Conclusion

Over the course of this semester, we as a group have learned a great deal about slang not only in America, but throughout history. We've also learned what ways slang is changing as we progress deeper into the 21st century. We have seen that slang is not merely vulgar language, a mode of speech for adolescents, or something that is killing literacy, but rather as its own dialect altogether. We have discovered that people of all age groups, time periods and economic status have their own type of slang, some of which has leaked into the mainstream.

From "bling-bling" to "bingo," slang in America is present in everything we see, hear and read. News outlets have begun to incorporate slang into their media and spend research dollars on learning what the new linguistic trends are in our society. This shows that slang is becoming less of a separate strata of language, and is instead merely becoming the vernacular of all modern English speakers. As we look into the future, we can see that the internet precipitates the spread and homogenization of slang, bringing regional terms into the global spotlight. This is why it is becoming increasingly important to consider slang a valid subsection of language, and certainly one to be studied and respected in the coming decades.

Cockney Rhyming Slang And Examples of Slang Changing Through Time

In this clip, we see a panel of British comedians joking about "Cockney Rhyming Slang," a well-known form of slang from England that originated in the mid-19th century. Although separate from American slang (and extremely different in structure), rhyming slang is important because it shows how complex slangs can become. We see the comedians go through the statement "Now, tonight any flamencoes you give in Pyong score Barney, and I'll also give you two Sunday if at any nickle and dime you woman who does to lubricant gel me what I'm on about," and try to decipher it using rhyming slang rules. One comedian even makes a joke about how the host has basically created "middle class cockney," showing us that even in humor, slang can morph and change.

The website "www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk" separates rhymed phrases into the "Classic" and "Modern" categories, differentiating from terms that originated closer to the 19th century, and those that have gained usage past the slang's heyday. Many other slangs can be shown to have adopted new terms over time, but few are as good of an example of how a subset of slang can grow and morph throughout history as cockney rhyming slang.

Drug Slang

Slang is a culture movement along with hip hop and graffiti that since the 20^th century did not begin to boom. Since slang originated from small social groups not wanting the larger powerful social groups to understand conversations, one can only imagine how slang is commonly used in the illegal drug industry.  Terms are used to not only hide the names of the drugs themselves but they are also used for weight or amount, and even locations.  There are plenty of slang terms used on the streets for Marijuana, Crack, Heroin, and a number of different Opiates. Some include; pot, snow, smack, and bars. These terms are the most commonly used amongst the hundreds more that have evolved throughout the years that have passed. Words are evolving daily because of the law legal enforcement catching up with the terms and being able to spot certain meanings, hence changing the slang in a dramatic way, because they are able to decode their vocabulary.

                 

    Since drug slang is constantly changing it is considered to be one of the most effective ways to stay undetected, keeping legal enforcement on their toes at all times during their search. This contained and constantly changing system, unlike other types of slang like regional, internet, or even cultural, makes drug slang the type that has the widest vocabulary and most diverse usage throughout the world.  It can also spread across varying age groups and socioeconomic groups, as drug usage is not specifically restricted to one specific set of people. This makes drug slang the most widespread and diverse type of slang not only in the U.S., but the entire world.

Slang Across Regions

  


All throughout the United States slang is used in different context. The North has a different slang then the South, and East differs from the West.  Yet each region makes these words their own. Not only do all these regions have their own accent but because of the different ethnic backgrounds and locations cause slangs to differ. Each state, or country, seems to have its own “slanguage.” Slang has developed immensely over the years and for the most part is known to have originated in New York City. Most of the slang that has developed is a result of cultural history. "These words about the city, individually and taken together, retell in a new voice the story of metropolitan life down to the 1950's" (Allen 3). 

   When people speak these words of slang they tell us something about the history and culture of cities which teaches us what was popular during that time and what most people enjoyed participating in. A lot of the times you will hear people simply greet each other in there on slang but not understand one word they are saying unless you are familiar with that type of slang yourself. Usually slang is often used in even the simplest forms , for example simply saying “hello” can be rephrased in slang as “what’s good dog” or usually in the southern regions they will use “how’s it goin”. Because of the different ethnic backgrounds these terms are not corrected and pushed on to the next generations to fit their active culture.

Slang In America

For decades, slang has allowed young people around the world to share a common culture, but American slang has had a huge impact in how the world converses today. With the extent of communication devices now reaching many areas previously blocked from mainstream communication channels, along with the emergence of wireless networks, the power of dominant language has been tapped like never before. Vernacular English is powerfully expressive because it is, paradoxically, both exclusive and global. In any host society, American slang lives in a world of linguistic and cultural knowledge not available at school or in mainstream media at least not yet (Androutsopoulos). 

   

   As social media becomes an everyday task to the common person, third parties are increasingly looking towards these networks to learn about people. Ironically, slang can say as much about a person as their formal writing, if anything even more so than the latter. Since slang is so easily spread without physical borders, and as previously mentioned is highly expressive in its exclusivity, it’s not a far-fetched idea that others would look to how you personally use slang in your everyday social life to learn more about you. This is highly evident in local communities, but with the ease provided by technology, be it the internet or text messaging, these local ideas are spreading farther away across the world. Inevitably the very advent of American innovation and advances in communication has allowed its own vernacular to spread across the world as well.

