SLANG

BESPALA ANASTASIIA
ZAKHARCHUK YULIIA
A-32
WHAT IS SLANG?
• It is a very informal language that is used mostly in communication by specific groups of people
and sometimes includes impolite terms.
• Slang is a kind of communication between people who belong to the same social group and are
well connected. Slang is a colloquial language. When it is used about other individuals or
outside of a group of people who know each other well, it might insult people. Slang is more
commonly used in conversation than in writing. Slang usually relates to specific words and their
meanings, but it can also refer to longer statements and idioms.

BRO
ASAP
WARNING:
BUCK Slang changes quickly,
M and slang words and
CRA CHEE
SY expressions can
D disappear from the
AC KE language.
J
DEFINITION OF SLANG
• Slang has no simple or clear definition, but linguists agree that it is a continually changing language
phenomenon seen in every subculture around the world. Some suggest that slang exists because we
need a mechanism to categorize new experiences that have emerged as a result of time and
modernity. To compensate for the lack of a clear definition, Bethany K. Dumas and Jonathan Lighter
suggest that an expression is "genuine slang" if it fits at least two of the following criteria:
– It undermines "the dignity of formal or serious speech or writing," even if only temporarily; in
other words, it is likely to be deemed a "glaring abuse of register" in those situations.
– Its use suggests that the user is familiar with the subject matter, or with a group of people who
are familiar with the subject matter and use the phrase.
– "With persons of a higher social rank or greater responsibilities, it's a taboo term in everyday
conversation.“
– "A well-known conventional synonym" has been replaced. This is done mostly to avoid difficulty
or annoyance caused by having to elucidate further, as well as discomfort or annoyance caused
by the usual synonym.
DEFINITION OF SLANG
• "[Slang] is transitional language... it is often impossible to identify, even in context, which interests and
motives it serves... slang is on the edge," Michael Adams observes.
• Slang dictionaries, which contain thousands of entries, provide a broad, empirical view into the
mechanisms that control slang.
• While many varieties of lexicon are considered "low-register" or "sub-standard," slang is distinguished
from colloquial and jargon terminology by the social circumstances in which it is used.
• While colloquialisms and jargon may seem like slang because they reference a particular group, they do
not necessarily fit the same definition, because they do not represent a particular effort to replace the
general lexicon of a standard language. Colloquialisms are considered more acceptable and more
expected in standard usage than slang is, and jargon is often created to talk about aspects of a
particular field that are not accounted for in the general lexicon. However, this differentiation is not
consistently applied by linguists; the terms "slang" and "jargon" are sometimes treated as synonymous,
and the scope of "jargon" is at times extended to mean all forms of socially-restricted language.
 DISTINGUISHING SLANG
• While colloquialisms and jargon may look to be
slang because they refer to a specific group, they
do not necessarily fall under the same definition
because they do not represent a deliberate effort
to replace a standard language's general lexicon.
SLANG
Jargon is frequently formed to discuss about
elements of a particular area that are not
accounted for in the broader language, and
colloquialisms are more acceptable and JARGON
anticipated in normal usage than slang. Linguists,
on the other hand, do not always apply this
distinction; the terms "slang" and "jargon" are COLLOQUIALISMS
frequently used simultaneously, and the term
"jargon" is occasionally used to refer to all types
of socially limited language.
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SLANG
• Slang's origins are unknown; it first appeared in literature circa 1800, when it was applied to the speech
of London's disreputable and criminal classes. However, the phrase was most likely established much
earlier.
• Jonathon Green, on the other hand, agrees with a Scandinavian derivation, citing a root similar to that
of sling, which meaning "to throw," and pointing out that slang is thrown words - a rapid and honest
method to make your point.
• The term "slang" was first used in 1756 to describe the vocabulary of "low" or "disreputable" people. It
was no longer entirely linked with disreputable persons by the early nineteenth century, although it
was nevertheless used to usages below the level of conventional educated speech.
• It was introduced by Aberdeen poet William Scott in 1832 to signify "talk, chat, gossip" in Scots dialect:
"The slang gaed on aboot their war'ly concern." It meant "impertinence, abusive words" in northern
English dialect.
 FORMATION OF SLANG
• Slang etymologies are notably difficult to come by, owing to
the fact that slang is a phenomenon of speech rather than
written language and etymologies, which are normally traced
via corpus.
• It has been claimed that slang is created by ingenious
individuals to freshen the language, to vitalize it, to make the
language more pungent and picturesque, to increase the
store of terse and striking words, or to provide a vocabulary
for new shades of meaning. Most of the originators and
purveyors of slang, however, are probably not conscious of
these noble purposes and do not seem overly concerned
about what happens to their language.
 USAGE OF SLANG
• Slang is used for many purposes, but generally it
expresses a certain emotional attitude; the same term
may express diametrically opposed attitudes when
used by different people. Many slang terms are
primarily derogatory, though they may also be
ambivalent when used in intimacy or affection.
