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Danielle Trenholm

ENC 4280

Dr. Meghan Griffin

June 18, 2019

To Slang or Not to Slang; That is the Question

As an English major and a well-known grammar cop among my family and friends,

walking by my teen daughter’s laptop while she is texting her peers has been known to cause

extreme hyperventilation and unwanted lengthy lectures. Yes, I am referring to slang, often

referred to as a secret, encrypted language. Love it or hate it, it is here to stay. In fact, it is

nothing new and has been around for centuries. Many parents loathe it and teens rely on it for

basic communication among their peers. Parents worry if this way of talking by using acronyms

(e.g. GOAT; greatest of all times) and abbreviations (e.g. L.O.L.; laugh out loud) will completely

drain their children’s brain of any source of intelligence resulting in them living in their parent’s

basement until the age of 45. There has been much research on slang and its effect on teens but

in recent years, slang use has been noted among college students as well. Since slang is nothing

new and is not going anywhere, the best way to understand it is to educate yourself on it and

become familiar with it.

First of all, let’s define slang to get a better understanding of it. Interestingly, there are

various opinions on what the true meaning is. According to Dan Jones in Technical Writing

Style, slang is “slang is language that has little to do with the main aim of language, the

connection of sounds with ideas in order to communicate ideas, but is rather an attitude, a
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feeling, and an act” (89). Robert Moore quotes slang in his article “We’re Cool, Mom and Dad

Are Swell: Basic Slang and Generational Shifts in Values” as “a variety of speech used in

situations of extreme informality, often with rebellious undertones or an intention of distancing

its users from certain mainstream values” (61). Probably the most basic, and most informative

definition for slang is from Haviland Ferguson Reves in his article “What is Slang?”. He defines it

as “The changing vocabulary of conversation; it comes into sudden vogue, has a meaning,

usually figurative, which is knows by a particular set or class and which constitutes a sort of

shibboleth during the brief period of its popularity, and then dies in the obscure corners of

forgotten words and unabridged dictionaries, or passes into the legitimate speech” (216). And

last but not least, Webster’s defines slang as “an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed

typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of

speech.”

Slang is nothing new but the way we think about it may be. Reves identifies the first

known definition for slang from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary as “low vulgar, unmeaning

language” (216). It is interesting to see how the meaning has changed in the past 200 years. The

current definition of slang indicates that it is an acceptable “nonstandard” language but its

definition from 1828 makes slang out to be language only used among the poor and

uneducated. The 1895 Stanford Dictionary goes on to define slang even more critically:

"Inelegant and unauthorized popular language, consisting of words phrases of low or illiterate

origin or of legitimate expressions used in grotesque, irregular, or metaphorical senses not

approved by reputable usage and good taste.” Reves notes that in the New Standard Dictionary
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of 1913, slang is defined in a more positive way: “the speech or dialect of a special sect,

profession, or class of persons.”

Now that you understand the meaning of slang, it is important to be aware of why

people use slang to begin with. Today, slang can be best summed up as a type of language used

in various discourse communities (like-minded people) that is accepted among each member.

According to Azamat Akbarov and Ana Tankosić in their article “Impact of Social Networks and

Technology on English Language Learners, they explain why slang is utilized: “In synchronous

communication interlocutors tend to shorten their messages to such an extent that only a

person who is aware of the abbreviations used in written communication is able to understand

them” (8). This can be done with good or bad intentions. In fact, this is mostly where the issue

of slang comes in: those on the outside of a particular discourse community become

intimidated by their lack of understanding the language used by another group. For example,

parents’ conflict with understanding their teen’s communications among their friends or

coworkers feeling left out because they don’t understand the encrypted messages. According to

Time magazine correspondent, Katy Steinmetz, slang’s primary purpose is: “to playfully

disguise true meaning in a way that determines who is in the know and who is out.” This

may have negative effects. For one, lack of knowledge of a discourse communities slang

can make one feel excluded. In fact, sometimes this is the intended purpose. Knowing

what slang means before you use it is very important. There is a humorous story about a

grandfather trying to use the slang of his granddaughter when composing a text. He was

telling her something very serious and ended the text with LOL. He noticed that she

stopped responding to him like she use to when he would text her and complained
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about it to his grandson. When his grandson read the text, he was shocked to find out

that his grandfather thought LOL stood for “lots of love” and was using it that way. In

this case, using slang was not wise.

