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Impact of Slang or Informal Language in Daily Life

August 29, 2023

Language is a dynamic and ever-changing entity, impacted by society, the environment, and the many methods in which individuals interact. Slang words are a fascinating aspect of language that has a distinct impact on everyday life. Slang is a collection of words, phrases, and idioms that do not appear in formal language but are widely used by certain groups or communities. This article looks at the power of slang, its uses, its impact on communication, and its significance in cultural identity creation.

All About Slang

Let us know about different aspects of slang and its impact on our daily lives.

Slang has numerous uses in communication. First, it fosters a sense of community and group identity. When people use slang in the same group, it suggests that they have similar experiences, attitudes, and knowledge. For example, IT experts may utilize terms like "algorithm" and "debug" to connect over a shared interest.

Secondly, slang can function as a form of social differentiation. Using certain slang terms or phrases might signify membership in a specific social or age group. Young people, for example, typically develop their own vocabulary to distinguish themselves from adults. Finally, slang may be used to convey unity and familiarity among friends or peers. It may establish an informal tone and build a sense of community that formal language may be unable to communicate.

The use of slang has a significant impact on communication. While formal language is orderly and precise, slang adds nuance and emotion. Slang is typically formed in response to language gaps—when formal words fail to convey certain thoughts or experiences. Consider the phrase "hangry," which combines "hungry" with "angry." This succinctly captures the multifaceted emotion of anger caused by hunger. Slang may also encourage creativity and wordplay. Shakespearean slang, known as "can't," employed language to conceal meanings and defy traditional norms. Slang still stimulates creativity in language use today.

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Shaping Cultural Identity:

Slang is a crucial part of cultural identity. Community members create slang to reflect their opinions, experiences, and worldviews. African American Vernacular English (AAVE), for example, has had an impact on music, fashion, and pop culture through its slang.

Slang serves as a linguistic fingerprint, indicating one's affiliation with a certain cultural group or subculture. It can also be used for protest and social criticism. During times of oppression, marginalized groups have used slang to communicate discreetly, creating a sense of unity and defiance.

Barriers and Development:

However, the changing nature of slang may be difficult to navigate. Slang evolves rapidly, and terminology can become out of date quickly. What is hot now may become uncool tomorrow. Furthermore, the informal nature of slang can lead to misunderstandings, especially among different generations or ethnic groups. Misinterpretations can occur when one person perceives a slang word differently than its original meaning. This stresses the need of context in slang usage. Furthermore, some terminology perpetuates preconceptions or use incorrect language, indicating cultural biases. Slang may both empower and marginalize.

Slang in Digital Age:

The digital era has altered the landscape of slang. Slang has proliferated through social media platforms, texting, and online forums. Abbreviations, acronyms, and emoji have grown into digital forms of slang that may express complex emotions in a concise manner. The brevity demanded by these platforms has led in language compression, which lowers words and phrases to their basic components. This phenomenon defies traditional language standards and demonstrates slang's adaptability.

Slang in Popular Culture:

Slang has permeated popular culture, often reflecting socioeconomic developments. Musicians, actors, and influencers utilize their abilities to help lingo gain popularity. Catchphrases from movies, television shows, and viral videos may quickly become part of everyday discourse. This dynamic interaction between media and slang demonstrates how language evolves in response to new communication means.

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Finally, slang has a unique impact in everyday life. Its many objectives, impact on communication, role in establishing cultural identity, issues, and evolution make it a fascinating linguistic phenomenon. Slang connects formal language and personal expression, fostering a sense of community, creativity, and connection. It depicts civilization's ever-changing nature and exhibits humanity's ability to create within the constraints of language. As slang changes, so does its impact on communication and society, demonstrating the fluidity of language.

1. the evolution of english: contributions of european languages, 2 . confusing english idioms and motivating students, 3. reading app for kids to improve comprehension skills, 4. close reading skills.

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A Close Look at the Function of Slang

Ana is an undecided major, born and raised in Boston to Serbian and Lebanese parents. Writing has always been a passion of Ana’s, and she created this research essay as a final project for her Composition II course. She notes that “it was a topic that became increasingly interesting the more I researched it. I was thoroughly surprised by the complex history and function of slang, and I gained a new perspective on the role of language in our daily lives.” Other than writing, Ana’s biggest passion is traveling, and she loves discovering new places, meeting people from all around the world, and learning about different cultures.

For a PDF copy of this essay, click here .

We encounter slang on a daily basis, whether it’s through spoken word, text messages, social media posts, or the slang-ridden Internet. There is no doubting the prevalence of slang in our everyday conversations and interactions, however what I’m interested in is discovering what role slang plays in our everyday lives. Why do we use slang? What does it achieve? In other words, I want to know the function of slang. Many people view slang in a negative way, and even consider people who use it heavily stupid, uneducated, or lazy. I, however, think there’s more to slang than what meets the eye, and in the following, I will attempt to illustrate the significance and function of slang.

