Krutoy Sem is the Russian name for Serious Sam, the first person shooter series by Croatian developer Croteam that began in 2001, known for its blunt one liners and over the top action. The phrase ne ponyal simply means I did not understand, and this short cut has spread on Russian language soundboards and chat groups as a universal confused reply. Because it is so brief and dry, it survived beyond gaming edits and is now reused wherever a conversation takes an absurd or unexplained turn.