Slang Today and Yesterday

Like many others before her, Coleman is at pains to emphasize that there has always been tension between slang and standard English . “The arguments in favor of slang [are] about slang itself: it is vibrant, creative, and so on,” she writes. “These qualities might be attributed to slang-creators. The arguments against [are] largely about slang-users: they're unintelligent and have limited vocabularies. And that's one of the reasons why I find it hard to take sides in this argument: slang words often are witty and appealing, but not all slang-users are. On the other hand, slang-users might be perfectly charming were it not for their irritating repetition of tired slang words. The arguments are based on an entirely false dichotomy. Because new slang is creative (i.e. new), the argument implies, Standard English isn't creative. Because some slang users have limited vocabularies, people who speak Standard English know more words. This is all nonsense. . . . What really sets slang apart from Standard English is the way it functions in social contexts: communicating meaning is often a secondary function for slang; it's really for communicating attitudes and cementing relationships.”

Slang “creates in-groups and out-groups and acts as an emblem of belonging.” To Coleman, “the importance of slang in creating and maintaining a sense of group or personal identity” is paramount, and all the evidence supports her. Groups that have developed slang as a way of cementing their identity include the military, especially in the lower ranks, though oddly enough her discussion does not include perhaps the most famous of all military slang words, “snafu”; African Americans, “the one group that has influenced contemporary American (and international English) slang more than any other”; the working classes; musicians, especially jazz musicians; the underworld, the language of which she calls “canting,” which “usually implies some type of dishonesty and is now generally used with reference to the language of beggars, criminals, estate agents, politicians, and religious hypocrites”; and, of course, teenagers, who are now perhaps the most important and influential sources of slang, all the more so as consumerism, “in constantly striving for the latest new thing,” uses slang to establish its hip bona fides.

Modern slang formation

America has had a large share in contributing to modern slang. "The heathen Chinee," and "Ways that are dark, and tricks that are vain," are from Bret Harte's Truthful James. "Not for Joe," arose during the Civil War when one soldier refused to give a drink to another. "Not if I know myself" had its origin in Chicago. "What's the matter with----? He's all right," had its beginning in Chicago also and first was "What's the matter with Hannah." referring to a lazy domestic servant. "There's millions in it," and "By a large majority" come from Mark Twain's Gilded Age. "Pull down your vest," "jim-jams," "got 'em bad," "that's what's the matter," "go hire a hall," "take in your sign," "dry up," "hump yourself," "it's the man around the corner," "putting up a job," "put a head on him," "no back talk," "bottom dollar," "went off on his ear," "chalk it down," "staving him off," "making it warm," "dropping him gently," "dead gone," "busted," "counter jumper," "put up or shut up," "bang up," "smart Aleck," "too much jaw," "chin-music," "top heavy," "barefooted on the top of the head," "a little too fresh," "champion liar," "chief cook and bottle washer," "bag and baggage," "as fine as silk," "name your poison," "died with his boots on," "old hoss," "hunkey dorey," "hold your horses," "galoot" and many others in use at present are all Americanisms in slang.

California especially has been most fecund in this class of figurative language. To this State we owe "go off and die," "don't you forget it," "rough deal," "square deal," "flush times," "pool your issues," "go bury yourself," "go drown yourself," "give your tongue a vacation," "a bad egg," "go climb a tree," "plug hats," "Dolly Vardens," "well fixed," "down to bed rock," "hard pan," "pay dirt," "petered out," "it won't wash," "slug of whiskey," "it pans out well," and "I should smile." "Small potatoes, and few in the hill," "soft snap," "all fired," "gol durn it," "an up-hill job," "slick," "short cut," "guess not," "correct thing" are Bostonisms. The terms "innocent," "acknowledge the corn," "bark up the wrong tree," "great snakes," "I reckon," "playing 'possum," "dead shot," had their origin in the Southern States. "Doggone it," "that beats the Dutch," "you bet," "you bet your boots," sprang from New York. "Step down and out" originated in the Beecher trial, just as "brain-storm" originated in the Thaw trial.

