«Tvoyo lico da bogu v ushi»: set expressions modification as way of creating woman's comic image in Internet

This contribution deals with functioning of lexical compatibility as the principle technique for creating a comic image of a woman in the Internet space. The analysis of modified set expressions collected from short videos of various bloggers is provided. Their classification according to the type of lexical compatibility and the type of lexical compatibility violation as a way of language play is suggested. The key language tools for creating by media personalities of a woman’s comic image are identified. The following research questions have been analysed: Why is lexical compatibility violation so frequent as a technique of language play? For what purpose do media personalities use this particular technique to achieve a comic effect? A survey has been conducted in the course of the study aimed at determining the language game recognition degree among ordinary listeners. The respondents were asked to provide from videos the initial unit for some situations of lexical compatibility violation. According to the survey results, modified set expressions have been divided into less and more recognizable ones. The conclusions have been made about the factors affecting the language game recognition.