat it. 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 is an understatement to say that with Musk at the helm, the platform has lost its feathers, losing more than half of its advertising revenue and facing controversy over the spread of racist and anti-Semitic messages.
Sylvain Sarrazin, La Presse
Swiftie
PHOTO RICARDO MORAES, Portal ARCHIVE
Taylor Swift fans wait outside their idol's concert.
At the risk of repeating myself, Taylor Swift is undoubtedly the most talked about artist this year. Without her army of “Swifties,” she probably never would have made it. Through their numerical strength, their admirers have proven 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, La Presse
Flip phone
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The flip phone resurfaced this year.
From mothballs, the flip phone made an unexpected comeback this year, brought back by teenagers who were nostalgic for a time before social media and technology companies and smelled a bargain. New and improved models came onto the market again this year: Samsung's Galaxy Flip5 and its cheaper rival Motorola's Razr 40.
Léa Carrier, La Presse