Among the slang phrases that have come directly to us from England may be mentioned "throw up the sponge," "draw it mild," "give us a rest," "dead beat," "on the shelf," "up the spout," "stunning," "gift of the gab," etc.Mattiello, E. An Introduction to English Slang: A description of its Morphology, Semantics and Sociology, Monza: Polimetrica. - 2008, p. 302-304

The newspapers are responsible for a large part of the slang. Reporters, staff writers, and even editors, put words and phrases into the mouths of individuals which they never utter. New York is supposed to be the headquarters of slang, particularly that portion of it known as the Bowery. All transgressions and corruptions of language are supposed to originate in that unclassic section, while the truth is that the laws of polite English are as much violated on Fifth Avenue. Of course, the foreign element mincing their "pidgin" English have given the Bowery an unenviable reputation, but there are just as good speakers of the vernacular on the Bowery as elsewhere in the greater city. Yet every inexperienced newspaper reporter thinks that it is incumbent on him to hold the Bowery up to ridicule and laughter, so he sits down, and out of his circumscribed brain, mutilates the English tongue (he can rarely coin a word), and blames the mutilation on the Bowery.

'Tis the same with newspapers and authors, too, detracting the Irish race. Men and women who have never seen the green hills of Ireland, paint Irish characters as boors and blunderers and make them say ludicrous things and use such language as is never heard within the four walls of Ireland. 'Tis very well known that Ireland is the most learned country on the face of the earth--is, and has been. The schoolmaster has been abroad there for hundreds, almost thousands, of years, and nowhere else in the world to-day is the king's English spoken so purely as in the cities and towns of the little Western Isle.

Current events, happenings of everyday life, often give rise to slang words, and these, after a time, come into such general use that they take their places in everyday speech like ordinary words and, as has been said, their users forget that they once were slang. For instance, the days of the Land League in Ireland originated the word boycott, which was the name of a very unpopular landlord, Captain Boycott. The people refused to work for him, and his crops rotted on the ground. From this time any one who came into disfavor and whom his neighbors refused to assist in any way was said to be boycotted. Therefore to boycott means to punish by abandoning or depriving a person of the assistance of others. At first it was a notoriously slang word, but now it is standard in the English dictionaries.

Politics add to our slang words and phrases. From this source we get "dark horse," "the gray mare is the better horse," "barrel of money," "buncombe," "gerrymander," "scalawag," "henchman," "logrolling," "pulling the wires," "taking the stump," "machine," "slate," etc.

The money market furnishes us with "corner," "bull," "bear," "lamb," "slump," and several others Clark, Gregory R. Words of the Vietnam War: The Slang, Jargon, Abbreviations, Acronyms, Nomenclature, Nicknames, Pseudonyms, Slogans, Specs, Euphemisms, Double-Talk, Chants, and Names and Places of the Era of United States Involvement in Vietnam. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1990., p. 267-268.

The custom of the times and the requirements of current expression require the best of us to use slang words and phrases on occasions. Often we do not know they are slang, just as a child often uses profane words without consciousness of their being so. We should avoid the use of slang as much as possible, even when it serves to convey our ideas in a forceful manner. And when it has not gained a firm foothold in current speech it should be used not at all. Remember that most all slang is of vulgar origin and bears upon its face the bend sinister of vulgarity. Of the slang that is of good birth, pass it by if you can, for it is like a broken-down gentleman, of little good to anyone. Imitate the great masters as much as you will in classical literature, but when it comes to their slang, draw the line. Dean Swift, the great Irish satirist, coined the word "phiz" for face. Don't imitate him. If you are speaking or writing of the beauty of a lady's face don't call it her "phiz." The Dean, as an intellectual giant, had a license to do so--you haven't. Shakespeare used the word "flush" to indicate plenty of money. Well, just remember there was only one Shakespeare, and he was the only one that had a right to use that word in that sense. You'll never be a Shakespeare, there will never be such another--Nature exhausted herself in producing him. Bulwer used the word "stretch" for hang, as to stretch his neck. Don't follow his example in such use of the word. Above all, avoid the low, coarse, vulgar slang, which is made to pass for wit among the riff-raff of the street. If you are speaking or writing of a person having died last night don't say or write: "He hopped the twig," or "he kicked the bucket." If you are compelled to listen to a person discoursing on a subject of which he knows little or nothing, don't say "He is talking through his hat." If you are telling of having shaken hands with Mr. Roosevelt don't say "He tipped me his flipper." If you are speaking of a wealthy man don't say "He has plenty of spondulix," or "the long green." All such slang is low, coarse and vulgar and is to be frowned upon on any and every occasion.Артемова А. Ф. К вопросу об эмоциональном сленге// Проблемы синхронного и диахронного описания германских языков. - Пятигорск, 2001 - С. 10

If you use slang use the refined kind and use it like a gentleman, that it will not hurt or give offense to anyone. Cardinal Newman defined a gentleman as he who never inflicts pain. Be a gentleman in your slang--never inflict pain.