Modern American Slang's Origin

American society in the 1920's provided a breeding ground for new slang terms to arise. The decade was characterized by the first notable youth movement in American history, as newly liberated women began to define fashion and social trends known as the "flapper" movement. This movement had its roots in the speakeasy society created by prohibition. History has shown that most slang terms emerge when a social group needs a way to communicate without society at large being able to decipher their speech. Hence, the speakeasy society brought forth many new terms, some of which are still in use today. Some examples include words like "baloney," "blind date," "double-cross," and "bootleg." A term widely used today to describe having a conflict with another person, "beef," also originated during the speakeasy era.

Although prohibition was a time of crime and hardship for America, it created the first true subculture to be acknowledged by society at large. This allowed youth of the time to define themselves as something outside the norm and establish their own lexicon. Without this movement, we may not have had such a rich foundation for slang and variety of subcultures in our nation today. 


Source

Technology drives new slang into our language

It is worth recognizing that technology has its advantages and disadvantages in the formation of language, and in particular the cryptic sub-culture languages that make up slang. As mobile devices spread more commonly throughout the world, more languages are subject to participate in the international arena of ‘texting’ as small screens and services like Twitter encourage the application of shortened words and abbreviations. Slang has even been found to emerge as a result of predictive language software where, for example, while typing the word ‘cool’ he software would first suggest ‘book’ before being manually corrected. This has led to the adoption, albeit a slow one, of the word ‘book’ being used as a form of ‘cool’ (Hughes) Likewise, the technical term for missing web page, code 404, has been adopted by some to mean ‘clueless’.  However, it is equally arguable that as more of our software determines the way we write our own writing skills are dwindling as a result. 

   It was recently found that among a group of 55 students asked to send and read out text messages either in standard English or its cousin 'textese', nearly half the students took twice as long to read messages aloud in comparison to standard English versions. As more of this slang spreads into the mainstream, much of which include blatant spelling errors and unnecessary abbreviations, ultimately it is this over-reliance in spelling technologies that may eventually redefine the formal informal.

The Internet And Its Effect On Language

Throughout the modernization of language, society has had a need to develop languages, such as slang, with either purpose of excluding a certain audience or to design a language in ways that could be more efficient in meeting the needs of its users. Although we’re all familiar with this concept within secret societies or cults, most idioms today originate on the internet. Online communities, including groups of gamers, have developed slang as a method to converse with each other in a computer-mediated communication environment, which is a form of communication that occurs through any computer interface that acts as an intermediary between people.

Development of slang through the internet becomes so out of necessity simply due to the sheer volume of users one may be able to interact with. For example, one could argue that in order to handle larger people contacts effectively you could probably allocate more time to the assignment and exchange proper communication between you and the recipient. However, more than likely you will find yourself strapped of valuable time and may find a shortcut here and there by abbreviating a name, or condensing a long letter into smaller, more direct phrases. To the same regard, online gamers must also communicate as quickly as possible to minimize any potential down time, and, as such, they are an excellent source for studying the use of slang language as they communicate almost entirely through a computer interface and many gamer communities have developed their own vocabulary and idiomatic expressions (Crystal, 2001).

Slang In Society

All around the world no matter ones cultural differences or age, slang is spoken though out the household, office, and even school yard. Unlike some languages like English, Spanish, or even French, slang is not one that can be learned in the classroom or textbook.  It is the only language that does not have direct or correct definitions, leaving loads of words up for interpretation. Slang also has no concept of remembrance. According to poet Carl Sandburg, “Slang is the language that takes off its coat, spits on its hands, and goes to work”. For this, the reason that slang is constantly changing and never lasts long, and using it in literature or formal writing situations would be a huge mistake.

Youth today have the upper hand on this subculture. Learning and creating this world of culture is as simple as creating new music, clothing, and art. Changes within the environment, society, and governments will reflect the words we choose to use. For example; months after the horrible tragedy of 9/11, language in America was drastically changed. American citizens using words like terrorist, turban, and jihad although would never otherwise be used, were created as insults to one another. Like most of the societies though these eras, these words will soon die out and create an opening for new and improved ones. Having the ability to use these old “played out” words as a sound track of the past allows us to create an imaginary “picture” of what culture truly means.

Introduction to Slang

According to Webster's Dictionary, the term slang is defined as "very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language" or "the jargon or dialect of a particular class or profession." In the modern world, we are surrounded by slang constantly and in every aspect of our lives. From phrases as common as "what's up," "how's it going" or "dead serious" to newer terms like "sick," "lol" or others, we can find people from each class and creed using their own personal style of slang. Slang may be as widespread as formal speech today, but according to Winona Bullard of the University of North Carolina, we have to look back as far as the 15th century to find the roots of slang today.

The origin of slang in English can be traced back to something called "English Criminal Cant," which was a dialect used amongst English criminals in the 16th century to ensure that they could communicate their "business" dealings without outsiders being able to listen in (Bullard). This shows that slang arose out of a need for a self-styled lexicon amongst a specific class of people to ensure not only that outsiders could not eavesdrop, but also to produce a way to immediately know who is and who isn't a part of that specific group. Criminal Cant eventually became taboo in the 18th century due to its associations with criminal groups, even though less than 10,000 people (out of four million total English speakers) actually spoke and understood Criminal Cant in the 17th and 18th centuries. Next, we will explore how slang became more widely accepted, and how it eventually became a part of daily English speech.