Slang
Slang
What is slang?
Where does slang come from?
Why do people use slang?
A formal definition
Highly colloquial; for speaking
Rude; not polite
Not educated
Words used in some special sense
Special words of a profession
Characteristics of slang
Colloquial
Not standard
Restricted
Imaginative
Variable
Colloquial
Slang is almost always spoken
When it is written, it is used to convey the flavor of spoken language
For example, dialogues in novels
Not standard
Informal
Often not acceptable in formal situations
Restricted
Small groups of people, e.g., college students
Subcultures, e.g., drug culture
People in one profession, e.g., police
Imaginative
Language that is alive!
Colorful
Creative
Variable in 3 ways: By region
American vs. Australian slang
Breeder in San Francisco
Bouncing beef in Sydney
Variable: Gender
In Australia
Males use mate, dude or bro to describe other male friends
Females use babe or bud to describe other female friends
Swearing
For males using the F word is acceptable in more situations than for females
Variable: Time
Most slang disappears quickly
Groovy (1960s)
Main squeeze (1950s)
Variable: Time
One generation’s slang becomes the next generation’s standard language
Bus from omnibus
Zoo from zoological garden
Piano from pianoforte
Jazz
Variable: Time
Some exceptions to slang that quickly disappears
Pig (policeman) is from 1885 and is still slang
Beat it was used by Shakespeare and is still considered slang
Where does slang come from?
Originates from subcultures in societies
For example, occupational groups, teenagers, racial minorities, drug addicts, criminals
Where does slang come from?
Mass media
Movies
TV
Fashion
music
Slang from the media
A bomb = a really bad movie
Bucket list = things you want to do before you die
(from The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson)
5 – 0 = police
(American TV show Hawaii 5-0 in the 1970s)
Top = the ultimate or best
(French slang from the term top models, e.g., Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, etc.
Cabbage = money
(San Francisco hip-hop slang)
Slang is created by playing with words
Rhyming
Trouble and strife = wife
(Cockney rhyming slang)
Making words shorter
Brill = brilliant
(Glasgow, Scotland and parts of the U.S.)
Fab = fabulous
(American 60’s slang; the Fab 4 = the Beatles)
Slang is created by playing with words
Borrowing words from other languages
Cushy = comfortable
(From the Hindi Khush; no longer slang)
Yadda yadda = and so on
(from Yiddish and made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld)
Giving words the opposite meaning
Bad = good
(U.S. college slang in the 1990s)
Sick = good
(skateboarding slang)
Slang is created by playing with words (3)
Changing the spelling of words
Phat = cool, very good
(U.S. college slang in the 1990s)
Being imaginative with words
Taxed = mugged or robbed
(Honolulu slang)
Gimme some skin = let’s shake
(American 60’s slang)
Why do people use slang
To play with language
2. Slang
• What is slang?
• Where does slang come from?
• Why do people use slang?
3. A formal definition
• Highly colloquial; for speaking
• Rude; not polite
• Not educated
• Words used in some special sense
• Special words of a profession
5. Colloquial
• Slang is almost always spoken
o When it is written, it is used to convey the flavor of spoken
language
o For example, dialogues in novels
9. Variable in 3 ways: By region
• American vs. Australian slang
o Breeder in San Francisco
o Bouncing beef in Sydney
10. Variable: Gender
• In Australia
• Males use mate, dude or bro to describe other male friends
• Females use babe or bud to describe other female friends
• Swearing
• For males using the F word is acceptable in more situations than
for females
11. Variable: Time
• Most slang disappears quickly
o Groovy (1960s)
o Main squeeze (1950s)
12. Variable: Time
• One generation’s slang becomes the next generation’s
standard language
o Bus from omnibus
o Zoo from zoological garden
o Piano from pianoforte
o Jazz
13. Variable: Time
• Some exceptions to slang that quickly disappears
o Pig (policeman) is from 1885 and is still slang
o Beat it was used by Shakespeare and is still considered slang
14. Where does slang come from?
• Originates from subcultures in societies
o For example, occupational groups, teenagers, racial minorities,
drug addicts, criminals
15. Where does slang come from?
• Mass media
• Movies
• TV
• Fashion
• music
16. Slang from the media
• A bomb = a really bad movie
• Bucket list = things you want to do before you die
• (from The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson)
• 5 – 0 = police
• (American TV show Hawaii 5-0 in the 1970s)
• Top = the ultimate or best
• (French slang from the term top models, e.g., Claudia Schiffer,
Cindy Crawford, etc.
• Cabbage = money
• (San Francisco hip-hop slang)
17. Slang is created by playing with words
• Rhyming
o Trouble and strife = wife
o (Cockney rhyming slang)
• Making words shorter
o Brill = brilliant
o (Glasgow, Scotland and parts of the U.S.)
o Fab = fabulous
o (American 60’s slang; the Fab 4 = the Beatles)
18. Slang is created by playing with words
• Borrowing words from other languages
o Cushy = comfortable
o (From the Hindi Khush; no longer slang)
o Yadda yadda = and so on
o (from Yiddish and made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld)
• Giving words the opposite meaning
o Bad = good
o (U.S. college slang in the 1990s)
o Sick = good
o (skateboarding slang)
19. Slang is created by playing with words (3)
• Changing the spelling of words
o Phat = cool, very good
o (U.S. college slang in the 1990s)
• Being imaginative with words
o Taxed = mugged or robbed
o (Honolulu slang)
o Gimme some skin = let’s shake
o (American 60’s slang)
20. Why do people use slang
• To play with language
o For the fun of it
o To be different
o To be creative
o To be shocking
• Especially musicians, poets, writers, screenwriters, etc.
21. Why do people use slang (2)
• To identify with a group
o To exclude others
o To be secretive
• Especially lower classes, groups that are outside the main
society, subcultures, etc.