Practical part

Chat Slang Categories

Chat slang includes acronyms, abbreviations, and slang terms that are used online and in text messaging. Some chat slang terms are universal, while others are only used in specific areas.

Online Chat Slang

Chat slang originated in online chat communities. From the early days of online bulletin boards to modern instant messaging programs, online chat circles have continued to foster new chat slang[43].

2morrow Tomorrow

2mr Tomorrow

2mrw Tomorrow

2nite Tonight

2nt Tonight

2U2 To you too

2ZDA Tuesday

3RZDA Thursday

3sum Threesome

4 For

411 Information

458 I love you

459 I love you

4AYN For all you know

4COL For crying out loud

4ever Forever

4get Forget

4gm Forgive me

4MTK For Me To Know

4n Foreign

4OTS For old time's sake

4rl For real

4sho For sure

4U For you

4U2 For you too

4ward Forward

511 Too much information

555 Laughing

5FS Five Finger Salute

8 Ate

831 I love you

8TB Ate the bait

9 Parent in room

99 Parent has left

A Hey

A/S/L Age/sex/location

A/S/L/P Age, sex, location, picture

A3 Anyplace, anywhere, anytime

AA As above

AA Adios amigo

AAF Always and forever

AAF As a friend

AAK Alive and kicking

AAMOF As a matter of fact

AAP Always a pleasure

AAR At any rate

aar8 At any rate

aarping Elderly person complaining repeatedly

AAS Alive and smiling

AAWC After awhile crocodile

AAYF As always, your friend

abbrev Abbreviation

ABCP A bad computer professional

abt2 About to

ack Acknowledged

add Address

addy Address

ADIP Another day in paradise

ADM Ay dios mio

ADN Any day now

AFAIAC As far as I am concerned

AFAIC As far as I'm concerned

AFAICS As far as I can see

AFAICT As far as I can tell

AFAIK As far as I know

AFAIR As far as I remember

AFAP As fast as possible

AFAYC As far as you're concerned

AFC Away from computer

AFK Away from keyboard

AFN All for now

AFWIW Anyway, for what it's worth

agl Angel

AH At home

AHFY Always here for you

AI As if

aight Alright

AIM AOL Instant Messenger

AISB As I said before

AISI As I see it

AIUI As I understand it

AJ Absolute jerk

ALAP As long as possible

ALOL Actually laughing out loud

AM Antemeridian

AMAP As much as possible

Amazeballs Amazing

amazn Amazing

AMBL All my boundless love

AMBW All my best wishes

AMF Adios my friend

AMG Ah my gosh

AML All my love

amped Pumped up

AMS Ask me something

ANFSCD And now for something completely different

anon Anonymous

AOC Available on cell

AOI A** on ice

AOL America Online

AON All or nothing

AOTA All of the above

AOYP Angel on your pillow

app Appreciate

ASP After show party

ATM At the moment

ATPM About to pee myself

ATST At the same time

ATT All the time

ATW All the way

ATYS Anything you say

AUT Are you there

AWA As well as

AWHFY Are we having fun yet?

awks Awkward

AWOL Absent while online

AWT At what time

AWTY Are we there yet?

AYBABTU All your base are belong to us

AYC Are you coming?

AYFR Are you for real

AYK As you know

AYKM Are you kidding me?

AYPI And your point is?

AYS Are you serious?

AYSOS Are you stupid or something?

AYT Are you there?