One of the biggest users of slang are teens. In fact, slang has often been referred to as

“teen speak.” Parents and psychologist are divided on the issue. This can be very frustrating for

a parent that is not able to keep up with the ever-evolving practice or fear that their teen is

losing the use of the English language. Robert Moore gives us insight into this fear: “There is the

ongoing debate that standard language will be lost, and that new generations will be illiterate

due to the influence of abbreviated informal language used on internet” (4). Anna Musson, a

manners expert stated that: “texting has changed language and parents should make sure

their kids can speak in full sentences and know when and when not to use slang” (Kids

News). On the other hand, Mark McCrindle, a social researcher, said that: “using slang

doesn’t affect teenagers’ understanding of English, but allowed them to bring a “fresh”

approach to it” (Kids News). In Akbarov and Tankosić’s article, they remarked on a study done

with High school and college students. According to the study, both groups of students used

slang but one thing was positively reassuring. They found that “the majority of the participants

use Internet slang with either friends or family shows that they are aware that it is vernacular

language, thus it is not appropriate to use it with strangers or supervisors in profession or

education” (16). According to this finding, parents can somewhat relax when questioning if

their teen or college student will ever be able to get a job beyond fast food.

Not everyone agrees with such studies. According to BBC News’ Vanessa Barford

“young people are increasingly unable to distinguish when it's appropriate to use it, say some
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linguists. Their language is becoming saturated by slang, leaving them ill-equipped to

communicate in the wider world.” Additionally, she emphasizes that “those who use it are

losing any sense of "appropriacy" - the important skill of turning it on and off in different

situations”. Slang expert Tony Thorne furthers this argument of appropriacy as “Appropriacy

simply means using the right variety of language for the right context - using business jargon in

business meetings, formal English in exams or slang in school playground." This conclusion

veers widely from the study recorded by Akbarov and Tankosić’. In fact, it is the exact opposite.

What we have to keep in mind before we get too worried is that the subject of slang is very

subjective. There has always been a form of slang but the only difference today than a century

ago is that we are all connected and are confronted with it daily. A perfect example of slang at

its best is the military. The military is notorious for using slang and what Dan Jones refers to as

“shop talk.” They often times communicate using nothing but acronyms, and abbreviations and

no one understands them but those either in the military or familiar with it. There is not a day

that goes by that military personnel are not in the news relaying a report or update and

naturally, they do so in terms that are understood outside of their discourse community.

Aside from worrying about the dumbing down of language, and the fear that it will

have catastrophic effects on future careers, some fear that the art of spelling will be lost.

Critics believe that constantly shortening words and purposely spelling them incorrectly is

habit changing in a negative sense. Shortening words such as “for” for the number “4” won’t

be an issue but shortening it to “for” could become the way a slang users brain thinks is the

appropriate way to spell it. I have personally got onto my teens for this because I believe this

is the biggest threat. When my teen uses IKR in place of “I know, right” or PLZ for “please”, I
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don’t worry. It is acceptable among their peers and I have been guilty of the same thing

when texting quickly. However, when they write the contraction form of do not without the

apostrophe, I cringe. Remembering to use an apostrophe is a problem I have encountered

while teaching kids grammar so I understand how problematic it can be if they form the

habit of eliminating it.

Another issue with slang is identifying who is to blame for it. Critics of slang use have

notoriously blamed teens for its on-going usage. According to Henry Kratz, author of “What is

College Slang,” he states that “it is the members of the younger set, the group in junior and

senior high school, who are probably most directly responsible for the spread of slang. They are

much more susceptible to the world of television comedians and commercials, to comic strips

and disk jockeys, and are much more receptive to the tasteless and synthetic ephemera which

these media do so much to promote.

