03.20.11
by

Slang words

What are your favorite slang words? I don’t think I really have any favourite slang words. But it really depends what is meant by “slang words”…

Some people have argued that a slang word is, well, a slang word if it meets at least two of the following criteria:

  • It lowers, if temporarily, “the dignity of formal or serious speech or writing”; in other words, it is likely to be considered in those contexts a “glaring misuse of register.”
  • Its use implies that the user is familiar with whatever is referred to, or with a group of people who are familiar with it and use the term.
  • “It is a taboo term in ordinary discourse with people of a higher social status or greater responsibility.”
  • It replaces “a well-known conventional synonym”. This is done primarily to avoid the discomfort caused by the conventional item or by further elaboration.

complicated stuff!

If “cool” is slang, then that is my favourite. And “blimey”.

Which ones are overused? Most of them!! Slang like “sick” is used a lot nowadays. It is actually quite funny! The other day, I heard someone say, after their friend had done a fancy move on their bike, “that is sick!”. That made me think several things:

  • The bike isn’t being sick. The human isn’t either.
  • Sick is horrible. Why use it for saying “good”?
  • Have young people these days got so little vocabulary that they are resorting to words like “sick”?

I sometimes wish people would just use full words.

What are your favourite slang words?

A biker being crazy.

"That is so sick!!" No, doesn't work...

About these ads

9 thoughts on “Slang words”

  1. Sick picture, sick post – made me howl with laughter! And I soooooooo agree!

  2. I do not have any favorite slang words, but here in the US, a lot of people freely use slang words in conversational English! So, I say, friggin good post ;-) oh and that was a wicked topic to write on.. LOL!

  3. If I had to pick a favorite slang word it would probably be “Crud” I use that one so much….

    I also use Wicked, Epic, and Epic Fail (do those count as slang? lol)

    Wicked good post :) very sick :)

  4. Pingback: Post-A-Day Top 3 | Alison Amazed

Comments are closed.