AYTMTB And you're telling me this because

AYW As you wish

AYW As you were

AYWK As you well know

azm Awesome

azn Asian

b Be

B&F Back and forth

B&W Black and white

b-day Birthday

b/f Brain fart

b/f Boyfriend

b/r Bathroom

B2W Back to work

B4N Bye for now

BA B**** a**

BAC Back at computer

BAF Bring a friend

Bai Bye

BAIC Boy am I confused

BAK Back at keyboard

BAMF Bad a** mother f*****

BASOR Breathing a sigh of relief

BB Bye bye

BB Bright blessings

BB Be back

BB Blessed be

BB4N Bye bye for now

BBB Boring beyond belief

BBFN Bye-bye for now

BBIAB Be back in a bit

BBIAM Be back in a minute

BBL Be back later

BBM Brains by Mattel

BBML Be back much later

BBN Bye bye now

BBOL Be back on later

BBS Be back soon

BBSS Be back soon sweetie

BBT Be back tomorrow

BBW Be back whenever

BBW Big beautiful women

BBW Big black women

BBWL Be back way later

BC Be cool

BCNU Be seein' you

BCO Big crush on

bcos Because

bcoz Because

bd Birthday

BD Big deal

bday Birthday

BDU Brain dead user

BEG Big evil grin

Benjamin One hundred dollar bill

BFFAE Best friends forever and ever

BFFL Best friend for life

BFFLAB Best friend for life and beyond

BFFN Best friend for now

BFH B**** from h***

BFN Bye for now

BFN Big fat negative

BFR Big freakin' rock

BFU Bezny Franta uzivatel

BFU Brain free user

BG Big grin

BGF Best guy friend

BGR Boy girl relationship

BH Bloody hell

BH Better half

bhl8 Be home late

BI5 Back in five

BIAB Back in a bit

BIAM Back in a minute

bibi Bye bye

BIC Butt in chair

biffles Best friends for life

BIL Boss is listening

BION Believe it or not

BITMT But in the meantime

BITS Back in the saddle

BJ B job

BK Back

BKA Better known as

BL Belly laughing

BL Buddy list

Bling Overly flashy jewelry

BLTN Better late than never

BLUF Bottom line up front

blvmot Believe me on that

BM Bite me

BMBO Blow my brains out

BME Based on my experience

BMGWL Busting my gut with laughter

BN Bad news

BNO Boys night out

BNR But not really

BO Back off

BOC Butt on chair

BOHICA Bend over here it comes again

BOL Be on later

BOOMS Bored out of my skull

BOS Brat over shoulder

BOTB Back of the book

boyds Back off you dipstick

BR Bathroom

BRB Be right back

BRB Bathroom break

BRBRB Bathroom, be right back

BRBS Be right back soon

brd Bored

Brillz Brilliant

Bro Brother

broom Bathroom

BRRRB Be rrright back

BRT Be right there

BS Bull s***

BTA But then again

BTAIM Be that as it may

BTCHF Bye, take care, have fun

BTD Bored to death

BTHO Back the heck off

bthrm Bathroom

BTHU Back the heck up

BTK Back to keyboard

BTM Bite me

BTN Better than nothing

BTOBS Be there or be square

BTW By the way

BTWITIAILWY By the way, I think I am in love with you

BTWITIILWY By the way, I think I'm in love with you

BTWITILY By the way, I think I love you

BU&I Between you and I

bubi Goodbye

BUF Big, ugly, fat

bup Backup Plan

BW Be well

BW Best wishes

BWBR Brunette with blonde roots

BWDIK But what do I know

BWG Big Wide Grin

BWL Bursting with laughter

BWQ Buzzword quotient

BWTHDIK But what the heck do I know

BWTM But wait, there's more

BYH Bless your heart

BYKT But you knew that

BYTM Better you than me

Chat slang terms used in text messaging

Since nearly everyone has a cell phone these days, text messaging has become one of the most common mediums for chat slang. By using chat slang in your text messages you can save characters and type your messages even faster. Below is a list of chat slang terms that can help you improve your text messaging efficiency [43].

2B To be

2B@ To be at

2BZ4UQT Too busy for you, cutie

2C Too cool

2C4U Too cool for you

2day Today

2FB Too freaking bad

2H2H Too hot to handle

2k Talk

2l8 Too late

2M2H Too much to handle

2MI Too much information

2moro Tomorrow

2morrow Tomorrow

2moz Tomorrow

2mr Tomorrow

2mrw Tomorrow

2nite Tonight

2nt Tonight

2U2 To you too

2ZDA Tuesday

3q Thank you

3RZDA Thursday

4 For

411 Information

458 I love you

459 I love you

4COL For crying out loud

4EAE Forever and ever

4eva Forever

4ever Forever

4get Forget

4gm Forgive me

4got Forgot

4n Foreign

4OTS For old time's sake

4rl For real

4sho For sure

4U For you

4U2 For you too

4ward Forward

511 Too much information

5150 Crazy

555 Laughing

5FS Five Finger Salute

6y Sexy

8 Ate

831 I love you

A Hey

A2T Addicted to texting

A3 Anyplace, anywhere, anytime

AAF Always and forever

AAMOF As a matter of fact

AAR At any rate

abt About

abt2 About to

ack Acknowledged

add Address

addy Address

ADN Any day now

AFAIAC As far as I am concerned

AFAIC As far as I'm concerned

AFAICS As far as I can see

agl Angel

AH At home

aight Alright

AISB As I said before

AJ Absolute jerk

ALAP As long as possible

ALOL Actually laughing out loud

alt A lot

AM Antemeridian

amazn Amazing

AMG Ah my gosh

ANFSCD And now for something completely different

AOC Available on cell

AYPI And your point is?