Slang is known as “very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language ” (“Slang”). Linguists have struggled to clearly define slang, but what they have come up with so far is that slang is “a linguistic phenomenon ever present and consistently changing” (“Slang”). Linguists Bethany K. Dumas and Jonathan Lighter claim that if words and phrases meet the following criteria then they are considered slang: “1. Its presence will markedly lower, at least for the moment, the dignity of formal or serious speech or writing; 2. Its use implies the user’s special familiarity either with referent or with that less statusful or less responsible class of people who have such special familiarity and the use of the term; 3. It is a tabooed term in ordinary discourse with persons of higher social status or greater responsibility; 4. It is used in place of the well-known conventional synonym, especially in order (a) to protect the user from the discomfort caused by the conventional item or (b) to protect the user from the discomfort or annoyance of further elaboration” (Dumas & Lighter 14-15). This is the most concise definition of slang I came across, and I believe it covers every possibility of what can be considered slang. It also implies situations where slang is used, which will be helpful in starting to understand the function of slang. Some examples of common slang words and phrases that are used today are “extra” (used when someone is going over the top in a situation), “salty” (used to describe someone that is angry or bothered), or “throw shade” (to insult someone).

Before considering the function of slang, it is necessary to consider the significance of language in general. I think the following aspects of language can be directly translated to slang and used to explain the importance of slang, seeing as slang is an integral part of language, and it is a form of language. Anca Sirbu explains that “language is essentially a means of communication among the members of society” and that “common language is the one of the most important features of a community” (Sirbu 1). Furthermore, she states that language is “a tool that conveys traditions and values related to group identity” (Sirbu 1). Seeing as Sirbu talks about language in relation to society, community, and groups, indicates that language has a far greater significance within a group than it does on an individual level. The fact that language is related to group identity is extremely important to consider when it comes to slang, because slang has a strong association with groups. Professor of Linguistics, D.W. Maurer, explains how:

When an individual applies language in a new way to express hostility, ridicule, or contempt, often with sharp wit, he may be creating slang, but the new expression will perish unless it is picked up by others (Maurer 1).

It can be concluded that slang only emerges if it is used by a group. Once groups have acquired certain words or phrases, and start using them to communicate with other members of the group, those certain words and phrases will become more known and popular.

Slang is also connected to the identity of a group. As Sirbu says, language is a conveyor of a group’s tradition and values, and Mauer explains that if a creator of a slang expression/word “is a member of a group that finds his creation projects the emotional reaction of its members toward an idea, person, or social institution, the expression will gain currency according to the unanimity of attitude within the group” (Mauer 1). The fact that slang will only “gain currency” within a group if it matches their attitude is an indicator that slang can be used to express the identity of a group. An example of this can be found in any new generation. As generations come and go, so do certain phrases and words, but there is a reason that slang associated with one generation, is usually not found in the next. Daily Arts writer Sam Rosenberg reminds readers that in the 1950s, “an age swept up in conservative values, young people used “swell” as their very own colloquialism” (Rosenberg). The 1950’s followed WWII, and people were doing their best to recuperate. They had hope for the future and were “content, but many others felt ill at ease because of the speed at which the world was changing” (Shmoop). In order to cope and mask their troubles, people “embraced religion and visited psychiatrists in unprecedented numbers” (Shmoop). “Swell” doesn’t exactly mean that everything is just perfect and amazing but rather that things are okay. I think the fact that “swell” was commonly used during this era, shows that life wasn’t particular the best it could be and there was some troubles, but it also wasn’t as bad as it was during the war, so things were simply fine. Since people in the 50s were trying desperately to distract themselves with things like therapy, and religion and pretend that everything was okay, it makes sense that people were going around telling each other that everything was just “swell”.

With the change of times, came the change of slang words. During the “lively era” of the ‘80s and the “grunge scene” of the ‘90s, words like “cool,” “groovy,” “wicked,” and “sweet,” became popular (Rosenberg). The new slang words used in the ‘80s and ‘90s expressed the newfound identity of the generation. It was a livelier generation, and therefore the slang words associated with the generation were livelier and more creative. The 70s saw a surge in the Rock and Roll Genre as well as Disco music which “prompted the opening of hundreds of dance clubs around the country,” and “people became free thinkers, questioning government and demanding that their voices be heard” (“70s Culture”). No longer were people pretending everything was okay, they were fighting back, speaking their mind, and pushing against conservative ways. Their livelier demeanor can be seen through the slang terms they used. “Cool” and “groovy” are far more livelier words than “swell” is, because they are more enthusiastic in their definitions; they’re a way of saying something is awesome or excellent. People used “cool” and “groovy” to express genuine interest in something. The 90s are known for being ridden with lust, sex, and drugs, which suggests that people during this era were completely going against conservative values, and weren’t concerned with what was considered morally right during the time. It only makes sense then that “wicked” became a popularly used slang term, seeing as it means evil or morally wrong. Since the 80s and 90s weren’t as conservative as the previous generations, the slang words associated with the previous generations were no longer an accurate representation of the new one. Therefore the old slang expressions disappeared, and new ones that did match the attitude and expressed the generation’s collective identity formed.