Additionally, social media is mostly being blamed for the current trend of slang

especially among teens. According to Akbarov and Tankosić: Social media is

affecting English language and teen are the target age group. They are young

people that are undergoing some physical and mental changes. They are

influenced by trends and want to retain a sense of belongingness. They tend to

be rebellious and go against rules. Internet slang is one type of this rebellion

against language rules. Therefore, teens might sometimes make intentional

grammar mistakes.
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This latter analysis of why teens use slang is quite critical and very subjective. It is true

that teens are notorious for following trends, but they are not the only ones. Apparently,

college students practice using slang as a normal daily activity. According to M.C. PcPhee,

concerning college students: “when they speak of their fellow students and their college work,

they sprinkle their diction with coinage” (131). In fact, McPhee made a list of slang being used

on college campuses today. For example, guys who like to frequently hang out with the girls are

called a “tea hound.” A person that doesn’t turn out to be that interesting is referred to as a

“flat tire.” These terms are quite catchy.

It would seem that using slang has only negative consequences but there are several

positive aspects of the practice. For instance, teens get a sense of belonging when they share a

common language among their peers. Actually, slang within a group of teens is no different

than the specific dress, attitude, appearance, and habits within a group of teens that are like-

minded. It is what helps identify one group from another. Additionally, the use of slang can save

lives. For example, Dan Jones shares the conversation of the Apollo 13 crew with Houston when

a serious problem became evident onboard. During a launch in 1970, something went very

wrong and the quick thinking and communication between those involved saved lives. By using

shop talk, which is basically business slang, to communicate, things were handled in a timely

manner. The special training of language within this discourse community proved to be

effective. Without it, the outcome would have most likely been catastrophic.

Another reason that slang is positive is that it shows that we, in general, are immersed

within our culture. It proves we are listening. Anyone that has read Shakespeare has been

influenced by slang. Today, Shakespeare’s work is referenced mainly due to his catchy phrases.
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For instance, Shakespeare’s use of “bed-presser” refers to a lazy person and “candle waster” is

someone that stays up late at night. It is no secret that Shakespeare was highly criticized in his

time and after for his creative language but it shapes our cultural almost 500 years later.

As far as we know, and according to its long history of use, slang isn’t going away

anytime soon and as our technology advances and we become more and more connected, we

should expect slang to increase and possibly merge into different discourse communities. The

best way a parent can reduce their fears of slang use among their teens is to get involved and

have fun with it. As long as it isn’t hurting another person, or being used to slander another

teen discreetly, it should be accepted as a normal way to communicate. As adults are well

aware, there is a time and place for everything. When slang is being used in a safe, healthy, and

controlled environment, and only used within its discourse community, there is nothing to fear.

Understanding that although slang is mostly used among teens, adults use it as well with no

detrimental effects. In fact, all discourse communities use slang even though it is often

disguised as jargon, shop talk, and tech speak. Also, understanding that slang has been around

most likely before there was written language is reassuring that those that use slang are not

completely ruining their chances at a normal life.

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Works Cited:

Akbarov, Azamat, and Ana Tankosić. “Impact of Social Networks and Technology on English

Language Learners.” Journal of Linguistic Intercultural Education. Vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 7-28.

Dec. 1, 2016.

Barford, Vanessa. “Mind Your Slanguage.” BBC News. December 8, 2009.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8388545.stm

Coutts, Donna. “Parents Struggle to Undestand Teen Talk.” Kids News. May 10, 2018.

Jones, Dan. Technical Writing Style. Allyn and Bacon. 1998.

Kratz, Henry. “What is College Slang?” American Speech, vol. 39, no. 3, Oct. 1964, pp. 188-194.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/453626

McPhee, M. C. “College Slang.” American Speech, vol. 3, no. 2, Dec. 2, 1927, pp. 131-133.

DOI: 10.2307/451517
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Reves, Haviland Ferguson. “What is Slang?: A Survey of Opinion.” American Speech, vol. 1, no.

4, Jan. 1926, pp. 216-220. https://www.jstor.org/stable/452521

Steinmetz, Katy. “Why Slang Is More Revealing Than You May Realize.” TIME. Dec. 12, 2018.

https://time.com/5445581/slang-dictionary-oed-lowkey-highkey/