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Throughout the various _Macross_ series the word "deculture" is used, like in
the [sign off](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cWTBr.jpg), "[see you next
deculture](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7KJul.jpg)" and in the [Nyan Nyan
song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NmdptpONjE):

> "Nyan Nyan, Nyan Nyan, Ni hao Nyan, gorgeous, delicious,
> [deculture](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wmul4.jpg)!"

How is it used? What is its history? Where did it come from? (both in and out
of universe)

[![Deculture?!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pViCO.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pViCO.jpg)


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macross
What is the meaning of "deculture?"


Here is an summary of the definition from the
[Macrosspedia](http://macross2.net/m3/macrosspedia/macrosspedia-index.html#d).
I've also been trying to find an electronic copy of the book that came with
[Do You Remember Love](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087660/?ref_=ttmd_md_nm),
but I can't seem to find it. I'll have to look a little harder.

Basically it is a word from the Zentradi/Meltrandi language that is used to
convey a feeling of shock to someone. In the book that I mentioned above it
transaltes "De Culcha" as "Stupid Thing". Then it goes on farther to say that
"De" is "No" and "Culcha" is "Wonderful Thing". So in English we might say
"What the Heck". It also says that it has since by the Human/Zentradi culture
in a positive context and is often spoken as a meme in popular culture


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"Deculture" (pronounced de-kult-cha) is a Zentradei expression of shock and
surprise. In the early days of the Zentradi/human conflict it was a negative
term used often by the Zentradis to denote their shock and disgust at the
human-only concepts of culture, music, love and sex. For instance, in the
movie _Macross: Do You Remember Love?_ Zentradis reacted with a surprised and
disgusted "Yak Deculture!" when they saw a kiss for the first time.

[![Deculture!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i65cz.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i65cz.png)

However, since the war ended and Zentradis became assimilated into human
culture the meaning of the word started to shift. Zentradis have come to love
those very things they used to see as alien and deplorable, so the word
"deculture" started to get a more positive connotation of pleasant surprise
that is commonly used by non-Zentradis as well. For instance in the series
_Macross Frontier_ (set 47 years after the events of _Do You Remember Love?_ )
Ranka Lee sings the theme song for the Nyan Cafe:

[![Deculture!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3q2sK.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3q2sK.png)

> Haochii rai rai, Meikuunyan, Nyan-nyan, nyan-nyan Nihao-nyan, Gojyasu!
> Derishasu! Deculture!!!! (Good Eats, come, come, Pretty Girls too! meow meow
> meow meow Hello meow Gorgeous! Delicious! Deculture!)

The tone of the song and usage makes it clear that it now means something
along the lines of "Awesome!" or "No way!"


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