While the above example shows slang’s role in a groups expression of identity, it also exemplifies how slang can be an expression of modernity. Modernity can be thought of as “the self-definition of a generation”, as well as up-to-date and contemporary times— not to be confused with the Modern Era (Snyder). I consider technology to be a good example of Modernity. It is constantly evolving, adapting to contemporary times, and it also defines generations. The 80s will always be remembered for the Walkman, the 90s for the Web, and the 2000s for the iPhone. Similarly, slang is always up-to-date with the times, and as we’ve established it also aids in expressing the identity of a generation. Since generations acquire and form slang that expresses aspects of their generation, I believe that slang is in fact part of a generation’s “self-definition”, and thus slang can be a representation of modernity. Modernity is constantly changing due to its relation to present times, just as slang is constantly changing, because it too, is related to present times. Conversely, modernity is not antiquated; it’s a “departure from traditional styles or values” and the remote past (“Modernity”). This can directly translate to slang, because slang deviates from the past and goes against traditional styles and values.

One instance where slang expresses modernity and is used to go against traditional styles is in 1954, during the “postwar years” (Fisher 1). During the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, a controversy occurred when the Queen reportedly said the phrase “‘this must have cost a packet’” after she was gifted a diamond and brooch at a state dinner (Fisher 1). “Cost a packet” is a phrase used in British English, which means to “cost a lot”. In other words, the Queen was expressing that her gift must have been very expensive. Seeing as this was a slang phrase, many people were shocked that the Queen, the epitome of tradition, would use this expression. An Australian magazine called The Argus responded to this controversy by assuring people that “she had said it, and further noted that ‘she is a young woman, modern in her outlook, and, naturally enough, given to using the phrases and expressions of the one for a young women to use’” (Fisher 1). In this incident, the Queen’s slang use is being connected to modernity, and the magazines response is suggesting that a modern outlook can be achieved by using slang. Additionally, the positive tone of the response implies that the magazine is encouraging young woman to use slang phrases and expressions. In other words, the magazine is encouraging the idea of women deviating from traditional styles, in this case traditional vernacular, by using slang.

Apart from the incident with the Queen, and in addition to slang expressing modernity, slang also played an integral part in liberating women and giving them a voice during the postwar years. Slang words during this time mainly referenced “male experiences”, such as “grazing, the gold rush, bush life, sport, gambling and the military” (Fisher 1). Women were predominantly excluded from slang references, and slang use in general (Fisher 1). They were expected to be “guardians of correct speech”, and were looked down upon if they used any informal language (Fisher 2). However, in the 1940’s, “the emergent teenage culture provided a new space for girls to use slang terms along with boys” (Fisher 2). Slang started being associated with teenagers, and magazines started using slang in order to address teenagers. Eventually, “more respectable publications” started using slang to address the youth, “which indicated that teenage culture had become mainstream and that the use of colloquial language was seen as a normal part of adolescence” (Fisher 2). The emergence of teenage culture and the acceptability of their slang use made it more acceptable for middle-class women to use slang. Slang “came to be considered an important part of speech” which was “a significant aspect of performing modern middle-class femininity”, and it was “promoted and reinforced by women’s magazines” (Fisher 3). One particular magazine took things a step further and encouraged women to make their own slang terms, saying “women must use their own brands of today’s English, not copy the ones men have developed for themselves” (Fisher 3). Women reacted to these magazines by sending in letters, and “the letter pages of women’s magazines were a space within which readers could formulate a distinctive identity as modern middle class women through their use informalities and colloquialisms” (Fisher 3). More importantly, “the language used in these letters therefore worked to create an imagined community amongst readers, which evoked the kinds of conversations women could have over their fences or in their living room” (Fisher 3). The magazines started a conversation among Women, and encouraged them to take control of their femininity, and fight against the belief that women should not use slang. Through these letters and the ongoing conversation between women that was evoked by the magazine, new slang words were created by women that expressed women and their experiences. Slang words like “wifey, coz (cousin)…girlie (daughter), only (only child), hubby, sonny, and Miss Pious”, were created (Fisher 4). These slang words evolved from the stories women told about their everyday life and experiences in the letters that they sent in to the magazines. Women were able to use slang to break through standards, and to liberate themselves from traditional styles. Additionally, by creating their own terms and expressions, slang enabled women to have a voice and use language that represented women, and to finally bring femininity to Australian English. This example shows how slang can liberate a group: by differentiating them from other groups, and giving them their own unique voice.

Now that we’ve seen what slang can do for a group collectively, it’s important to consider what slang can do for members of a group. Consider once more Sirbu’s claim: “common language is the one of the most important features of a community” (Sirbu 1). Sirbu specifically says a common language is of great importance within a community, in that it’s the fact that a community has a language that everyone understands, that makes language a significant part of a community; it provides a commonality between groups of people. I think slang can be considered a “common language” within a group, because each group has particular slang words and expressions that is common in their group, and that all members understand. Considering slang is a common language within a group it can then be deduced from Sirbu’s claim about common language; that slang in an important feature of a community.