AYS Are you serious?

AYSOS Are you stupid or something?

AYTMTB And you're telling me this because

AYWK As you well know

azm Awesome

azn Asian

CU See you

cu2mr See you tomorrow

CUB Call you back

CUL See you later

CUL Call you later

cul8r Call you later

cul8rm8 See you later m8

CUOL See you online

CUS See you soon

cuz Because

CYB Call you back

CYDI Can ya dig it

CYE Check your e-mail

CYF Check your Facebook

CYFB Check your Facebook

CYL Catch ya later

CYM Check your MySpace

CYO See you online

cyr Call your

CYT See you tomorrow

cz Because

d/c Disconnected

D/C Don't care

d8 Date

da The

DBTS Don't believe their s***

deets Details

def Definitely

delish Delicious

Der Duh

dewd Dude

DFTBA Don't forget to be awesome

DHTC Don't hit the cell

DIKU Do I know you?

DITG Down in the gutter

DK Don't know

DLTBBB Don't let the bed bugs bite

DLTM Don't lie to me

DM Do me

DMI Don't mention it

dnbl8 Do not be late

dnt Don't

DQMOT Don't quote me on this

DUR Do you remember

DUUT Do you understand that?

DWB Don't write back

DWL Dying with laughter

DWT Driving while texting

DX Driving

DYD Don't you dare

DYK Did you know

DYLM Do you love me

DYTTH Did you talk to him?

DYTTH Did you talk to her?

e1 Everyone

ea Each

em E-mail

ema E-mail address

EML Email me later

emsg E-mail Message

enuf Enough

EOM End of message

OMG Oh my gosh

OMGD Oh my gosh, duh

OMGF Oh my godfather

OMGN Oh my gosh noob

OMGWTFBBQ Oh my gosh, what the f***, barbeque

OMH Oh my heavens!

OMJ Oh my Jonas

OML Oh my L...

OMW On my way

ONL Online

ONYD Oh no you didn't

OO Over and out

OOH Out of here

opa Greek exclamation

OSLT Or something like that

OTG On the ground

Youth slang

With the possible exception of technology-related jargon, young people's coinages are now probably the richest source of new language in the English-speaking world. The slang of pre-teens, teenagers, students and young adults uses all the techniques of the world's most influential language in a riot of creative exuberance. Their codes are used to create in-groups and to keep out the too-old and the terminally uncool, but also just to celebrate being young, gifted - and slack.

Youth's poses, fads and fashions are not just comical, provocative and innovative, but since the 1950s have been a sort of `social laboratory' in which new ways of thinking and behaving are experimented with.

There is a serious side to analysing young people's slang. Latest research suggests that what was once a passing fad may be evolving into a genuine dialect, dubbed `multiethnic youth vernacular', with its own vocabulary, accent and intonation. This new form of English, heavily influenced by Black and Asian speech, may actually displace what used to be known as the Queens' English.

In the last few months there have been a couple of significant eruptions of slang into the UK's `national conversation', and one important subcultural phenomenon has been confirmed. Radio DJ Chris Moyles caused a furore when he referred on air to a mobile phone ringtone as gay, using the word, like many teenagers, as a generalised term of derision, a synonym for lame. Listeners complained about this latest appropriation of a word previously appropriated by homosexuals, while some gays actually defended the usage as non-homophobic, harmless and frivolous. Microphones left on at the Russian summit picked up the US President, George W Bush, greeting the UK Prime Minister in frat-boy or hip-hop style with `Yo, Blair!'. The banter that followed in which both men used boyish colloquialisms, Bush easily, Blair self-consciously, seemed to confirm an unequal relationship between them. On the street meanwhile, and in the playground and youth-oriented media, the black northamerican verbal ritual of signifyin' or soundin', also known as the dozens, playing the dirty dozens, capping or bad-talk, whereby males compete to diss one another's mothers with elaborate slanders, had crossed over to feature in UK speech. The tradition, which some think originates from slave auctions where the infirm were sold by the dozen, was designed to test both speaking skills and restraint in the face of provocation, but now functions as a humorous exchange, also practised by females and non-blacks.

