Meet the Duo Turning Slovenia’s Funniest Swear Words into Cool Design: “Only in Slovenia We Swear by Saying — Get Kicked by a Hen!”
Slovenians are known for their knack of wrapping sharper, more biting words in a gentle, almost endearing form. It’s precisely these playful, innocently sounding yet culturally colorful Slovenian swear words that Tanja and Siniša have gathered under the brand Only in Slovenia – and through various products.
Visitors to Slovenia are often charmed by the way Slovenians express anger in such a funny and innocent manner. Many curious tourists even remember one of the authentic swear words and sometimes use it themselves. Although they may not understand all of its cultural nuances, they quickly sense that it is not a serious threat but rather a mischievous insult that often provokes laughter.
Since swear words are an important part of the linguistic and cultural identity—reflecting the spirit of the times, the social environment, and the imagination of the people in this region—Tanja Luketina and Siniša Šafarić wanted to share this peculiarity with the world. Siniša, an experienced graphic designer, enhanced the couple’s idea with a refined, minimalist, comic-style design that captures the wit of the language in visual form.
Read our INTERVIEW with Siniša and Tanja from Only In Slovenia and discover their unique products and great Slovenian souvenirs!
How did you come up with the idea to combine Slovenian swear words with product design?
Tanja: I have been working in the international business field for about twenty years, where I travel a lot and host foreigners. Through conversations I realized that many of them are fascinated by the innocence and charm of our swear words. Quite a few even remembered their English translations and then used them themselves. Often, when I meet them again, they repeat their favorite one at every opportunity: “How does that one goes – 300 hairy ones! Ha-ha-ha …”
I was glad to see that a part of Slovenian cultural heritage could entertain them, make them laugh, and leave such a lasting impression. At the same time, whenever I took these foreigners to souvenir shops, I always missed finding witty and playful souvenirs. Even in the best-stocked design or souvenir stores, I felt there was a lack of products with just the right dose of humor – not something obvious or superficial, but something that would truly make visitors remember us. Something genuinely ours, part of our heritage, wrapped in contemporary design.
Siniša: From the very beginning, the overall look was designed to be as flexible and practical as possible—regardless of how small or large the motif would be, which technique would be used, or on which materials it would appear. The visual language also had to be universal and simple enough to quickly depict different situations, while at the same time unified and recognizable.
Why do you think swear words are such a strong cultural symbol of Slovenia?
Slovenian swear words are something special—innocent and often downright funny. They usually don’t express anything truly harsh or malicious but rather reflect the strong agrarian past of our ancestors. Many of them stem from rural life and refer to local flora and fauna.
When you come to another country as a foreigner, the first things you usually learn are how to say “thank you” and “please.” Soon after, however, you get curious about how to respond if something or someone makes you angry. Our original, authentic phrases for such moments are truly unique and always leave a strong impression on foreigners.
“One of the charming peculiarities of the Slovenian language is that it often diffuses tense situations with a mild, playful expression instead of pouring oil on the fire with a raw outburst.”
What was the initial reaction of your friends or family when you presented your concept to them?
Family and friends were thrilled. Many wondered why they hadn’t thought of it themselves—or why no one else had. They quickly bought some products for themselves, for foreigners they knew, or as original gifts for their loved ones. Even today, many still choose our products for all kinds of occasions, which continues to sincerely delight us.
How did you choose which swear words to include in your products?
Tanja: First, we decided on the most obvious one—“300 kosmatih” (translated into English as “300 furry ones”). Then we went on a hunt for all the typical Slovenian swear words. We didn’t want anything vulgar, skipped all that were borrowed from foreign languages, and also avoided religious ones. From the remaining pool, we then made our selection.
An important filter for choosing the swear words was also how bizarre they sounded the first time you heard them. An extra point went to how strange they sounded when translated into English.
Why did you choose shirts, bags, and socks for your products?
Tanja: We wanted the souvenirs to be genuinely useful and easy to transport. We also strive to choose materials that are in harmony with nature. The shirts are made from pure cotton and come with a small card explaining the swear word and when it’s used, in both Slovenian and English. From the moment of purchase, the product is presented as a neatly packaged gift.