• Slang sometimes insults or shocks when used
directly; some terms euphemize a sensitive concept,
though obvious or excessive euphemism may break
the taboo more effectively than a less decorous term.
Some slang words are essential because there are no
words in the standard language expressing exactly the
same meaning; e.g., “freak-out,” “barn-storm,”
“rubberneck,” and the noun “creep.”
 DEBATES ABOUT SLANG
• Some critics assert that as slang gets more widely
used, it effectively eliminates "correct" language
usage. Academic (descriptive) linguists, on the other
hand, feel that language is dynamic and that slang
phrases are real words in a language's vocabulary.
Prescriptivists study and promote socially preferable
or "correct" ways of speaking based on a language's
normative grammar and syntactical words, whereas
descriptivists study language to better understand
the subconscious rules of how people speak, which
makes slang important in understanding such rules.
Noam Chomsky, a pioneer of anthropological
linguistic thought, questioned structural and
prescriptive grammar and began to explore sounds
and morphemes functionally, as well as how they
evolve through time in a language.
SLANG OF 1920S
• 23 skiddoo — to get going; move along; leave; or scram
• The cat’s pajamas — the best; the height of excellence
• Gams — legs
• The real McCoy — sincere; genuine; the real thing
• Hotsy-totsy — perfect
• Moll — a female companion of a gangster
• Speakeasy — a place where alcohol was illegally sold and drunk during Prohibition
• The bee’s knees — excellent; outstanding
SLANG OF 1930S
• I’ll be a monkey’s uncle — sign of disbelief; I don’t believe it!
• Gig — a job
• Girl Friday — a secretary or female assistant
• Juke joint — a casual and inexpensive establishment with drinking, dancing, and blues music,
typically in the southeastern United States
• Skivvies — men’s underwear
 SLANG OF 1940S
• Blockbuster — a huge success
• Keeping up with the Joneses — competing to
have a lifestyle or socioeconomic status
comparable to one’s neighbors
• Cool — excellent; clever; sophisticated;
fashionable; or enjoyable
• Sitting in the hot seat — in a highly
uncomfortable or embarrassing situation
• Smooch — kiss
SLANG 0F 1950S
• Big brother is watching you —
someone of authority is monitoring
your actions
• Boo-boo — a mistake; a wound
• Hi-fi — high fidelity; a record player
or turntable
• Hipster — an innovative and trendy
person
 SLANG OF 1960S
• Daddy-o — a man; used to address a hipster or
beatnik
• Groovy — cool; hip; excellent
• Hippie — derived from hipster; a young adult
who rebelled against established institutions,
criticized middle-class values, opposed the
Vietnam War, and promoted sexual freedom
• The Man — a person of authority; a group in
power
 SLANG OF 1970S
• Catch you on the flip side — see you later
• Dig it — to like or understand something
• Get down/Boogie — dance
• Mind-blowing — unbelievable; originally an
expression for the effects of hallucinogenic
drugs
• Pump iron — lift weights
• Workaholic — a person who works too
much or is addicted to his or her job
 SLANG OF 1980S
• Bodacious — beautiful
• Chillin’ — relaxing
• Dweeb — a nerd; someone who is not cool
• Fly — cool; very hip
• Gag me with a spoon — disgusting
• Gnarly — exceptional; very cool
• Preppy — one who dresses in designer clothing and has a neat, clean-cut appearance
• Wicked — excellent; great
• Yuppie — Young Urban Professional; a college-educated person with a well-paying job who lives
near a big city; often associated with a materialistic and superficial personality
SLANG OF 1990S
• Diss — show disrespect
• Get jiggy — dance; flirt
• Homey/Homeboy — a friend or buddy
• My bad — my mistake
• Phat — cool or hip; highly attractive; hot
• Wassup? — What’s up?; How are you?
• Word — yes; I agree
 MODERN SLANG
• All-nighter - A period of work or study that
lasts all night. Most often used with the verb
"pull" (To pull an all-nighter)
• Bro - a friend, often used for a masculine
friend
• Cram - to study feverishly before an exam
• Dutch or go Dutch - each person pays for
his/her own meal.
• Hyped - really excited
• Piece of cake - easy or effortless
• Spill the beans - reveal a secret
ATTITUDE TOWARDS SLANG
• With the rise of naturalistic writing demanding realism, slang began to creep into English
literature even though the schools waged warfare against it, the pulpit thundered against it, and
many women who aspired to gentility and refinement banished it from the home. It flourished
underground, however, in such male sanctuaries as lodges, poolrooms, barbershops, and
saloons.
• Slang is now socially acceptable, not just because it is slang but because, when used with skill
and discrimination, it adds a new and exciting dimension to language. At the same time, it is
being seriously studied by linguists and other social scientists as a revealing index to the
culture that produces and uses it.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ☺