The following are extracts from the king's archive of language recorded among, or donated by, students and schoolchildren. First, three examples of `emblematic' , i.e especially salient and resonant, current youth slang…

Hamstered

meaning: intoxicated by drink or drugs

The few linguists who have studied slang have identified something which they call either `overlexicalisation' or `hypersynonymy'. This is when a social sub-group invents far more terms for something than seems strictly necessary. Examples would be the many nicknames that US gang members give to their weapons of choice (gatz, cronz, chrome, iron, etc. for a handgun) or the dozens of words applied by teenagers to outsiders or misfits. The fairly obvious explanation is that these expressions don't just describe something, but have a greater symbolic importance for the group in question: they help define its members' common identity and reinforce their fellow-feeling.

Among UK students in further and higher education, by far the biggest category of recorded slang terms concerns drunkenness or the effects of drugs. This might suggest that `getting high' is their favourite communal activity, and there is plenty of evidence that it is, but what the mass of adjectives really proves is that this is a number one topic of conversation, a key rite of passage for all genders and most if not all ethnicities. Hammered (probably the most widespread recent designation: it occurs in the US and Australasia, too), wreckaged and battered all reflect the common metaphorical link between inebriation and damage, destruction or punishment, as do larruped and lashed; lathered, swilled and sloshed use the notion of dribbling and spilling. Long-established pissed may be updated to wizzed or, more often, wazzed, or infantilised into widdled.

In many cases the literal meaning is irrelevant or non-existent, if the word has the right number of syllables and a family resemblance, either in appearance or sound, thus hamstered, hoovered, wombled or wankered, lagged, langed, langered, mulled, munted and willied, A widespread favourite, mullered, looks as if it is related to `mulled (wine)', but a plausible derivation is from the heavy Muller guns once used by the German army against the British.

A number of these terms can refer both to immediate effects (`drunk') or after-effects (`exhausted', `drained', `hung-over'): a female university student of my acquaintance - a young woman whom an older generation might have described as well brought-up - announced one morning that the previous night she had been `totally cunted', blithely using an otherwise taboo term, (twatted is a milder version), here stripped of all its sexual connotations.

More traditional-sounding expressions still prevail among students outside the Southeast, among them bevvying, or (out) on the heavy-bevvy, for drinking: getting newkied may be inspired by nuclear attack, or more probably by ingestion of Newcastle Brown (Ale). In the US racked, hootered, faced (a `disguised' version of shit-faced), and polluted are heard on campus. In Australia off one's face is well established, while the mysterious locked is Irish

Luka

meaning: money

`He got bare bollers, man, innit!' The cry goes up and fellow pupils turn jealously on their suddenly wealthy friend. For many young people money, though an occasional necessity, may be tantalisingly unattainable, something exotic; one of the most ambivalent of adult inventions.

Fashionable nicknames for money among younger teenagers in Britain include bollers, probably a playful changing of `dollars', and boyz. Slightly older students refer to pound coins as beer-tokens and cash dispensers as drink-links. A borrowing, according to users, from older siblings in the OTC (Officer Training Corps), is shrapnel for small change, which is also known by teenagers as snash. Terms in use among Black British street gangs for denominations are, surprisingly, not very exotic at all: papes is paper money in general, a brown is a ten-pound note, a blue is a fiver.

More interesting are the derivations of some words that younger speakers claim for their own generation, but which are really much older. Wonga or womba are well-established Britishisms and used by all age groups, but few are aware that they derive from an old Roma word for `coal'. When interviewed, teenagers often take for granted that such words are recent and have been coined by their contemporaries `somewhere else in the country'; either that, or they guess at an exotic origin `in Africa, maybe, or in an old, lost language'. One of the commonest slang terms for money among teenage schoolchildren in the South of England is another example of a misunderstood exoticism. When users are asked to write it down it appears as luka or lookah, which does have an African or South Asian appearance, but is of course one half of that hoary and often facetious clichй `filthy lucre', presumably overhead one day in an adult conversation and transmitted across the network of peer-groups and playgrounds. Lucre in fact was adopted by English in the 14th century from the Latin lucrum, meaning `gain'.

In the US younger speakers may refer to plenty of cash as bokoo (French beaucoup) duckets, many guessing that the second word may be something to do with ducks. It is actually another venerable coinage (sorry), `ducats' being the gold or silver currency used in Renaissance Italy and the Low Countries and mentioned in Shakespeare. Other more predictable synonyms from North America are billies (for banknotes or bills), fundage, and in Canada, rocks (if you are well-off you are rocked-up).