An example of where slang proves to be an important feature of a community/group is on college campuses. Just as it differs from group to group what particular slang they use to communicate with each other, every college campus has slang particular to their own campus. A study on campus slang found that in order for students to effectively communicate with each other and cooperate with each other, “the first important thing is to speak one common language, that is, campus slang” (Wang 4). A group can have more of an understanding for each other when they use a common language such as slang, which in turn increases the level of communication and cooperation. My personal research resulted in similar findings, with 60% of respondents saying slang can be used for agreeability between individuals, and establishing friendliness between one another. Slang offers commonality to a group or community, and establishes the similarities between members of a group, therefore increasing the cohesiveness of a group.

Another finding during the study on campus slang was that members use slang simply because it’s fun and creative. The study explains that because the formation of slang entails creating new words, and new meanings out of words, that slang provides college students with “more space for the imagination and creativity” (Wang 3). Similarly, Professor of English and studier of slang Michael Adams says, “There is creative value in the creation of new language among different social groups” (Adams). Surprisingly, only 3% of respondents to my survey said that slang is used in order to be creative. I believe this response is due not to the fact that people don’t think slang is creative, but rather that people don’t use slang with the conscious purpose of being creative, or being seen as creative. It is without question that creativity is strongly associated with slang, because the formation of slang entails innovative, creative, and original thinking.

Another important factor about slang is that it is often times found in humorous situations, and usually used to convey humor, lightheartedness, and casualness. While observing a particular conversation between three young women over the social media app Facebook, I noticed that the intention behind the majority usage of slang was to be humorous. Consider the following interaction between three members of a group chat:

Person 1: (Persons name), shut the fuck up what r u trying to do

Person 2: (Person’s name), you need to chill

Person 3: ahahahahah damn didn’t mean to start beef

The term “start beef”, is a humorous way of saying “to have a grudge with another person” (“Beef”). In this example, slang is used to alleviate the tension in the conversation by inserting humor. Consequently, it makes the conversation more lighthearted. If Person 3 had answered something like, “I apologize, I did not mean to start a problem between you two”, it would just add to the seriousness of the conversation and most likely increase tension. In addition to my observations, the survey I posted resulted in 58% of respondents saying slang makes conversations and situations more humorous. Humor aids in making a conversation more casual, and makes situations more relaxed. Therefore, I think the presence of humorous slang allows individuals to let their guard down. This relates with my own research, where 73% of respondents said that slang makes conversations more casual and relaxed. The combination of the humor and casual tone that can be achieved by using slang takes away any stiffness and tension in a situation.

A specific example of how slang can be used to make conversation more casual is in regards to talking about taboo subjects. Slang “serves to change the level of conversation from formal to informal, allowing users to handle awkward social situations. Slang is often used to discuss semi-taboo subjects, such as: drunkenness, sexual organs and activities, drugs and drug use, ‘elimination’ and ‘bodily waste’” (Hess). While I believe that slang can make awkward conversations easier to navigate because it takes away some formality from the conversation, I also think it makes it easier to talk about the above taboo subjects because completely new names are given to them. That way people can talk about taboo subjects without ever directly needing to say taboo terms. For example, it’s a lot easier to casually talk about genitalia by using slang words, rather than using the scientific terms. What way would you find it more comfortable to ask a friend about drunkenness: How intoxicated are you currently? Or, how hammered are you? I’m guessing the latter, because it allows you to ask about a taboo subject without explicitly needing to say anything. Additionally, an overwhelming 82% of respondents to my survey agree that slang makes it easier to discuss the taboo subjects stated above. Considering all this information, I think slang acts to take away stress associated with formal situations, which in turn relaxes individuals, and makes communication easier, and more casual.

It is clear that slang is extremely complex, and has a significant role in our daily lives, as well as significance in what it does for our daily lives. There are many important functions of slang, some subtle and some obvious. I see no reason to believe that slang use entails laziness, stupidity, or for lack of a better term, uneducated. In fact, I believe individuals should be impressed with what slang can achieve. My ultimate belief about slang is that it is an impressively powerful tool that we use to break barriers between one another. Consider once more the women during the post-war years who used slang to break the barriers between themselves and men through the use of colloquial language, or the conversation between the three girls where slang was used to break barriers by cutting the tension and inserting some lightheartedness in the situation, and also the fact that slang allows people to break barriers by enabling them to talk about awkward subjects in a casual way. Additionally, the fact that slang establishes agreeability and friendliness with one another, takes away tension in situations, and allows us to cooperate with one another, further proves how slang is used in order to break barriers.

