About Slang in Popular Culture
The yourDictionary Web site defines slang as “highly informal speech that is outside conventional or standard usage and consists both of coined words and phrases and of new or extended meanings attached to established terms: slang develops from the attempt to find fresh and vigorous, colorful, pungent, or humorous expression, and generally either passes into disuse or comes to have a more formal status.” Examples of common slang within the United States include:
- Ankle biter – a derogatory term for an infant or small child
- Bail – leaving in a hurry
- Chillin' – Spending time with your friends
- For real – Speaking honestly and truthfully
- Hooker – a female prostitute or someone who is behaving like a prostitute
- In a New York minute – to do something very fast
- Juiced – to be very excited or eager to do something
- Knocked up – a woman coping with an unplanned pregnancy, usually someone who is either very young or unmarried
- Queen – a homosexual man
- Trashed – to be very drunk or to completely destroy someone’s property
- Zonked – completely exhausted, very tired
Since a number of slang terms make reference to sex, violence, drugs, or crime, the use of slang is often seen by many people as an indicator of the speaker’s lower social status. Slang used by particular ethnic groups is also frequently looked down upon, although it should be noted that use of slang in everyday speech bears no relationship to the speaker’s intelligence.
Slang should be avoided in most types of writing, especially academic research papers and essays. Screenwriters and novelists sometimes use certain expressions to add a touch of their character’s personality to specific bits of dialogue, but this tactic can backfire if the slang is obscure and thus unfamiliar to the reader.
Although slang is informal speech, it is not equivalent to jargon. Generally, jargon refers to terminology that is associated with a particular profession—such as medicine, law, or computer science.
American Slang Dictionaries Online
Since slang is constantly changing, it can be difficult to find definitions of certain terms in a printed dictionary. Luckily, there are many different Web sites offering online American slang dictionaries. For example:
- Slang Site is an extensive dictionary of slang and colloquialisms that is neatly organized and easy to use. Definitions are fairly short, but example sentences are provided for the majority of terms.
- Urban Dictionary is a large site that allows users to submit their own definitions for various slang terms. While the quality of the information can sometimes be questionable, this site is often the best resource for learning more about obscure slang usage.
- Many Things has a list of 280 American slang definitions sorted alphabetically. Example sentences are provided with each term to make it easier for you to understand the correct usage.
- Peak English has a slang dictionary that’s easy to use, but many of the definitions provided are for common slang terms that should already be familiar to most native English speakers.
- Dave’s ESL Cafe has a short guide to American slang designed to assist those who are learning English as a second language.
Although it’s not a dictionary in the traditional sense, Slang City is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about the use of slang in America. This entertaining Web site features articles, illustrated topical guides to various types of slang, and interactive games such as the “Random Insult Generator.”
Internet Slang and Acronyms
While most people associate slang with spoken language, the Internet has spurred the creation of several new slang terms. Many of these are acronyms used to assist instant messaging conversations, such as typing “LOL” for “laughing out loud.” Online Slang contains a list of the most common terms. If you’d like to translate a block of text that contains Internet slang, you may also find the interactive tool at No Slang to be quite helpful.
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