sameg سامج
Algerian Darja · adjective
“sameg” (سامج) is an adjective in Algerian Darja meaning heavy-handed, unfunny.
Meanings
- heavy-handed, unfunny
- dull, flavourless
Usage
Sameg is said of someone who tries to be funny but whose humour falls flat or becomes tiresome. It is the equivalent of informal French "lourd" ("heavy") or "pas drôle" ("not funny"). The feminine is samja. The corresponding noun, samaja, refers to this kind of humour. The word is sometimes reinforced with the rhyming phrase "sameg rameg". It can also describe a joke, a show or a situation that is uninteresting. The register is informal and slightly contemptuous, but it is not a serious insult.
Example
هذا سامج، يحسب روحو يضحّك
hada sameg, yahseb rouhou ydahhek
“He's unfunny, he thinks he's making people laugh.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sameg” but also “samej”, “samedj” and “samaj”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.