I’ll leave you with a personal experience, that didn’t make sense to me until my newfound understanding of slang. I am half Serbian and half Lebanese, but I have always been more in touch with my Serbian counterpart. Though I was born in America, Serbian was my first language. I’ve noticed over the years when travelling to Serbia, that my sister and I have a very easy time conversing with and connecting to adults. We’re able to fully understand what they are saying, and they are able to understand what we are saying. We’ve acquired many meaningful relationships with adults from Serbia, whether they are our aunts and uncles, friends of my mom, neighbors that live in my grandmother’s apartment, or even the cashiers at the local markets. What’s strange however, is that my sister and I have gone to Serbia every summer of our lives and we still haven’t really connected with our cousins, which are the only people we encounter there that are our age. This always confused and frustrated me because no matter how much time we spent with them there was always a disconnect, and we just weren’t able to become close with them. It took me years to realize that this disconnect was due to language or more specifically, slang. My sister and I had an immensely hard time understanding what they were saying, and this confusion only occurred when we were talking with our young cousins, but never with adults. It soon became apparent that it was their slang use that confused us, as we weren’t familiar with Serbian slang. We learned Serbian through my mom, and the only person we talk in Serbian to throughout the year is with my grandmother during our weekly phone calls. We learned how to speak Serbian by only listening to and talking to adults, and therefore we never picked up any of the slang that is popular among the youth in Serbia. Looking back at our conversations with our cousins, I’ve realized that we spent a significant amount of time asking what certain slang words they used meant, as well as them trying to clarify those slang words to us. Our conversations consisted mostly of talking about the Serbian language itself and what certain slang words mean, rather than actually talking about meaningful topics that could help us to get to know each other. My sister and I often didn’t understand their jokes seeing as a lot of them involved slang words, and eventually they stopped directing their jokes to us but rather with one another, because our reactions were often blank stares. Similarly, my sister and I started having more and more side conversations between just ourselves when in the presence of our cousins, because we found it awkward trying to have a conversation with them, seeing as it had failed so many times before. To this day, I feel like I barely know my cousins, and every time I see them it feels like we have to introduce ourselves to each other all over again.

I now strongly believe that if we understood Serbian slang, my sister and I would have been able to break through the barriers between us and our cousins a long time ago. We would be able to joke around using the same slang terms they do, we wouldn’t need to ask them to explain the slang words/phrases they use, and they wouldn’t hold anything back in fear that we wouldn’t understand what they are saying. Additionally, our conversations wouldn’t just stay at the surface, as if we were merely acquaintances rather than family. We never had an understanding for each other because our vocabularies for slang were drastically different. Now, I’m not saying that people who belong in different groups and who are familiar with particular slang can’t interact and having meaningful connections with people from other groups who have their own set of slang their familiar with. I just believe that it’s hard to fully understand each other, if we don’t have the same understanding of particular words and phrases. Perhaps this is why older generations are always talking down the slang that is used by the younger generations, simply because they don’t have an understanding of the slang they use. A common language between people is extremely important in order for cooperation, agreeability, and understanding, and without it, a significant disconnect can occur.

Works Cited

Adams, Michael. “Why Slang is Good for You.” Audio blog post. The Takeaway . Public Radio International, 26 Oct, 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2018.

“Beef”. Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com. Accessed 31 Mar. 2018

Dumas, Bethany K., and Jonathan Lighter. “Is Slang a Word for Linguists?” American Speech , vol. 53, no. 1, 1978, pp. 5–17.

Fisher, Catherine Horne. “Let’s Talk it Over: Colloquial Language and Women’s Print Media Cultures in Australia, 1950–1966.” Outskirts 36 (2017): 1-18. ProQuest. 7 Mar. 2018.

Hess, Meagan. “About Slang.” Xroads.virginia.edu, May 2004. Accessed 7 March 2018.

Maurer, D.W. “Slang.” Encyclopedia Britannica I nc , 16 August, 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2018.

“Modernity”. Dictionary.com Unabridged . Random House, Inc. Dictionary.com 7 Apr. 2018.

Radonjic Sabbagh, Ana. “Functions of Slang Survey.” Survey. 31 Mar. 2018.

Rosenberg, Sam. “New Slang: How Lit Was the Function.” Michigan Daily, 20 January 2016. Accessed 7 March 2018.

Scientific Bulletin “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy 18.2 (2015): 405-6. ProQuest. Web. 8 Mar. 2018.

“Seventies (70s) Culture.” Classic 70’s , www.classic70s.com/70s-culture.html.

Shmoop Editorial Team. “Society in The 1950s.” Shmoop . Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web.Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.

Sirbu, Anca. “The Significance of Language as a Tool of Communication.” Naval Academy Press: Constanta, Romania, 2015.

“Slang”. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition . HarperCollins Publishers. Dictionary.com. Accessed 27 Apr. 2018

“Slang.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . Wikimedia Foundation, The Free Encyclopedia, Accessed 6 Mar. 2018.

Snyder, Sharon. “Modernity.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica I nc, 20 May 2016. 1 April 2018

Wang, Yong. “Study on Campus Slang from the Perspective of Semiotics.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies 6.3 (2016): 642-7. ProQuest. Web. 8 Mar. 2018.

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5.8 Slang and Idioms

Learning objectives.

Recognize slang and idioms.
Learn to avoid using slang and idioms in formal writing.

Words are the basis of how a reader or listener judges you, the writer and speaker. When you write an academic paper or speak in a business interview, you want to be sure to choose your words carefully. In our casual, everyday talk, we often use a lot of “ums,” “likes,” “yeahs,” and so on. This everyday language is not appropriate for formal contexts, such as academic papers and business interviews. You should switch between different ways of speaking and writing depending on whether the context is formal or informal.

Hey guys, let’s learn about slang and other cool stuff like that! It will be awesome, trust me. This section is off the hook!