Nang

meaning: excellent

Probably the highest-profile and most resonant examples of youth slang are the succession of synonyms for `great' or `excellent' that have come in and out of fashion since the 1950s. Called `vogue terms of approbation' by linguists, these range from smashing back in the 1950s through fab and gear, those emblematic Scouser terms forever associated with Merseybeat and the Beatles, via groovy, farout and too much, the hippies' favourites (which I have to admit I sometimes blurt out even today, to the derision of younger listeners).

The end of the 1970s brought ace and brill, occasionally elaborated by younger speakers into ace-to-base and brillo-pads, as well as wicked (sometimes subsequently shortened to wick), the UK's response to North America's bad(qv) and its near-contemporary rad.

Although they are invented in order to replace outdated forms, and rely for their power on novelty, these expressions, if they catch on at all, actually stay around for some time, migrating from the cutting-edge of linguistic innovation to outlying regions as provincial or younger speakers discover and cherish them. Thus it is that ultra-fashionable words from the late 1980s and early 1990s like mint, fit, or top, are all of them still to be heard somewhere in the UK. In the 1990s skaters introduced, and still favour, sick as an all-purpose positive, to the intended bafflement of the older generation, and brutal has been used in the same way, first by the mods of the mid-1960s and again by schoolchildren since around 2000.

Probably the most significant of these badges of approval, acceptance or admiration in recent years has been a word which is also important as the first term of South Asian origin to make a real impact across the entire British youthscape. Nang, which began to be heard in areas of East London at the turn of the 20th century, is thought to be from a Bengali word for a naked woman. Peppering the conversation of Bangladeshi youth in districts like Hackney and Tower Hamlets, the word was quickly picked up by other ethnic groups as the preferred replacement for safe, buff or rated. It is often heard in the forms bare nang where bare, from Afrocaribbean usage, is slang for `totally', and more recently nangin', probably by analogy with other words for `exciting' like bangin' and kickin'.

Knowing and using nang was for some time a badge of allegiance for youth from London, specifically from the particular multiethnic mix in inner-East London, but since about 2004 its use has spread across the UK with the growing dominance of that variety of yoofspeak, even in areas where no Black or Asian speakers are in evidence. The proof of this importance is that some young commentators in web-based discussions use the designation nang-slang (like blinglish before it) to refer to their entire code, or what linguists more portentously call the `new multiethnic youth vernacular'.

bacon bandn British

A bulging midriff as displayed, for instance, between abbreviated top and low-cut trousers/skirt. A synonym for the Australian and North American, now global, muffin top recorded in 2006

baitadj British

obvious, self-evident, annoyingly familiar. A term in vogue among teenagers since around 2000.

builder's bumn British

a visible buttock cleft above trousers, as often revealed by builders, decorators, etc. bending over in public places.

bookadj British

cool, admirable, fashionable. When using predictive text in text messaging, an attempt to enter cool, still seemingly considered a non-standard term, will prompt the option `book', hence its ironic substitution by teenagers who now also use it in spoken conversation.

bumvb British

1a to sodomize

1b to have sex with

A childish usage, popularized by the wigga comic Ali G and still in vogue in 2006.

`The postman's been bummin' your mum!'

2 to practise enthusiastically, enjoy. This usage, fashionable among adolescents in 2006 is probably inspired by the earlier sexual senses of the word.

`She really bums that band.'

3to cadge

`Can I bum a biff [cigarette]?'

bummagen British

1 sex

2 enjoyment, enthusiasm

The word, derived from the verb bum2, was in vogue among adolescents in 2006.

clappinadj British

1a worn out, exhausted

1b outdated, unfashionable

A vogue term in both senses among UK adolescents since around 2000. It is probably based on the older clapped out, itself originally with the sense of raddled with venereal disease (the clap).

crumpn British

sex, a sex act. In use among UK teenagers since 2000, the word might derive from the slang sense of crumpet, imitate the sound of pounding, or be an arbitrary invention.

deepadj British

1 unpleasant, inferior

2 impressive, attractive

In both senses the word has been fashionable among black adolescents and their imitators since 2000. The usage may have originated in from the jargon of DJs and hip-hop aficionados, or from the codes of street gangs, or both.

flossed-up, flossied-upadj American

dressed ostentatiously, presenting an extravagant or elegant appearance. The term has been widespread since 2000. Floss here is from dental-floss(underwear) a slang term for thongs, when these were thought novel and pretentious.

