Money, bills (“crackling ones”). Originally born in the Soviet-era criminal underworld and high-end black markets to describe the distinctive, crisp rustle of pristine, brand-new banknotes, it spread into mainstream Russian slang. In everyday speech and internet banter, it functions as a stylistic, slightly nostalgic term for cold hard physical cash, specifically crisp paper bills.
Как состояние? Хрусты есть?
What’s the deal? Do you have dough?
(Velikolushanin @ gtextreme.ru, 08/2009)