What do you notice about the previous paragraph? You might notice that the language sounds informal, or casual, like someone might talk with a friend or family member. The paragraph also uses a lot of slang . Slang is a type of language that is informal and playful. It often changes over time. The slang of the past is different than the slang of today, but some slang has carried over into the present. Slang also varies by region and culture. The important thing to understand is that slang is casual talk, and you should avoid using it in formal contexts. There are literally thousands of slang words and expressions. Table 5.17 “Slang Expressions” explains just a few of the more common terms.

Table 5.17 Slang Expressions

Edit the business e-mail by replacing any slang words and phrases with more formal language.

Idioms are expressions that have a meaning different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words in the expression. Because English contains many idioms, nonnative English speakers have difficulties making logical sense of idioms and idiomatic expressions. The more you are exposed to English, however, the more idioms you will come to understand. Until then, memorizing the more common idioms may be of some help.

Table 5.18 Idioms

What if you come across an idiom that you do not understand? There are clues that can help you. They are called context clues . Context clues are words or phrases around the unknown word or phrase that may help you decipher its meaning.

Definition or explanation clue. An idiom may be explained immediately after its use.

Sentence: I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles I was so nervous .

Restatement or synonym clues. An idiom may be simplified or restated.

Sentence: The young girl felt as though she had been sent to the dog house when her mother punished her for fighting in school.

Contrast or Antonym clues. An idiom may be clarified by a contrasting phrase or antonym that is near it.

Sentence: Chynna thought the 5k marathon would be a piece of cake , but it turned out to be very difficult .

Pay attention to the signal word but , which tells the reader that an opposite thought or concept is occurring.

Key Takeaways

Informal language is not appropriate in formal writing or speaking contexts.
Slang and idioms might not make logical sense to nonnative speakers of English.
It is good to be aware of slang and idioms so they do not appear in your formal writing.

Writing Application

Write a short paragraph about yourself to a friend. Write another paragraph about yourself to an employer. Examine and discuss the differences in language between the two paragraphs.

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Slang Language and Its Characteristics Essay

Introduction, ebonics: an example of ‘bad grammar’ and slang, style and flexibility, the psychological aspect of ‘slang’, an alternate to boredom, characteristics of the slang users.

The word ‘slang’ throughout many decades has witnessed changes with respect to various styles, subdialects, and colloquialisms. The late 1700s was the period in which ‘slang’ meaning was developed in the nineteenth century among the Southwest Americans (Lighter, 1996). Changes – have shaped the slang language and have been influenced by individuals, relationships, and different contexts and scenarios like work, home, play, etc. Often dependant upon various moods, the groups that have been most influenced and through which the word ‘slang’ has been influenced are the teenagers and the working group.

If we analyze the usage of slang, we would find that being a ‘flexible’ language, the scope of slang is wide enough to be adjusted into various things. Its flexibility can be evaluated in various environments to which it is often changed when consumed.

For example, in a personal relationship like the one used in between husband and wife communication, the words ‘honey’, ‘sweetie’ or ‘sweetheart’ are used. At work more formal language is required; therefore among colleagues, a particular slang that is molded in a casual context is spoken. Phrases such as ‘pain’, ‘pain in the neck, and ‘bingo’ are commonly used by American teenagers and prove the notion what Ellis (1999) conforms that teenagers’ skill over a range of styles and slang jargons indicates the extent to which they are conscious in understanding and control of these things (Ellis, 1999, p. 15).

In a cultural context, an example of ‘official’ slang is the ‘Ebonics’. Ebonics grammar is the habitual use of the verb, as in ‘I will be going to church’, which means ‘I go habitually’. West African verbs have similar structures. A phonological example is a fact that consonants and consonant clusters are often not a part of the Ebonics syllable, for example, ‘I ‘on know’ for ‘I don’t know, or ‘aight’ for ‘all right’. Such rules include the avoidance of taboo words layovers from Southern apartheid such as ‘boy’, ‘you people’. Another such rule is the approval of using Ebonics in oral or casual situations but not in written or formal situations, such as in textbooks (Perry & Delpit, 1998, p. 72).

When used as a vocabulary, slang is utilized in many aspects of style which again is dependant upon users’ culture, subcultures, and environment. When used in cliques, slang tends to develop its own vocabulary. In Washington DC, Milner (2004) mentions that he can still remember the group of students who decided to create a word with no meaning and start using it to see the reaction of others, surprisingly only within a few weeks, the group noticed that people started to imitate them as they could hear people using this word, although they had no idea of what it meant or what context to use it in” (Milner, 2004, p. 49).

Slang words when used among teenage students possess certain characteristics in which the most common ones are 1) The slang they use is of high standards for the reason that higher status groups sometimes attempted to make copying more difficult. 2) The higher the standard would be the lesser would be the probability to learn or imitate slang words, which is a symbol of pride for teenagers. 3) It is easier for the teenagers to grasp and develop a full command over slang language therefore in this way they are capable of developing their own ‘style’ which paces them ‘unique’ among other fellows and friends. Probably this way they are able to build up their own image in front of the opposite gender.

