Slang is the use of informal, nonstandard words and phrases in new or unusual ways. Slang exists in all languages and has probably existed since the origin of spoken communication. The use of slang helps to create and reinforce a group identity. Many slang terms are expressive, humorous, and vivid. Some are crude and offensive. A slang expression may be a new word, such as glitzy (gaudy) or hype (advertising that relies on gimmicks or tricks). Or it may be an old word with a new meaning, such as fly (stylish) or cool (sophisticated).
People use slang more often in speaking than in writing, and more often with friends than with strangers. Slang thus resembles colloquialisms, which are expressions used in everyday conversation but not considered appropriate for formal speech or writing. Unlike colloquialisms, which may be understood by most people, many slang expressions are only used by a certain segment of society or by people in a specific occupation. The special slang and technical vocabulary of a profession or trade is known as jargon.
Some slang phrases have meanings that cannot be determined from the ordinary meanings of the words. Such phrases, including kick the bucket (to die) and up the creek (in trouble), are called idioms (see Idiom ).
Slang expressions change and spread so quickly that many people have difficulty determining what is slang and what is not. Dictionaries and language experts often disagree about whether a particular expression is slang, a colloquialism, or even standard language.
Uses of slang
Slang has a wide variety of uses. Many people use it because they want to seem fashionable and modern. Others use slang because it is frank and informal, expresses friendliness, and puts people at ease.
Many slang terms are used to insult. For example, a person considered to be unpleasant can be described by such words as creep, dork, geek, and wimp. Some insulting slang words refer to certain ethnic, racial, and religious groups. Slang is also used to criticize or poke fun at established institutions.
Some slang expressions are used chiefly by members of certain groups. Group slang is often used to demonstrate membership in—and loyalty to—the group. This type of slang may also be used to maintain secrecy because people who do not belong to the group are unfamiliar with it. In a hospital, a physician may be called to the emergency room stat (quickly) because a patient has flatlined (lost all heart functions).
People also often use slang expressions to express themselves vividly. Young people often use slang to describe excellence, types of music, fashion trends, or sports. For example, slang synonyms used to describe excellence include awesome, bad, cool, killer, sweet, and tough.
Slang can also refer to painful or frightening situations. A person may describe someone losing control as going postal, a reference to a series of incidents in the late 1900’s in which postal workers shot co-workers. Such language attempts to relieve anxiety by substituting a light-hearted or indirect expression for an unpleasant or direct one.
Forms of slang
Slang expressions arise in the same ways that other words come into being. There are seven chief forms of slang, each created by a different process. These forms are (1) old words used in new ways, (2) shortened or lengthened words, (3) figures of speech, (4) rhyming slang, (5) acronyms, (6) coinages, and (7) blends.
Old words used in new ways
create many slang expressions. The flap (excitement or commotion) over political campaign finance reform is slang, but the flap (hinged section) of an airplane wing is not. To rip off (steal) a camera is slang, but to rip off the top of a box is standard English.
Shortened or lengthened words
also produce new slang. The process of creating a new word by dropping one or more syllables from a longer word is called clipping. Clipping produces many slang terms, including demo, which is short for demonstration; psycho, for psychopath; and rep, for reputation. Another example is the computer term killer app, which refers to highly effective application software.
Another type of shortened word is a back-formation. Most slang back-formations are verbs that were formed by dropping the ending from a noun. Examples of such verbs include burgle (to steal), from burglar; letch (to lust), from lecher; nuke (to attack with nuclear weapons), from nuclear; and morph (to change form), from metamorphosis.
In the reverse process, a new word may be created by adding an ending to an existing one. Slang words created by this process include payola (graft), from pay; and slugfest (fight), from slug (to hit).
Figures of speech
are expressions in which words are used in unusual ways. One of the most common slang figures of speech is the metaphor, an implied comparison between two different things. For example, the slang metaphor bean pole describes someone thin.
Another type of slang figure of speech is metonymy, which substitutes a quality of something for the thing itself. Examples of metonymy include greenbacks (United States dollars) and suit (person in authority).
