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May 2, 2024 · What is slang? Slang is informal language that can be regional or develop from communities and subcultures. It can take the form of a single word or a phrase. The slang form of “lit” is American slang that conveys something exciting, high-energy, or amazing. In the UK, “chuffed” is slang for delight. Similarly, internet culture created ...
- Definition of Slang
- Common Examples of Slang
- Significance of Slang in Literature
- Examples of Slang in Literature
- Test Your Knowledge of Slang
Slang consists of words that are non-standard in a given language and is generally spoken to show inclusion in a certain social group. Social groups can be very small—from just a few friends—to very large, e.g., millions of people who frequent a website. Slang is usually considered informal, and thus is common in speech but not in writing (unless t...
There are thousands of words in English alone that are examples of slang. These words come in and out of popularity. Generally slang words are created in a spontaneous manner within a social group; when they begin to be adopted outside of that social group they are often dropped in favor of new words. Here are some slang examples from different sph...
Authors generally use slang in their works of literature to show that the narrative belongs to a certain time and place. Slang is most often found in dialogue, as characters reveal the social group they feel they belong to. Narrators also sometimes use slang when they function as a character in the story. Some slang words are also so embedded in a ...
Example #1
(Henry IV, Part 1by William Shakespeare) William Shakespeare was noted both for his use of slang examples from his day and also for creating new slang terms. In this short excerpt from Henry IV, Part 1, the characters of Falstaff and Prince Henry trade rounds of insults. We see many slang terms in just this short speech full of invective. Falstaff begins with the contraction “‘Sblood,” which stands for “God’s blood,” and was slang for a swear word. The rest of the speech is basically just a l...
Example #2
(The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsbyis set during Prohibition Era in the United States of America. This was not a time in which alcohol was not imbibed, but instead a time when people had to obtain their liquor illegally. This gave rise to a whole subculture, of which “bootleggers” were at the center. The term came from hiding alcohol in the leg of one’s boot. The women in this passage refer to the term casually, knowing that all will understan...
Example #3
(The Glass Menagerieby Tennessee Williams) Amanda, the mother in Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, uses slang from her own era in the American South. She refers to suitors as “gentleman callers” to make their purpose seem more noble. She also talks about the qualities that a woman should possess, including the slang terms “graceful figure,” “nimble wit,” and “a tongue.” While these terms are still understandable in modern-day America, they are somewhat euphemistic about the qualities...
1. Which of the following statements is the best slang definition? A. A form of speaking that is informal and signals inclusion in a specific social group. B. A subset of language used in a certain profession. C. A groups of words or phrases which are used only in a certain geographic region. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #1″] Answer: A is the...
Example #4: “I got a job promotion even though I don’t go to work half the time. I’m so sick.”. Here, the slang term used is “sick,” which literally means “ill.”. However, in slang it refers to something being awesome or cool. This type of slang terminology is mostly used by teenagers.
Here’s a quick and simple definition: Colloquialism is the use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech. Colloquialisms are usually defined in geographical terms, meaning that they are often defined by their use within a dialect, a regionally-defined variant of a larger language. Colloquialisms can include aphorisms, idioms ...
Slang allows a person to become creative in the use of language. Some people use slang in order to communicate with each other informally. Similarly, people using slang are able to identify other members of their subculture easily. There is a special Slang Dictionary that contains such words and their meanings.
Colloquial language is a language that is informal and conversational. A colloquialism is a word or expression that is commonplace within a specific language, geographic region, or historical era. Colloquialisms are useful in many ways as literary devices. They can provide personality and authenticity to characters and dialogue in a literary work.
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slang, unconventional words or phrases that express either something new or something old in a new way. It is flippant, irreverent, indecorous; it may be indecent or obscene. Its colourful metaphors are generally directed at respectability, and it is this succinct, sometimes witty, frequently impertinent social criticism that gives slang its ...
