Slang has become an official part of language and it's here to stay
Kickin with my peeps
Illustration by Scott Kaseman
By Meghan Miller, Jayplay writer
What up dawg? You wanna kick it later? Ah yes, the common speech of kids heard on every high school and college campus. If you stop to listen to almost any conversation, I guarentee that slang will be mixed in somewhere. Have you ever stopped to listen to some of the popular songs out there? Take Snoop Dogg.
We got a world premiere right here, now get lost/ So don't change the dizzle, turn it up a little/ I got a living room full of fine dime brizzles/ Waiting on the Pizzie, the Dizzie and the Shizzie/G's to the bizzack, now ladies here we gizzo.
What the hell does that mean? Even if you did find out what it meant, there would be at least five other people with different translations.
The foundation of slang
It probably doesn't matter if Snoop is making any sense, though, because we will still listen to his music and buy his CDs.
Slang has been around for a long time. Edward M. Meilillo, J.D. and author of American Slang: Cultural Language Guide to Living in the USA says that slang was originally a style of informal language.
It began as a secret language used so other people wouldn't understand what was being said. It was historically
associated with the subclasses of our culture, but, as slang has evolved, it has become more commonplace in almost every walk of life.
Pretty much every societal group has its own slang that's distinctive to the way its people communicate with each other.
The slang we use comes from a miriad of places. Author of the American Slang Dictionary, Richard A. Spears, Ph.D, says that the expressions we use come from places like movies, song
that there is no standardized test that will determine what slang is and what it isn't.
Break it down...
There is no way to predict how slang
Props -- respect, recognition
lyrics, books, newspapers and everyday conversations. Spears also says
Ridonkulis — a blending of ridiculous and donkey. Usually conveys excitement or silliness. "That was freaking redonkulis!"
Beer Thirty - time to open a cold one
Badookadunk — a nice rear end
Union Fiver — five minute break, usually to catch a smoke
G'd Up — looking like a pimp
Fo Shizzle - for sure
Skeelo - girl
Git To Steppin' — leave
Heezle - slut
o predict how slang will ebb and flow, we only know that it will exist.
Slang on the hill Joe Mortensen, Oakland freshman, and Paul Como, Dana Point, Calif., junior, say that slang is a major part of their conversational lives. They make up words all the time as a way to have fun and to express themselves. One phrase they use is "cup-caking" or "bubble bathing," which means spending too much time with a
girl and not getting any action, respectively. Neither of them care if they use
their slang in front of other people because most likely, no one will understand them anyway.
But, as far as professors are concerned, Edgerton says they just have to deal with it. In some cases, though, the slang Edgerton uses takes the place of a possibly offensive word. He says "shmu" is one of his favorites, used instead of shit.
Slangin' it foreva
Chase Edgerton, Barrington, III, senior, sometimes worries about slipping up or saying something offensive in front of parents and grandparents.
Slang is prominent in our society, no matter where we look. Almost every person has some word they use that would be considered slang. What started out as a way to put common English into code for the subclasses has transformed into jargon that is used every day. As time goes on, slang will continue to evolve to the needs of what people have to say. It doesn't matter whether you're talking to Snoop Dogg or to your professor, slang will make its way into the conversation.
09.22.05 Jayplay
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