Slang
Muhammed Siddiqui Professor Lumbley Wrc 1013 1/31/2013 “Turn my Swag on”
Words are a part of our daily lives. With words we can communicate with others and evoke our feelings. But not every word has the same meaning in various regions of the world. Words just like humans are shaped by the location and culture that they are introduced to. This is what makes slang words interesting. Depending on where you live, a slang word can have a completely different meaning. For this assignment I will define the slang word “swag.” I’ll be discussing the modern meaning, etymology, and correct usage.
Swag is a common noun used today, mostly among teenagers. The word is used to describe a certain type of clothing that teenagers wear. The clothing resembles the style of modern hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Drake. The word can also be used to show off cool acts that teenagers perform. Like after jumping of a building, I cool kid would say something like “Bro, you can’t touch my swag!” According to urban dictionary “swag” is the “most used word in the world and is a word used to represent yourself based on the way you dress.” Swag has different meanings throughout the world. In Australia the term “swag” is used to refer to the dangling luggage that a homeless man carries. “Swag” is also used to describe home items such as “swag lamps” and “swag curtains”, which are basically dangling versions of the original lamp and curtains (Snopes). In America, many relate the word “swag” to “sway” which describes a certain motion of a bold, arrogant, and conceited person. So I think based on this information it’s easy to say that the word “swag” was introduced through old hip-hop, where loose clothing and sagging was the fashion and now has evolved through modern hip-hop to accommodate the newer fashion.
The most common misconception about the word “swag” is that it’s often misunderstood as an acronym. Many people think that “swag” is an acronym for “Secretly We
Words are a part of our daily lives. With words we can communicate with others and evoke our feelings. But not every word has the same meaning in various regions of the world. Words just like humans are shaped by the location and culture that they are introduced to. This is what makes slang words interesting. Depending on where you live, a slang word can have a completely different meaning. For this assignment I will define the slang word “swag.” I’ll be discussing the modern meaning, etymology, and correct usage.
Swag is a common noun used today, mostly among teenagers. The word is used to describe a certain type of clothing that teenagers wear. The clothing resembles the style of modern hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Drake. The word can also be used to show off cool acts that teenagers perform. Like after jumping of a building, I cool kid would say something like “Bro, you can’t touch my swag!” According to urban dictionary “swag” is the “most used word in the world and is a word used to represent yourself based on the way you dress.” Swag has different meanings throughout the world. In Australia the term “swag” is used to refer to the dangling luggage that a homeless man carries. “Swag” is also used to describe home items such as “swag lamps” and “swag curtains”, which are basically dangling versions of the original lamp and curtains (Snopes). In America, many relate the word “swag” to “sway” which describes a certain motion of a bold, arrogant, and conceited person. So I think based on this information it’s easy to say that the word “swag” was introduced through old hip-hop, where loose clothing and sagging was the fashion and now has evolved through modern hip-hop to accommodate the newer fashion.
The most common misconception about the word “swag” is that it’s often misunderstood as an acronym. Many people think that “swag” is an acronym for “Secretly We