fudgen British

a very stupid person indeed. Users comment that these letters are likely to represent their GCSE grades, too.

gayadj

disappointing, inferior. This non-homophobic -but definitely pejorative - use of the term has been in vogue among teenagers in the USA since the 1980s and in the UK since 2000. It caused controversy when used in 2006 by British radio DJ Chris Moyles.

grimyadj

excellent, impressive. An expression used on campus in the USA since around 2000 and since around 2004 by British teenagers, invariably as a term of admiration or approval. Grime was a musical genre which appeared in 2004.

helicoptern

an intrusive person and/or irritating presence. In 2006 helicopter parent was in vogue with the slightly different sense of one who hovers constantly, prompting offspring and scrutinising teachers.

the helicopters n British

a bout of dizziness and/or nausea, especially as a result of drugs or alcohol in excess.

immenseadj excellent, admirable. A widespread term of appreciation among younger speakers all over the Anglosphere, it was recorded in Black American usage in the mid 1990s, but, as with other superlatives, its borrowings may have happened separately.

prangadj British

scared. Some users say the word is an alteration of `paranoid', originating in Black British gang usage. The form prong was recorded in West London schools in 2006.

swagadj British

frightening, thrilling, `edgy'. This extension of the earlier pejorative sense was in vogue in 2006 among teenagers.

uggersadj British

unattractive, hideous. A pre-teen abbreviation also used, perhaps facetiously, by older speakers.

ugly pills, ugly stickn

an imagined source of repellent physical characteristics, manners or behaviour. The words usually form part of a sardonic speculation that the person in question has been `taking ugly pills' or has been `hit with the ugly stick'. An alternative suggestion is that the person has `fallen out of the ugly tree'.

WAGn British

a spendthrift, vacuous, glamorous young female. The term is formed from the initials of `wives and girlfriends' and was inspired by the behaviour of the England football team's partners during the 2006 World Cup. A media invention, the word subsequently passed into colloquial speech.

waggler

n British

a lecherous adult male, `dirty old man', paedophile. A playground term, this may be a new coinage or a variant form of the older Northamerican weenie-wagger or weenie-waggler, meaning an exhibitionist or flasher.



Conclusion

Our society of modern cultural-historic period is the mobile system, which includes a lot of subcultural formations, every of which has a specific lexis, its own slang, Generally the lexis applies to defined subculture, but the human being refers to several subcultures, that's why the lexis of one separated group can`t be considered as closed or isolated. As a result, the slang lexis becomes a component of every person's life, it interacts with so called literary language.

Futhermore slang changes very quickly. This formation can be created simply, also it can disappear in this way. All these changes occur for simplification of oral language and its understanding. Slang is very vital and dynamical formation. It is used in different spheres of social life. It is an important part of the languages, which helps to hold it “alive”.

Teenage slang properly speaking is extremely informal, often obscene, although it would be an exaggeration to go as far as characterizing it as the language of `the underworld', as in the OED. But I agree with what is said in Nationalencyklopedin, that much of what is characteristic of teenage language, at least as manifested in the COLT material, is appropriately referred to as `reversed prestige'.

Teenage talk also contains plenty of new slang words and quite a few current words used with a new sense, but, as has been illustrated above, taboo words, both in terms of proper slang words and swearwords, tend to dominate, together with an overuse of pragmatic markers with partly new functions.

Contrary to what has been said in some of the literature, slang words do not seem to be gender-specific judging by the COLT conversations; ie they are not used particularly by boys. This refers to proper slang as well as taboo slang. It is very likely, however, that much slang is used on purpose, by girls as well as by boys, whether it be for the sake of showing group belonging and keeping outsiders outside, showing off or just being `friendly'. Taboo words, in particular, are obviously used to shock a potential audience in many of the recordings. In other cases, they just seem to indicate a bad habit. Most of the taboo slang words are used as abusive and would probably be perceived as extremely rude by the outsider, but in the actual situation, they seem to have no negative effect whatsoever. Apparently, none of the speakers involved takes offense. On the contrary, the taboo words rather seem to contribute to the `chummy' atmosphere.

Therefore, slang is definitely a language variety that can be studied and observed with regard to Pragmatics and related topics. As a final thought, here are two quotes relating to two completely different opinions about the use of this particular variety:

"Slang is the poetry of everyday life and it vividly expresses people's feelings about life, and about the things they encounter" (Hayakawa, 1941)

Or

"The use of slang is at once a sign and a cause of mental atrophy" (Partridge, 1935)



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