Among teenagers, particularly teenager students, slang upholds a distinct psychological and psychosocial aspect. It would be better to say that the way slang has penetrated into teenagers’ lives captures more attention than what they learn at their homes and another social environment since childhood. Therefore in precise stylistic manner slang conforms to the variance from time to time and from subgroup to subgroup. By conformity, one might understand the commonalities that exist behind the ‘slang’, resistant to some set of norms that are seen as imposed usually by parents and schools.

The psychological impact of using and listening to slang words made us think in diverse directions. That means it has multiple effects on student’s communication modes and on building student’s personalities. Some students use slang in order to acquire attention while others use the term to describe resistance. Resistance could be from the school side or it could be from home. It could also be presenting or not some kind of adult authority, but to a great extent slang words usage indicates those who experience peer pressure or if not, they must be subjected to some kind of failure in school.

Many schools consider as ‘smart’ those bully teenagers who are overconfident and are considered ‘cool’ in slang terminology as long as one shows resistance to them in other ways. Such teenagers consider slang terminologies to be their best friends; this could also be seen in many movies and books. Even in real life such as wild teenagers, other parents do not like their children to be with. Such teenagers mostly belong to the minority groups in urban ghettos who often involve other substantial numbers of white teenagers in suburban areas.

For students who are somehow involved in the political counter norms, slang serves as an added advantage in reckoning them among those who express resistance to established authorities or conventional customs and involves the creation of a set of alternative or counter norms. Such individuals, through proper utilization of slang, are able to conceal their ‘capabilities’ in resistant subcultures-whether they are teenage cliques, Communist Party cells, or persecuted religious sects-high levels of conformity are demanded to the norms of the deviant group.

Slang is not only adopted as a weapon, on some political or status-seeking ground but it is also seen utilizing and benefiting those students who are committed to conventional notions of their career management or education like those who seek success in college education, or those who already possess some good name and in search of a good job wants to impress others, etc. Often students are heard saying that ‘slang’ words or a lifestyle deviant from slang are not worth living as it is the next best option not to getting bored after going out with friends.

It is the slang for the teenager students who believe that boredom can only be get rid of by associating it with behaviors that welcome slang thereby annoying to authorities-throwing food, jokes in class, a surly manner, and are not serious enough to bring significant retribution. What teenagers seek in slang words is the cultivation of an alternative lifestyle that advocates indifference to what is valued in the existing dominant culture. While teenagers often want to set themselves off from others, at other times and in other contexts they want to create connections and establish solidarity with those who are not members of their immediate status group.

Upon close observance, it was found out that the students who explicitly mentioned as hippies, skaters, and freaks come under the basic type of slang promoters. The second category was fulfilled by ‘whiz’ kids who have more ‘brains’ and are considered as ‘intellectuals’ in their schools or colleges. Many intellectuals like to be socialized, therefore they lunch together, but some participate in other lifestyle groups. The third slang users were those white students who though do not belong to the preps, the rednecks, or one of the alternative groups, but were ‘average’. The main thing is that every slang teenage user irrespective of age or peer group liked to associate himself or herself to his or her senior group.

Regarding slang usage when public school settings were enquired about the opportunities to speak with secondary school teachers and principals about the implications of jargon for the secondary school, it was revealed that many students only use abusive language or jargon for they do not have parents to talk to about sexual questions and issues turn to their teachers and other adults in the school as their confidants (Carroll, 1999, p. 99).

For example, one middle school peer counseling coordinator when discussed how her students regularly ask her questions about sexual jargon they hear from their peers replied that students tell her they would rather confide in her than their parents. So, there are numerous conditions under which slang language is spoken and understood, now being optimistic or pessimistic, depends upon the user how he uses it.

Carroll S. Pamela, (1999) Using Literature to Help Troubled Teenagers Cope with Societal Issues : Greenwood Press: Westport, CT.

Ellis G. Donald, (1999) From Language to Communication : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ.

Lighter, J. E., (1996) “A Lot of Nonsense” In: Magazine Title The Atlantic Monthly . Volume: 277. Issue: 6: p. 128.

Milner Murray, (2004) Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption : Routledge: New York.

Perry Theresa & Delpit Lisa, (1998) The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children : Beacon Press: Boston.

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IvyPanda. (2021, September 1). Slang Language and Its Characteristics. https://ivypanda.com/essays/slang-language-and-its-characteristics/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Slang Language and Its Characteristics." September 1, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/slang-language-and-its-characteristics/.

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Why Slang Is More Revealing Than You May Realize

J onathon Green is a scholar of slang, a man who has spent nearly 40 years treating a lowbrow subject with highbrow rigor. Surrounded by glutted bookshelves in his London flat, the 70-year-old can explain the mysterious machinations of etymology. He can also tell you a lot of words for “fart.” In fact, a quick search of Green’s database pulls up 84 such terms in just 0.002 seconds. There’s air biscuit , trouser chuff and cheeser. The latter, according to his opus, Green’s Dictionary of Slang , has been in use since at least 1811.

And Green is not the only one devoting a substantial intellect to establishing how long English speakers have been “gurking blurters” and the like. The Oxford English Dictionary recently launched a public appeal asking individuals to submit “unique words and expressions” that the kids are using. Why? Because slang captures elements of humanity that are not recorded elsewhere.