Rhyming slang
is slang that replaces a word with a word or phrase that rhymes with it. Many cockneys in England and many Australians use such slang. For example, a cockney might say Rosie Lee for tea. Some American slang is also formed by rhyming. Examples include fuddy-duddy (old-fashioned person) and nitty-gritty (the essential or basic details).
Acronyms
are words formed from the first letters or syllables of the words in a phrase. This form of slang includes D. J. or deejay, from disc jockey; and kidvid (children’s television programs), from kid video.
Coinages
are newly invented words or phrases. Slang coinages include humongous (huge), moola (money), and zit (pimple).
Blends
are new words created by joining the first part of one word to the second part of another. Examples of slang blends are gyrene (United States marine), from G. I. marine; and sexploitation (commercial exploitation of people’s interest in sex).
Sources of slang
Much slang comes from the special vocabulary of certain groups within a general population. These groups may be based on such factors as age, ethnic background, and occupation. Jargon and other group language often spreads beyond the group that originated it and becomes general slang. The terms joint (cheap bar or restaurant) and scram (to get away quickly) originated as criminal argot, a special form of slang used by a specific group. Theater jargon produced such expressions as ham it up (to overact) and turkey (failure). Jazz musicians invented gig (job), bag (special interest), and chops (talent). African Americans contributed many expressions, including dig (to understand), hood (neighborhood), and do-rag (a head cloth worn to protect the hair). The Yiddish language was the source of such terms as dreck (junk) and klutz (clumsy person).
All slang expressions were invented by someone, but only a few can be traced to a specific person. Jack Conway, a writer for the entertainment newspaper Variety, invented pushover (something easy) in the early 1900’s. T. A. Dorgan, an American cartoonist and sportswriter of the same period, probably originated dumbbell (stupid person).
The increasing popularity of the Internet has brought a great deal of slang created and used by computer users. Slang terms include cyber- (dealing with computers and the Internet), snail mail (written messages delivered by the postal service), hacker (an expert computer programmer perhaps involved in illegal activities), flaming (a hostile response from a user), and spamming (sending numerous unsolicited messages to users).
The spread of slang
Most slang spreads by word of mouth, making the paths of many expressions difficult to trace. Language scholars have found that much slang originates in social groups with lower incomes, less education, and less power than the rest of society. For example, many expressions spread from young people or from minority groups to the larger society. There are exceptions, however. Some slang is created by highly educated professionals, such as aerospace scientists and computer experts.
In addition, radio and television spread slang. For example, a TV entertainer can introduce a new slang expression to millions of people at once, giving it almost instant popularity.
Many slang expressions die out soon after they become widely used. For example, crazy (wonderful) had a short period of popularity in the 1950’s. On the other hand, some slang terms last so long and become so widely used that they are considered colloquialisms. Examples include belly laugh (hearty laughter) and half-baked (not fully worked out).
A few slang expressions even become part of the standard language. Hairdo was introduced in the 1920’s as a slang term to describe a hairstyle and became a standard word in less than 20 years. The words hoax and strenuous, which also began as slang, took longer to be accepted. Some slang words have been used for hundreds of years without reaching the status of colloquialisms or standard words. For example, grub (food) dates back to the 1600’s, and lousy (bad) dates back to the 1700’s. However, both of these words are still considered slang.
Attitudes toward slang
Some people disapprove of slang. They consider it inferior language and accuse those who use it of careless, lazy thinking. Some believe the use of slang limits a person’s vocabulary and even weakens the standard language itself. Much of slang’s questionable reputation comes from the company it keeps. Some people assume that slang is stupid and vulgar because it frequently occurs in informal conversation, accompanied by grammatical errors and profanity.
Certainly slang can easily be overused and misused. A slang term becomes tiresome if it is repeated too often. Likewise, slang is inappropriate for certain uses, including formal speeches, business letters, and schoolwork. A slang expression can also cause a loss of accuracy in communication because it may mean different things to different people.
The reasonable use of slang, however, promotes lively speaking and writing. Slang is an important part of any language and helps keep a language fresh and alive. A great number of colorful and useful words have come from slang, including bootleg, jazz, pushover, and skyscraper.
