Slang Essay
Professor Hood
English 099
June 27, 2013
A language of time
When it comes to the topic of slang, most of us will readily agree that it is a part of everyday life. Although it has become common today to dismiss slang as a lowering of the English language, I believe it is an ever developing language of its own that will be around for years to come. If you think about it slang has already been around for centuries and has shown no evidence of slowing down. With every new generation new words develop and even some old words seem to resurface if not with the exact same meaning then something relatively close to it in most cases.
Some people consider slang a natural way for people to belong someplace and reflect the times they live in. Some people also believe that ‘Slang may be a relaxed way of speaking, but the fact that people use slang to differentiate themselves from other groups means it can only be used in certain places”( Vinson ,Chicago tribune), however most slang words can be adapted into many different cultures and places. With all the technology that we have today it is hard for things like slang to stay in just one place.
Every generation of young people seems to come up with a new way to say certain things I believe it is their way of differentiating themselves from their parents. Kids from any time period don’t want to think of their parents as being cool. The word cool is actually the most notable slang word that has survived throughout the years. If you were to go into a school today and listen to the students discussing parties or other happenings of their life most adults probably wouldn’t know what they are talking about, but the same could be said about any school at any point in time. In today’s society you wouldn’t just go up to another teenager and ask where the party was, you would say where the function is. Also when describing a party that is going good you wouldn’t say this party is groovy man, you would
English 099
June 27, 2013
A language of time
When it comes to the topic of slang, most of us will readily agree that it is a part of everyday life. Although it has become common today to dismiss slang as a lowering of the English language, I believe it is an ever developing language of its own that will be around for years to come. If you think about it slang has already been around for centuries and has shown no evidence of slowing down. With every new generation new words develop and even some old words seem to resurface if not with the exact same meaning then something relatively close to it in most cases.
Some people consider slang a natural way for people to belong someplace and reflect the times they live in. Some people also believe that ‘Slang may be a relaxed way of speaking, but the fact that people use slang to differentiate themselves from other groups means it can only be used in certain places”( Vinson ,Chicago tribune), however most slang words can be adapted into many different cultures and places. With all the technology that we have today it is hard for things like slang to stay in just one place.
Every generation of young people seems to come up with a new way to say certain things I believe it is their way of differentiating themselves from their parents. Kids from any time period don’t want to think of their parents as being cool. The word cool is actually the most notable slang word that has survived throughout the years. If you were to go into a school today and listen to the students discussing parties or other happenings of their life most adults probably wouldn’t know what they are talking about, but the same could be said about any school at any point in time. In today’s society you wouldn’t just go up to another teenager and ask where the party was, you would say where the function is. Also when describing a party that is going good you wouldn’t say this party is groovy man, you would