Modern British Slang
Contents:
1. What is slang?……………………………………(3-5) 2. Development of slang............................................(5-6) 3. Creators of slang ………………………………...(6-7) 4. Linguistic processes forming slang ………….......(7) 5. Formation………………………………………...(8) 6. Examples of youth slang during 1960-70’s ……....(8-9) 6.1 Examples of modern British slang ………………(9-10) 6.2 Examples of modern USA slangs ………………..(11) 7. Definition of vulgarism …………………………..(11-12) 8. Vulgarisms in English (some exemples)………….(12-14) 9. Conclusion………………………………………...(15) 10. Bibliography……………………………………....(15)
Slang ... an attempt of common humanity to escape from bald literalism, and express itself illimitably ... the wholesome fermentation or eructation of those processes eternally active in language, by which froth and specks are thrown up, mostly to pass away, though occasionally to settle and permanently crystallise. Walt Whitman, 1885
1.What is slang? Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker 's dialect or language. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo (see euphemism). It is often used to identify with one 's peers and, although it may be common among young people, it is used by people of all ages and social groups. EG: mug = face; trap = mouth Such words are based on metaphor, they make speech unexpected, vivid and sometimes difficult to understand. Most of us think that we recognize slang when we hear it or see it, but exactly how slang is defined and which terms should or should not be listed under that heading continue to be the subject of debate in the bar-room as much as in the classroom or university seminar. To arrive at a working definition of slang the first edition of the Bloomsbury Dictionary of Contemporary Slang approached the phenomenon from two slightly different angles.
1. What is slang?……………………………………(3-5) 2. Development of slang............................................(5-6) 3. Creators of slang ………………………………...(6-7) 4. Linguistic processes forming slang ………….......(7) 5. Formation………………………………………...(8) 6. Examples of youth slang during 1960-70’s ……....(8-9) 6.1 Examples of modern British slang ………………(9-10) 6.2 Examples of modern USA slangs ………………..(11) 7. Definition of vulgarism …………………………..(11-12) 8. Vulgarisms in English (some exemples)………….(12-14) 9. Conclusion………………………………………...(15) 10. Bibliography……………………………………....(15)
Slang ... an attempt of common humanity to escape from bald literalism, and express itself illimitably ... the wholesome fermentation or eructation of those processes eternally active in language, by which froth and specks are thrown up, mostly to pass away, though occasionally to settle and permanently crystallise. Walt Whitman, 1885
1.What is slang? Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker 's dialect or language. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo (see euphemism). It is often used to identify with one 's peers and, although it may be common among young people, it is used by people of all ages and social groups. EG: mug = face; trap = mouth Such words are based on metaphor, they make speech unexpected, vivid and sometimes difficult to understand. Most of us think that we recognize slang when we hear it or see it, but exactly how slang is defined and which terms should or should not be listed under that heading continue to be the subject of debate in the bar-room as much as in the classroom or university seminar. To arrive at a working definition of slang the first edition of the Bloomsbury Dictionary of Contemporary Slang approached the phenomenon from two slightly different angles.
Bibliography: “Slang and the Dictionary” Tony Thorne, Wikipedia, Historical Dictionary of American Slang (2006), ed. Robert Beard, alpha Dictionary.com, http://www.alphadictionary.com/slang/, The Bloomsbury Dictionary of Contemporary Slang. http://www.slangsite.com/