For the cotton bags, we chose higher-quality, durable, and sustainable materials intended for repeated use. As a gift, they are practical—you can give them on their own or use them to hold an additional present. These also come with an explanatory card. For both products, we used direct screen printing on the fabric, as it is more durable and higher quality.
What about the name “Only In Slovenia”? Why did you choose it?
Tanja: We wanted the brand name to also serve as a positioning slogan. Since the main goal of the project was to introduce our authentic swear words to foreigners, it made sense for the brand to be understandable to them. After several attempts, we settled on the formula: <swear word> + “Only in Slovenia.”
It seems to us that this is the quickest way for someone to sense that what they’ve heard is truly local and unique—something you can only hear in Slovenia. For example, “Get kicked by a hen – Only in Slovenia” (Naj te koklja brce – Samo v Sloveniji)—we think it works really well.
Do you have a favorite swear word—and why?
Tanja: My favorite is “May your kale rot” (“Naj ti ohrovt zgnije”). Although it sounds the most innocent, it originates from a time when the last crops before winter in the garden were some of the most valuable and precious. One of these vegetables was kale. I like it because it mentions kale, which I enjoy. Also, it makes children laugh, since they don’t know the hidden meaning. But it’s immediately followed by wishing the kale to rot—anywhere, even in the fridge. Since all our other swear words refer to animals, I sometimes joke that this one is vegetarian.
Siniša: It’s hard to say… all the swear words we selected are very dear to me. The animal-themed ones are full of character—“300 furry ones” is particularly playful. But probably my personal favorite is also “May your kale rot.” Illustrating the rotten kale gave me quite a few headaches, as I didn’t have proper references for how it should look.
We’re both proud of how it turned out in the end.
Which swear words confuse or amuse foreigners the most?
Tanja: Sometimes it seems to us that one motif is more popular than the others, but then it quickly changes. Companies usually choose “300 furry ones” (“Tristo kosmatih”), because the animals are arranged in the shape of the map of Slovenia. Dog lovers, on the other hand, are fascinated by “The dog does not like you” (“Pes te nima rad”), as this statement seems completely impossible to them.
Many also swear by “Get kicked by a hen” (“Naj te koklja brcne”), because they simply cannot imagine how a hen could kick someone. And almost everyone knows someone who is truly “Rude cattle” (“Govedo neotesano”).
How do you promote your products, and where can they be purchased?
Tanja: So far, we haven’t invested much in promotion. We only recently started communicating on social media. After our first major recognition—being invited to the Design Corner Ljubljana (Filipov dvorec, Dom trgovina at Prešeren Square)—we decided to personally visit nearby shops and offer them our products. Almost all of them welcomed us enthusiastically, which made us extremely happy.
In addition to the mentioned Design Corner, our products are available in Ljubljana at Spominki Souvenirs on Trubarjeva Street and Parada Lifestyle Shop at Mestni Trg. In Kranj, you can find them at Kranjski parnik Gift Shop, in Koper at Huda Muda, and in Piran at Sveti Donat, Concept Store & Gallery.
Online, they are available via slovenika.eu, a platform promoting Slovenian gifts. We hope to be present in other parts of Slovenia soon as well.
Occasionally, we also showcase our products at the ARTish fair in central Ljubljana, where we can meet our customers and followers directly. These moments are especially valuable to us, as we receive genuine feedback from both local and foreign visitors and have the opportunity to introduce ourselves in person.
We also have the Only In Slovenia website, where all our products are presented and where people can contact us directly.
Would you like to add anything else?
Tanja & Siniša: Considering that we have only been on the market since April this year, we are delighted at how quickly people have recognized and embraced us. We receive a lot of praise for the original concept, which visitors really enjoy—and many share this with us in person.
We still have many ideas for expanding the project with new content and are planning collaborations with other Slovenian creators. Overall, we would like the project to become a platform for special and unique products that showcase the charming and unusual sides of Slovenian creativity.
Only In Slovenia is also on Instagram and Facebook.
Purchase their products online via slovenika.eu and support creative locals.
Here’s an interview with Tanja and Siniša in Slovenian language: Only in Slovenia: kako Tanja in Siniša s slovenskimi kletvicami zabavata tujce (nas pa spomnita na čar slovenske hudomušnosti) –