“What slang really does is show us at our most human,” says Green, who is also known as “Mister Slang.” It is the linguistic equivalent of our “unfettered Freudian id,” proof of how deeply we desire social affirmation, how subversive we can be and, in some ways, how unchanging humans are. After all, while the words may change, the thematic areas (sex, drugs, crime, insults, etc.) have remained unwavering for half a millennium. So has slang’s primary purpose: to playfully disguise true meaning in a way that determines who is in the know and who is out.

And yet discovering the true path and meaning of slang is challenging work, for lone scholars like Green but even for experts who have institutional backing coming out their ears.

What the kids are saying

“Slang is notoriously difficult to track historically,” explains linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer, “because slang is very often the kind of language that resists standard treatment.” Slang often gets spoken before it gets written down, much less published and added to archives that professionals scour. Meanwhile, meanings shift, new words get coined and old words get reinvented in ways that are designed to be confusing (for adults in general, as well as other outsiders and meddling authority figures).

This is part of the reason that the OED, which has long positioned itself as the definitive record of the English language, launched their “youth slang appeal.” Submitting words isn’t a guarantee they’ll end up in the dictionary but it does mean the editors will consider researching them, defining them and adding them to the ranks.

It’s not the first time they’ve turned to crowdsourcing. As editor Jeffrey Sherwood explains, the OED once ran ads in newspapers that asked readers, when they came across an unusual word, to write it down and send it in. In recent years, the process has gone online and changed shape: rather than asking the public to help the editors collect evidence about specific words, the OED has been appealing to the public for examples that fit a category. A “regional appeal,” for examples, asked people for words that are only used in their geographic area, yielding terms such as bunny hug (a Canadian phrase for a hooded sweatshirt) and hammajang (a Hawaiian word for things that are in a disorderly state).

The slang appeal, which launched around the start of the school year, has so far yielded more than 745 submissions, including terms such as snatched and lowkey. The latter, which appears deceptively familiar, shows just how hard slang is to pin down. Low-key , an adjective meaning muted or restrained, has been around for the better part of a century. But for some years now, the hipper among us have also been using it as an adverb. My teenage cousin Annie provides the example of: “That boy is lowkey cute.” People are also using highkey in a related vein, as in “I highkey miss middle school.”

So what do they mean? Some people say they use lowkey to mean kinda or to verbally mark something that should be kept private, while they might use highkey to suggest that they’re trying to be relaxed about something and failing. But there’s more nuance and variance to it, the kind that professionals like Green and Sherwood distill from looking at piles and piles of examples that show how a word has been used over time by various communities. And they will likely do a better job if the public lends a hand.

When language defines us

It may turn out that the newer lowkey can be traced back to a particular demographic, revealing something about the flow and tug of culture and language. Much American slang has gone mainstream after being invented by African Americans. And slang terms are often used to forge bonds in subcultures, as well as in-crowds and youth. The history of a word like cool , for one, is not just about a gap between generations but representation and appropriation .

Slang, as Zimmer explains, allows “cultural groups to create their own kind of territory through language.” When a word seeps beyond the original group who uses it to signal shared attitudes, that can be just as hurtful for the old speakers as it is exciting for the new ones.

Snatched , Sherwood says, may be an example that came from LGBTQ speakers. He suspects the term, which is used to mean perfect or on point, originally comes out of drag-queen culture — perhaps suggesting something is so shockingly good that it warrants the expression one would make if a wig were snatched off their head. (See this Know Your Meme writeup on a related usage of wig , tracing it back to African American Vernacular English.) Slang can “condense so many emotions and attitudes in a concise, powerful way,” Sherwood says.

Per Green, the earliest known slang was used among criminal groups centuries ago, as a way to keep their communication from being understood by authorities. It has always been used, on some level, to say “we are the marginal folk,” as he puts it. Slang can be mean and uncaring and disgusting. It can also bind people and define the boundaries of the gang. “It confirms that we’re together and it confirms that you’re not one of us,” Green says. “Again, a human phenomenon. We want to put our arms around each other, as an element of self-defense.”

A treat for readers

Unfortunately, despite the public’s enduring fascination with slang, scholarly treatments of it can be a tough sell. Having struggled to draw subscribers to his database (or find a publisher willing to provide ongoing support for his work), Green recently decided to make his historical dictionary of more than 135,000 words and phrases available for free , clams be damned. This means that, for the first time ever, this referential treasure can now be accessed by anyone. Each term he defines is traced back through time, often centuries, with citations showing how English speakers used it along the way.

“It doesn’t exist until people see it,” Green says of his reference, which came out as a $450 three-volume book set before he put it online. “There’s no point,” he goes on, repeating a favorite refrain, “in being some old guy sitting in a basement finding yet another word for masturbation.”

If enough people visit Green’s site now that it’s free, he may be able to make some money from advertising and better support his study, teaching us a little bit more about how people work with each new term he digs into. But he will keep working all the same. Green has added thousands of terms since the dictionary went online and, like the OED, remains open to suggestions for the slang he should look into next.

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