Today, the importance of slang is increasingly recognized. It has a special role in everyday life.

To Carl
Sandburg “Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work”

Match the description on the left with a Standard English word or explanation on the right
1 ( O ) He’s a wuss A – Fun and lively at social events
2 ( T) He’s a kiwi B – Boring and old-fashioned
3 ( M) He’s a smarty-pants C – Strong and attractive
4 ( R) He’s a slob D – Dishonest
5 ( Q) He’s an old fart E – Forgets things easily
6 ( A) He’s the life and soul of the party F – Homosexual
7 ( P) He’s straight G – Stupid and useless
8 ( C) He’s a hunk H – Difficult to control
9 ( B) He’s an old fogey I – Behaves strangely
10 ( D) He’s a shyster J – A good partner (erotically)
11 ( E) He’s a scatterbrain K – Gives up easily
12 ( G) He’s a wanker L – Goes to bed very late
13 ( H) He’s a handful M – Wants to appear to be clever
14 ( F) He’s queer N – Drops rubbish in public places
15 ( I) He’s a weirdo O – Coward
16 ( K) He’s a quitter P – Heterosexual
17 ( S) He’s a cheapskate Q – Boring and irritating
18 ( L) He’s a night owl R – Lazy and untidy
19 ( J) He’s a good lay S – Doesn´t like to spend money
20 ( N) He’s a litterbug T – From New Zealand

From the list below, find a Standard English word or explanation for each of the words and
expressions printed in bold in the e-mail. Write your answers in the brackets
❖ very ugly ❖ drunk ❖ isn´t it ❖ goodbye
❖ says ❖ no ❖ alcohol ❖ toilet
❖ young sister ❖ a person who ❖ how are you? ❖ call me
❖ do you want to spoils other ❖ vomited ❖ a public
❖ sexually people´s fun ❖ friend performance
attractive ❖ young woman ❖ a lot of of music
❖ to look at ❖ a person who is ❖ is very bad ❖ security guards
somebody with lively and fun ❖ to start talking ❖ to go to a
erotic interest at social to somebody to party without
❖ excellent events show you are an invitation
❖ food ❖ out of attracted to ❖ people
❖ party ❖ had sex them

Hi Paul,
Why didn´t you go to Sandra´s bash PARTY on Saturday? It was awesome EXCELLENT! There was loads of a lot
of booze ALCOHOL and grub FOOD and lots of foxy ATTRACTIVE chicks YOUNG. Some guys PEOPLE tried to
crash the party GO WITHOUT AN INVITATION but the bouncers SECURITY GUARDS didn´t let them in. I
went with my pal FRIEND Daniel. Mum asked me to take my kid sister YOUNG SISTER, but she´s a real wet
blanket A PERSON. Daniel´s always the life and soul of the party A PERSON LIVELY and the girls think he´s
really fit ATTRACTIVE, so when he tries to pick up TO START TALKING TO SOMEVODY TO SHOW YOU ARE
ATTRACTIVE a girl, I chat up TO START TALKING TO SOMEBODY TO SHOW YOU ARE ATTRACTED her
mate FRIEND, unless she´s as ugly as sin VERY UGLY, of course. On Saturday, I was ogling TO LOOK AT
SOMEBODY WITH EROTIC INTERESING this gorgeous chick YOUNG WOMAN sitting on her own at the bar.
She noticed I was eyeing her up TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY WITH EROTIC INTEREST and smile at me. So I
went to talk to her. I said , “Hey, wassup HOW ARE YOU?” and she goes SAYS, “This party sucks IS VERY BAD.
I´m outa OUT OF here. Wanna DO YOU WANT go to a gig A PUBLIC with me?” Just like that! Of course, I went
and it was really wicked EXCELLENT. Bet you´re wondering if I scored HAVE SEX with her. Nah NO!! We both
got totally plastered DRUNK and I spewed up VOMITED in the bog TOILET_! Then she took a taxi home, but
the last thing she said was , “Give me a buzz CALL MEtomorrow.” Cool EXCELLENT, innit ISN’T IT?
Cheers ________,
Adrian